THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER OF GOD
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I tend to think about finer points of various theological debates and can lose sight of the Good News. Two points I have been thinking about these past few weeks are:
First, keep preaching the Gospel to myself. I need to hear the Good News for my own encouragement, and it needs to be fresh when I have an opportunity to share. When reviewing for myself, I can pray for the Holy Spirit to provide opportunities to share the Good News with others.
Secondly, when sharing the Gospel, use actual Scripture verses, not just paraphrase or only summarize the message. There is actual transformative power in the Word of God! There are many verses confirming this, including Hebrews 4:12, Isaiah 55:11, Jeremiah 23:29, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 1:16, 1 Peter 1:23, John 6:63, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, James 1:21, Romans 10:17, Ephesians 6:17, Psalm 19:7-8, and John 17:17.
Finally, I keep the following Gospel verses handy in a note on my phone (these listed below are in the CSB translation). These are great verses to memorize and to keep handy when preaching the Gospel to myself and for when I have an opportunity to share with others. Depending on the conversation, some of these will be just right for the situation.
Common misconception - salvation through religion:
Proverbs 14:12 (also 16:25) - There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.
Humanity’s condition and sin’s consequence:
Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God’s solution:
Romans 5:8 - But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
John 3:16 - For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Make it personal:
Romans 10:9-10 - If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
Romans 10:13 - For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9 - For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.
Christ’s exclusivity:
John 14:6 - Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Acts 4:12 - There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.
Invitation (offer for them to receive Jesus in prayer together):
Revelation 3:20 - See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
2 Corinthians 5:20 - Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
Transformation and Encouragement:
New life: 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
Peace with God: Romans 5:1 - Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
No condemnation: Romans 8:1 - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.
Abundant life: John 10:10 - A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
Everything we need: 2 Peter 1:3 - His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Assurance of salvation: Romans 8:38-39 - For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
First, keep preaching the Gospel to myself. I need to hear the Good News for my own encouragement, and it needs to be fresh when I have an opportunity to share. When reviewing for myself, I can pray for the Holy Spirit to provide opportunities to share the Good News with others.
Secondly, when sharing the Gospel, use actual Scripture verses, not just paraphrase or only summarize the message. There is actual transformative power in the Word of God! There are many verses confirming this, including Hebrews 4:12, Isaiah 55:11, Jeremiah 23:29, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 1:16, 1 Peter 1:23, John 6:63, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, James 1:21, Romans 10:17, Ephesians 6:17, Psalm 19:7-8, and John 17:17.
Finally, I keep the following Gospel verses handy in a note on my phone (these listed below are in the CSB translation). These are great verses to memorize and to keep handy when preaching the Gospel to myself and for when I have an opportunity to share with others. Depending on the conversation, some of these will be just right for the situation.
Common misconception - salvation through religion:
Proverbs 14:12 (also 16:25) - There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.
Humanity’s condition and sin’s consequence:
Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God’s solution:
Romans 5:8 - But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
John 3:16 - For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Make it personal:
Romans 10:9-10 - If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
Romans 10:13 - For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9 - For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.
Christ’s exclusivity:
John 14:6 - Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Acts 4:12 - There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.
Invitation (offer for them to receive Jesus in prayer together):
Revelation 3:20 - See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
2 Corinthians 5:20 - Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
Transformation and Encouragement:
New life: 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
Peace with God: Romans 5:1 - Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
No condemnation: Romans 8:1 - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.
Abundant life: John 10:10 - A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
Everything we need: 2 Peter 1:3 - His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Assurance of salvation: Romans 8:38-39 - For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
by Jonathan Ott, Elder
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