The Gospel of the Power of God

Q: What does the Bible say about the power of the gospel?

The Bible states that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). According to Romans 1:16, the gospel is described as the power of God for salvation. This emphasizes that it is not just a message or set of instructions but a powerful force that actively effects salvation for all who believe. It is a divine work that transforms hearts and leads individuals to faith, underscoring the sovereignty and omnipotence of God in the process of salvation, where He calls and justifies His chosen ones.

Q: How do we know that God's sovereignty is real?

God's sovereignty is demonstrated through His ability to fulfill His promises and execute His will (Isaiah 46:10). The sovereignty of God is a foundational concept in Reformed theology. Scripture reveals that God is in control of all events and that nothing happens outside of His ordained plan. Isaiah 46:10 states, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.' This highlights that God's will is unstoppable and that He is capable of bringing about His purposes in creation and redemption without frustration or failure. Historical accounts, prophetic fulfillments, and the active roles of God in salvation testify to His sovereign nature.

Q: Why is the concept of justification by faith important for Christians?

Justification by faith is essential as it highlights that salvation is a gift from God, received through faith in Christ alone (Romans 5:1). Justification by faith is a cornerstone of Christian belief, particularly in Reformed theology. It underscores that sinners are declared righteous before God not by their works, but through faith in the finished work of Christ. Romans 5:1 encapsulates this doctrine: 'Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' This means that by faith, believers receive the righteousness of Christ, ensuring their acceptance before a holy God. It is a reminder that salvation is entirely by grace and not due to any merit of our own.

Q: What does 'the righteousness of God revealed' mean in the gospel?

'The righteousness of God revealed' means that the gospel discloses how God's holiness and justice are satisfied through Christ (Romans 1:17). In Romans 1:17, the phrase 'the righteousness of God revealed' indicates how the gospel reveals God’s method of making sinners righteous through faith. This righteousness is not merely a human achievement but is provided by God and fully manifested in Christ’s atoning work on the cross. By Christ’s sacrifice, believers can be justified, meaning their sins are forgiven and they are accounted righteous in God’s sight. This important theme reassures believers of their standing before God, emphasizing that it is His righteousness that allows for a relationship with Him.

Let's open our Bibles now to
the book of Romans. I'm going to be speaking from
the first chapter, the first chapter of Romans. And let's just begin reading
with verse 1 of chapter 1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. called to be an apostle, separated
unto the gospel of God, which he promised afore by his prophets
in the Holy Scriptures concerning his son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh
and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the
spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, by whom, by Christ,
we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among
all nations for his name, among whom are you also the called
of Jesus Christ. to all that be in Rome, beloved
of God, called to be saints, grace to you, and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God
through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken
of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I
serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son. that without ceasing
I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request,
if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey
by the will of God to come unto you. I long to see you, that
I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end, or that you
may be established, that is, that I may be comforted together
with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. And I would
not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to
come and visit you, but was hindered, I was not let hitherto, I was
let hitherto or hindered, that I might have some fruit among
you also, even as among other Gentiles. I'm a debtor both to
the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am
ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. I'm not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ. For that gospel is the power
of God unto salvation. to everyone that
believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Let me read
that verse again. For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, for it, that gospel, is the power of God. Now, my
friends, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am not. I've heard that gospel. I've seen it. I believe it. I heard it. Over 40 years ago,
I heard this gospel of Jesus Christ, this gospel identified
in this chapter in this way, the gospel of God, the gospel
of his and the gospel which is the power of God. I heard that
gospel 40 years ago. Oh, I'd heard other gospels.
I'd heard other gospels. But I'd never heard the gospel
which is the power of God. I'd never heard a powerful gospel. I'd heard gospels of an impotent
God and a frustrated Savior. and a spirit that you could drive
away with the least little negative thought. But I'd never heard
the gospel of the power of God. The gospel of the power of God.
A gospel which presents a sovereign God. Can I not do with my own
what I will, God said. Is anything too hard for God? No one under God are all his
works from the beginning. He declares the end from the
beginning. None can stay my hand, he said,
or say unto me, what doest thou? I heard the gospel of a sovereign
God, an omnipotent God, an omniscient God, an omnipresent God. I had
heard that gospel before. God's not trying to do anything.
God's doing his will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants
of the earth and giveth it to whomsoever he will. I heard the
gospel of the power of God, of the God of power. I heard the gospel of a victorious
Savior, one who cannot fail. The pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand. He said, All that my Father giveth
me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I'll in no
wise cast out. I came down from heaven not to
do my will, but the will of him that sent me. This is the will
of him that sent me, and of all which he hath given me I lose
nothing, but raise it up at the last day. An omnipotent Savior,
a victorious Savior, a conquering Savior. Or the sheep I have,
which are not of this fold, they are my offspring, and they shall
hear my voice, and they shall be one fold and one shepherd."
I heard the gospel of the power of God, of the God of power,
of a victorious Lord and Savior, and of a conquering spirit, invincible
spirit, an irresistible spirit. A Holy Spirit who wrote through
the Apostle Paul, whom he foreknew, he predestinated to be conformed
to the image of his Son. Whom he predestinated, he called.
Whom he called, he justified. Whom he justified, he glorified.
What shall we say to these things? Well, I say, if God be for me,
who can be against me? I heard it. I heard it. And I'll tell you
something else. I saw it. I saw it. I not only heard it,
but I saw it. You see, look at that verse 17.
For therein, for therein, nowhere else but there, in that gospel
of God, in that gospel of his Son, in that gospel concerning
his Son, in that gospel of the God of power, for therein, in
that gospel, is the righteousness of God revealed. It's seen. Right there, nowhere else. And
not till I heard it did I see it. You with me? Not till I heard it did I see
the righteousness of God. What are you talking about, preacher,
the righteousness of God? Well, first of all, I saw His
own essential righteousness. I found out that God is holy.
That God not only will punish sin and has punished sin, but
God must punish sin. You understand what I'm saying?
He must, if he's going to be God. He doesn't have any choice. There are no alternatives. God
must, must, must, must punish sin. He can in no wise clear
the guilty, because he's holy. The essential attribute of God
is holiness. Nowhere is the holiness of God
seen like at Calvary. People talk about the flood,
seeing the wrath of God against sin in the flood. Yes, it's there.
In Sodom, when God destroyed Sodom. Oh, it's there. But I
tell you, if you want to see the immaculate, infinite holiness
of God, go to Calvary. He spared not His own Son. And
Christ is not a sinner. except by imputation. He's not
a sinner by act or thought or deed. He's bearing our sins. And yet God is so holy and must
punish sin that when Christ bore the sins of his people in his
body on the tree, the Father punished him and turned his back
on him. I saw God's essential personal
holiness in this gospel. And not only that, but I saw
something else, I saw the righteousness which he provided for the elect.
That God being righteous and holy can't receive any creature
unless that creature is made righteous and holy. As long as
the law has a charge against me or justice has a charge against
me, God cannot in justice and holiness receive me. So in Christ,
he provided a righteousness. By the disobedience of Adam,
we were made sinners. By the obedience of Christ, we
were made righteous. I saw that in this gospel of
the power of God. That God didn't try to make me
righteous, he did. That God didn't try to justify
me, he did. Christ said, I came to seek and
to save the lost, not to try to save them, not to make them
savable. I came to save them. The pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.
I saw that. And I saw this. I saw in that
gospel. How God can be just and justify. Moses, I mean, Noah, Job kept
asking that question. Oh, how can man be just with
God? Well, I know, Job. How can he
be clean that's born of a woman? Well, behold, the moon, it shineth
not. The stars are not pure in God's sight. How much more abominable
and filthy are we who drink iniquity like water? The angels are not pure in his
sight. How can man be just with God? How can God overlook? How
can God pass by? How can God ignore our sinfulness,
our wretchedness, our depravity? He can't! But if he sent one
down here in our place instead, made like unto us, bone of our
bone, flesh of our flesh, born of a woman, male unto the law,
and he as a man in his infinite ability and power obeys the law
and satisfies justice, then we are clean. Because in him we
did all that he did. I see that. I saw it in this
gospel. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, the powerful gospel, the gospel of the power of God,
and the gospel of the God of power, and the Christ of power,
and the Holy Spirit of power, irresistible power, invincible
power, conquering power, saving power. It's the power. You know
what that word power is? It's dynamite, that's what it
is. Dunamis, isn't that correct? Dynamite. I saw, he said, for in that gospel
is revealed, is manifested the righteousness of God, and the
righteousness God provided, and how God can be just and justifier. And I saw how that all the promises,
pictures, patterns, and types of the Old Testament were fulfilled
in that man Jesus Christ. Deliberately. He didn't try to
fulfill them. He didn't send Christ as an offer.
Christ came down here and did what he came to do. I finished
the work you gave me to do. When he died on that cross, he
said, the work is finished. And when God raised him from
the dead, God said, I accept his work. and raised him to sit
on his right hand. I saw that! And I tell you, I saw something
else forty years ago. I saw that this gospel of God,
this gospel of God, this gospel of the power of God, this gospel
of the God of power, this powerful gospel, This gospel that engulfs
all that intends to engulf, and includes all that intends to
include, and saves all whom it sent to save, and redeems all
whom he came to redeem, this powerful, irresistible gospel
is concerning his son and nobody else. Not even you and me. It's
got nothing to do with you. This gospel doesn't. No, I beg
your pardon. It hasn't got a thing to do with
you. It's a finished work. Look at
verse 1, 2, and 3. Romans 1. Paul, a servant of
Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel
of God. Then there's parenthesis. And
the whole second verse is in parenthesis. And it identifies
that gospel he's talking about as being no new gospel, but the
gospel prophesied by the Old Testament prophet. Lift that
parenthetical statement out. Just ignore it, because it can
be done. And Paul says, I'm separated
to the gospel of God concerning his son. That's what this gospel
is concerning, his son. He did it all. He's the author
and finisher. He's the alpha and omega. He's
the beginning and the end. And ain't no room in here for
anybody else. He's the author and the high priest of our profession. Christ is all. Christ is all
and in all. In him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses
us from all sin. All the promises of God in Christ
are yours and amen. Jesus Christ is made to me all
I need, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption,
holiness, all I need. You understand what I'm saying?
It's the gospel of his son. He left nothing for me to do,
he left nothing for me to think, he left nothing for me to add
to what he did. He did it all. I am sanctified,
redeemed, righteous in Christ Jesus. That's exactly right. That's how this gospel is the
power of God unto salvation. The gospel is the power of God
unto salvation. It's not something God puts out
here, a way that you finish, a way that you complete. He doesn't
give you the parts in a box. We used to make model airplanes
and all the parts went, all the parts were there. All the parts
were there, even the glue. You remember Bob? We used to
put those airplanes together, the paper, stretch it, and weld
it, and all that kind of stuff. And man, it looked botchy when
I got through. And that's what salvation looked
like when I got through with it too. Botchy. It wouldn't fly,
I'll tell you that. But salvation doesn't come in
a box, all the parts provided for you to put together. No! It flies in complete and loads
you on board and takes you to glory. Now I'm telling you the
truth because Christ did it all. It's exactly right. Now listen to me. One of the
members of our church came over to visit me the other day. We
had such a pleasant time and he said, We had a good day last
Sunday. I said, we did. He said, when
you preach the gospel like that, like you preached last Sunday,
that full, complete, redeeming gospel of Jesus Christ, he said,
I know I'm a believer. I just know I'm a believer because
I believe what you're preaching. I just know I'm a believer. And
then I said this. I said, well, let me tell you
something. This gospel I'm preaching, the
gospel of God, concerning his son all in Christ is scripturally
right. That's according to the scripture.
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God came to Abraham,
Mike, and said, Abraham, you come where I'll show you. It's
all of grace, all of God. David, David didn't volunteer
to be king. He was out there watching the
sheep. His brothers were all ambitious to be king. He's out
there minding the sheep, and God said, go get David. These
other fellows had to go home. Oh, grace! That's scriptural,
isn't it? It sure is. We're His workmanship
created in Christ Jesus. Now, you might preach a God who's
impotent and who's trying to do something, but that's not
the God of the Bible. He does what he pleases. He said,
I'll be gracious to whom I will be gracious. I'll be merciful
to whom I will. That's the God of the Bible.
Scripturally, my gospel is accurate. But not only that, judicially,
my gospel is accurate. What does judicially mean? According
to justice. There was a young man who stood
in a church one time, the church was meeting, and the pastor said,
anybody got a word to say? And he stood up and he said,
I'm redeemed by the justice of God. And the pastor took in his
breath like some of you did just then. But he said, may I finish? The justice of God condemned
me. The justice of God sent Christ
in my place and condemned him. Now the justice of God must release
me because my debt's paid. So I'm redeemed by the justice
of God. Well, ain't nothing wrong with
that. Judicially, judicially, my gospel
is accurate because it's according to the law and the justice of
God. And that's got to be dealt with.
You won't walk down this aisle and shake my hand and deal with
the law of God. or the justice of God. But if you can go to
the foot of the cross and look into the face of Him who bore
your sins and met the law and justice of God and find in Him
a Redeemer, then you might have something to stand on. Thirdly, my gospel is logical. That's right. According to reason.
According to reason. If God be for me, who can be
against me? Isn't that reasonable? Sure that's
reasonable. Well, I ask you this. What can
you do otherwise? Can you by searching find God?
God must find you. Isn't that reasonable? Can you meet God's law? Well,
no I can't. Then He must. Can you please
God in anything you do, word, thought, or deed? Can you please
God? Well, no, preach. Well, He must please God for
you, Christ must. Can you produce faith? No, then
He must give it to you. Can you produce love? Can you
love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength? No,
you can love yourself, can't you? You can't love God like
that. then He must do it for you. You
see what I'm saying? It's reasonable. Can you continue? Right now.
Right now. Say God gave you faith right
now. Here it is. That is faith. Can you continue? Are you sure? Would you? I don't
want it on that basis. I don't want salvation on any
basis that leads me to produce or present anything. I want it wrapped up in Christ,
sealed, finished. Because if he leaves one out,
if he hands me faith and says, I'll see you down the road, don't
leave me. Moses said, if you don't go with me, don't let me
go. That's Moses said that. I don't
want to take a step without your aid. It's reasonable, isn't it? Oh, you know it is. Here's a
man. Let me show you this. I saw this.
Here's a man. Darch and I had dished in Niagara
Falls one time. And we stood. That's awesome. Like the fella from Texas went
up there. Milton told me about it. He went up to Niagara Falls
and one of those Canadians said, y'all got anything like that
in Texas? He said, no, but we got a fella that can stop that
leak for you. But it's awesome. It's awesome. All right, suppose a man is being
swept down that river, Niagara River. Here he comes. Right in
the middle. And that thing's wide. Some of
you have seen it. Boards all around him. Maybe other people
around him. He's nearing the falls. He's nearing certain destruction. What shall he do? Cling to a
board? Well, a board's going with him.
Cling to a log? Here comes a big log. That looks
good. I'll get up on the log. have an easy trip, but the Lord's
going over it too. Maybe he'll grab hold of some
fellow. There's some fellow with a lot of charisma there, some
fellow quoting scripture, some fellow that seems to know a lot
about being saved from waterfalls, you know. He's that first hand.
He's been saved from a lot of them, you know. So grab a hold
of him. He's headed the same way you're headed. What am I
going to do? There's one hope. One hope. If there's someone on the shore,
anchored to the shore, who's permanent on the shore, will
throw me a line. And I grab hold of that line.
And I'm now connected to the shore. I'm joined to the shore. The shore's not moving. It's
not moving. The shore's not going towards
the fall. The shore's permanent. And now I'm joined to the shore.
I'm saved from the fall. And even so, in this life, being
swept along, you can grab boards and logs or anything, houses,
friends, family, all these things are headed the same way with
you. It's all under condemnation, all under judgment of God, all
going the same way. You can grab some religious fellow
that talks like he's had a lot of experience with falls, you
know, before. He hasn't, he doesn't know what
it's all about. And he's going right along with you. But if
God Almighty on the shore, in heaven, throws you a line, a
mediator, someone who's connected to Him, joined to Him, becomes
joined to you, then you join to Him. And when this thing sweeps
on by, you'll be taken up to Him. And that's what Christ is. There's one God and one line
and one mediator between God and men, and that's the man,
Christ Jesus. And my mediator, my redeemer
is anchored on the shore. He's anchored on the shore. He
is God himself. And he's got a hold of me in
his mercy and grace. I'm saved. Is that right? You know it's right. Now, I said
I saw this gospel. It says here in verse 16 of Romans
1, I'm not ashamed of this gospel of Christ. It's the power of
God and the salvation to everyone that believeth. Everyone that
what? Believeth. Believeth. To the Jew first and
to the Greek. Male, female, for they and in
that gospel is the very righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith. What does that mean from faith
to faith? Well, from one degree of faith to the other. I believed
this gospel when I first heard it. Yes, I did. When I heard this gospel 40 years
ago, oh, I didn't know very much. No, I really didn't. I didn't
know much theologically, all these things. But I believed
it. And since then I've learned some
things about Christ, about myself, about the Word. And I believe
it now. Believe it now more than I believed
it then. I know more about my own inability than I did then.
I know more about His holiness than I did then. I know more
about His love and mercy than I did then. I believed it then,
I believed it along the road, and I believe it now. And I believe
it so strongly now, I question whether I even believed it back
then, but I did. I did. It's from faith to faith.
It's from one degree of faith to the other. Oh, we grow in
grace and in the knowledge of Christ, and we grow in understanding,
but we don't get saved over again any more than, you know, when
I was born and my mother, she gave me birth almost 39 years
ago, you know, and 49. But I was alive then. But as the years have gone by,
I picked up a little information. And you have too. You picked
up a little information, hadn't you? About this Lord. About this
Savior. And that's from faith to faith.
It says the just shall live by faith. See that? That's four
times in the Bible. The just shall live by faith.
I can't explain faith. But I can give you the fundamentals. I know, number one, faith is
born of need. What brought the leper to Christ?
What brought the harlot to Christ? Need. What brought Bartimaeus
to cry out? Need. I need him. Secondly, faith
rests on the word of God. Abraham believed God. You see,
my friends, feelings come and feelings go and feelings are
deceiving. You've got to rest on the word
of God. Nothing else is worth believing. Just take him at his
word. Believe it. And then faith is
in Christ alone. Christ alone. Faith is in Christ
alone. Faith, like I said a while ago,
looks to Christ for everything. Everything. It says the just
shall live by faith. Who's the just? Well, he's the
just one. And we're just in him. Okay? He's the just one. He died the
just for the unjust. He said, I'm a just God and a
Savior. So He's the just one. But in Him, we're just. So the
just shall live. They were dead, but now they're
living. And they not only were raised from spiritual grace and
living, but they live by faith. It doesn't say they live because
of faith. We live because He lives. Okay? I don't live because
of faith. Christ said, you live because
I live. I don't live on faith. I live on Christ. He's my bread
and my wine. I live by faith. What's that
mean? It means this. We live on Christ
who is received by faith. I wrote an article for next week's
bulletin I want you to read to your children. But a father decides
to give his son a bicycle, or daughter, And he works and makes
the money and buys the bicycle and brings it to the child and
says, this is yours. Well, the bicycle's completed. The child
doesn't merit the bicycle, deserve the bicycle, or contribute anything
on the bicycle. Well, how does it become his?
He receives it. The father says, it's yours. He believes the father's
word. He needs a bicycle. What's he
do? Get on it! Isn't that simple? I know my grandchildren don't
act like this, but you sure you want me to have it? I don't know
whether I ought to have it or not. I don't know whether I want
it or not. Here's your bicycle, son. Get
on it and ride off. Because he believes his father.
Well, let me tell you, brother, I believe my father. He said, life is yours, it's
in Christ, get on it and ride. Alright? I think it would be
insulting to the Father if you stood around and looked at that
bicycle very long and didn't get on it. Wouldn't it? He just might give it to the
neighbor kid, and I wouldn't blame him. The sooner the better,
now is the accepted time, that day is the day of salvation.
My father, this gospel I heard is the gospel of the power of
God, and the God of power, and it's unto salvation to everybody
who believe him. For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith, and it's complete, and
it's yours. I believe. the year.

The Gospel of the Power of God

What does the Bible say about the power of the gospel?

How do we know that God's sovereignty is real?

Why is the concept of justification by faith important for Christians?

What does 'the righteousness of God revealed' mean in the gospel?

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The Gospel of the Power of God

What does the Bible say about the power of the gospel?

How do we know that God's sovereignty is real?

Why is the concept of justification by faith important for Christians?

What does 'the righteousness of God revealed' mean in the gospel?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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