Gospel Power

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Rom 1:16 ESV)  

As soon as the sun starts to shine bright things start to change.  Things that have been asleep through the winter jump to life in a beautiful display of color. Tree’s that were dormant burst into green leaves and flowers.  All of this activity takes power, mighty power and the plants know the source of that power which is the sun.  Have you ever drove past or seen a field of sunflowers?  Their oversized flowers seek and follow the sun in unison, they will start the day facing east and by the end of the day they're all facing west.  The sunflower doesn’t want to miss a single moment of exposure to the sun.  The reality is the sunflower is dependent like all plants on the power of the sun to grow and to produce fruit or sunflower seeds.  

            

            In the New Testament we see the Greek word dynamie or a variation of it used over 120 times and it means power.  You might recognize that we get our English word “dynamite” from it.  In his letter to the Romans the Apostle Paul says the gospel of Christ is the “power of God for salvation” to everyone who believes.  It is God who saves us and it is God who gives us the power to live the Christian life.  Think about it like this, my salvation doesn’t rest in my efforts but in the power of God who is at work in me changing my desires and bringing me into right relationship with himself and thus I believe.  This means also that as I live the Christian life, I cannot rest on my individual effort but I must rely on the power that God provides (1 Peter 4:11). 

Does this mean I just give into to sin and live the life I want and wait for God to change me? No not at all, but it does mean I need to align myself with the Son.  Like the sunflower I am dependent on God to empower me over sin, and to change the desires of my heart.  It is the power of God at work within me who changes me and makes me into a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Phi. 2:13).  Like the sunflower I need to turn and face the Son.  I can do so by reading the Word of God, praying and living in fellowship with other believers.  As I stay focused on the Son, as I remain in him and him in me (John 15:4), he will change my heart and empower me to produce fruit for others to enjoy and bring glory to God. 

Are you tired?  Are you worn out by life?  Have you struggled with sin and feel defeated?  Is it because you're trying to do something you don’t have the “power” to do? I want to encourage you to turn to Christ, to trust him, to seek him in scripture and prayer.  Pray and ask him to show you how to grow closer to him. Stop relying on your own power and plug into the true source of the power, power that can change you and empower you to live for the glory of Christ. Look for ways to serve and to share the fruit Jesus has produced in your life.  Share the fruit of peace, joy, love, hope with the people around you and let it nourish their lives and point them to the Son.  Let us not be ashamed of this beautiful gospel and its power to change lives, starting with our own.