The Gospel as the Power of God to Salvation
Paul says something in Romans 1 that has always perplexed me as a believer. He said: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the Power of God to salvation – for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Maybe you are like I am and find yourself caught up with phrases and words that pop out of scripture – but I’ve always wondered why Paul says that the GOSPEL, not Jesus Himself, but that the GOSPEL OR GOOD NEWS is the POWER of God to salvation? Why didn’t he say, “Jesus is the power of God to salvation” but instead that the Good News is the power of God to salvation? Are they somehow separate? How? Why? Of course, Jesus is Lord, Savior, and King but what is the Gospel, how is it different from Him – or is it?
So, I started mulling over the term, the Gospel…the Gospel… We read in Mark 1:15 where John is purported to say, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Also, in Mark Jesus appears to distinguish between Himself and the Gospel when He says: Mark 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. Again, in Mark 16:15 we read, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” WHY? Because the Gospel is the Power of God to salvation.
Key Components of the Gospel
Of course, Paul, in 1st Corinthians 15, succinctly describes the Gospel as containing three straightforward components from Jesus' life – that He Died, according to scripture, Was Buried, And was raised the third day again according to scripture. That is the Gospel, which again Paul calls, “the Power of God to salvation.” We note that the power of God to salvation says nothing about baptisms, doctrines on hell, sola scriptura – all Paul says to describe the Gospel is that Christ Died, Was buried, And rose again on the third day. Yes, the Gospel is all built upon and around the acts and events of the Lord Jesus Christ, but Paul and Mark and others speak to these acts collectively (from Him alone) AS the power of God and not just the Man called Jesus of Nazareth.
These three acts or events from the man’s life are the Power of God to salvation! The power of God to salvation is not in His teachings, or miracles, or healings or even His birth. The power of God to salvation is not in the incarnation, not in the ascension, not in communion, or water baptism. The VERY POWER OF GOD is IN THE GOSPEL WHICH IS DEFINED AS THE FACT THAT JESUS Died, Was Buried and Rose the third day. His power to salvation is IN these three things. Always these three things.
The Significance of Jesus' Death
Now we know that these three things, together, could and would only be efficacious in and through Jesus of Nazareth, the word made flesh, born of a woman, born under the Law. So the Gospel is always and only provided by and done by and through Him. Nevertheless, the Good News, the very power of God to salvation IS in the fact that He, the word made flesh, DIED, WAS BURIED, And ROSE AGAIN. Why? What I am about to share has knocked me off my feet this past week for the First time in my 60 years of life.
Ready? Let’s look at how the Gospel is the very POWER of God to salvation and why Paul designated the Gospel in these specific three points. And let’s start with the first point of the Gospel – that Jesus died. Why did Jesus die? Specifically, because, as 2nd Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin,” and since Romans 6:23 says, “wages of sin is death.” Here’s the marvelous thing about His death alone – it was in paying the wages for the sin of the world through the death of Christ and in and through His DEATH – HIS DEATH – the world has been reconciled to God! Listen to 2nd Corinthians 5:18-19 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath…
The Gospel and Reconciliation
Given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 meaning, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” The term translated world there is KOSMOS – meaning everyone everywhere. Then Paul writes something even more astounding in 2nd Corinthians 5:14 and says: “that because one (Jesus) died for all, then all are dead.” Do you know what that is saying? That in and through His DEATH ALONE, which was done because He took on the sins of the world, the WORLD died! OR as Paul says, “that because one died for all, then all are dead.”
Bottom line – through the first of three points that make up the Gospel, which is the power of God to salvation, the entire world population had their debt paid for the sins it commits – because Jesus was made to be sin for all, and in and from this, the wages of sin, which is death, was paid for once and for ALL! Now listen closely – if or since Christ died for the sins of all God’s wrath was propitiated for all. How could God be angry if the debt was paid for all by and through the death of His SON! And so while NOT universal salvation, we do preach and teach, in harmony with scripture, universal reconciliation of all.
The Significance of Christ's Burial
So again, the first point of the Gospel, that Jesus DIED has direct Good News application to the whole world – He died for their sin and God is appeased. But Paul does not stop with His death but instead mentions something sort of strange here as the second point of the Good News – that He was buried – His Body was buried! Why is this particular mentioned as part of the Good News? I mean to say that He died is enough to say that he resurrected. So why the buried part. First it was prophesied that the Messiah would be buried, specifically with the rich as we read in Isaiah 53:9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
So there is that. Secondly, burial of the body was really important to a Jew. It’s sort of interesting that the term is referenced over 100 times in scripture. And so it was a least a cultural reference to which a Jew could relate. Then there is the symbolism of a believer being buried with him through the act of water baptism – which we will talk about more in a moment. But I want to bring another element to the table relative to the reason Christ’s burial is part of the Gospel. And it has application only to a certain type of believer. Let me explain. Someone can not believe that Jesus died for their sin – but that would not change the fact that he did and that they will and are benefiting from this. But someone who DOES believe that Jesus died for their sin MIGHT not allow their former sinful flesh to be buried. Instead, they might say, “yeah I believe he died for me,” but they might also allow their former man or woman of sin to live and walk around and never be buried.
The Power of Belief and Burial
So the Power of God to salvation for Believers BEGINS with the fact that Jesus died for their sin, and then continues with them allowing His burial to have application in their lives too. In other words, such a believer would not walk in the ways of their former flesh. They will, like Christ, allow that sinful man or woman to be buried. This is the second way the Gospel is the POWER of God to salvation – He died (for sin) he was buried (and we too, our former man or woman), are buried along with him – disappearing from view of the world? Where did Shawn McCraney from Huntington Beach go who was so rude and vile and violent and sexual? I haven’t seen that guy in years? Oh, he died AND WAS BURIED. This is the power of God to SALVATION – now talking about those who believe! They don’t just accept that Jesus died for their sin. In response they allow their FORMER FLESHLY BODY TO BE BURIED. It’s really important to see the process. First death with Christ for sin. THEN Burial with Christ of
The Gospel as the Power of God to Salvation
Now, a believer does not HAVE to bury their former man or woman. They can just let that fleshly being roam around and do what it has always done. Did Jesus pay for their sins? Absolutely. But are they allowing the GOSPEL which is the POWER of GOD to SALVATION to operate in them? No. And so their faith is weak as it does not lead to love for God and others – which is the fruit that God seeks from those who are His. Theirs is a belief that continues to love the sinful self for whom Jesus died and was buried – two events that are miraculously applied to the life of those who truly believe.
Naturally, the third and final part of the Gospel as the Power of God to salvation can only occur if there has been a death and then some semblance of a burial – and that is to rise from the grave to new life by the same power that God raised Jesus up from the same. And again, this event is optional, as some who believe never seem to experience it. There are those who believe in Jesus' death for sin but whose former man or woman is never buried and is therefore never raised. There are those who believe in Jesus' death for sin and their former fleshly self is buried but it never rises to new life as Jesus did. But the Gospel, which is the power of God to salvation, MUST include the death, burial, AND resurrection of Christ in the lives of those who truly believe on Him.
The Role of Reconciliation
Paul says a number of really interesting things relative to the resurrected Christ and believers. In Romans 5:10 we read, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Remember that the Gospel is the POWER OF GOD to salvation? Reconciliation by the death alone is not salvation. But as Paul said, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” He adds in 2nd Corinthians, “Therefore, if any person be in Christ, s/he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The new woman or man cannot remain dead and in the grave. They rise to new life in and through Him and the power of His resurrection.
Living Unto Him
Listen carefully to what Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 5:15, “And since He died for all, they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” Let me break this down – it’s amazing. Ready? “And since He died for all,” (There is the first point of the Good News – He died for ALL – ALL, that’s good news) “they which live” (which differentiates from the all but speaks to believers because by faith they are “they which live”) “should not henceforth live unto themselves,” (their former man/woman of sin whom Jesus died for should be buried to be buried) “but should live unto him which died for them, and rose again.” (meaning the death and resurrection of Christ SHOULD have direct application and expression in their lives!)
And in all of this, these three expressions, the DEATH, BURIAL, and RESURRECTION of Christ, we are able to actually see and understand how together they, as the Gospel, become the POWER of GOD to salvation. Alone they are not salvation. They can’t operate alone in bringing salvation forth. His death alone only reconciles and removes the wrath abiding on humankind. Burial only serves to cover or hide the former woman or man. But the crowning glory of the power of the resurrection, prefaced by death and burial, brings all who believe into the will of God, for those who are saved from sin BUT ALSO saved to His Kingdom.
The external imagery found in water baptism reflects all of this naturally, and so I find the expression really beautiful as people willing submit to the public expression and admittance that they place their faith in Jesus for not only paying for the sins of the world, but that He was also buried, and then He was also raised to new life. This caused Paul to write: Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the…
The Operation of God
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
