ROMANS 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

IT IS...

This is the vital question, What IS the Gospel, not what is it not!

We know that whatever it is, it has power, the very power of God.

It would seem to me to be of utmost importance not to assume that we know what this is, but that we would be so sure that we would be willing to lay down our life for this blessed Gospel.

The gospel is the declaration of what God has accomplished in the person of His Son, Christ Jesus!

The gospel has not been left to the caprice of man. God has declared what it is in His Word.

Jeremiah 31:33 –Jeremiah 31:34
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

The gospel has more to do with God than with man. It has more to do with a promise made to His Son than to the promises made to men. (the gospel is unto men, but I am speaking of it's power now) The gospel has power because it has to do with what God will do, not with what men will do!

The Gospel! there is only one. God set out to make His name known - to reveal His eternal qualities, His person, His character. God is! this should stagger the minds of all men everywhere! If this single truth were known in the earth today everything would change! But alas, it will be known, God has determined it!

In light of the final revelation of Jesus Christ (when He comes in flaming fire! - taking vengeance on all those who know not God) God in his infinite mercy has provided a means through which men may be saved from the wrath to come! This is the message that we have heard from Him! This is the heart of the Gospel - that God was in Christ reconciling man unto Himself, that we should be turned away from our enemies and not serve sin. That we could walk in the paths of righteousness and be Holy, even as He is Holy. Oh praise be unto our great God who has visited us and given us good consolation and a clean conscience wherein we can serve Him acceptably in the person of His Son.

The gospel is more than a dead letter, it is a living announcement of what God has done, and is doing in the person of Christ - and in all those who will believe His record concerning Christ.

IT IS THE POWER OF GOD
What a profound statement! We are not told that it leads to the power, but that it is the power of God unto salvation. In other words, the gospel must be preached and believe if men are to be saved. We do not read about any other power that God has given whereby men may be saved. The declaration of what Christ has accomplished on our behalf, at the cross, produces faith in all those who believe it. Does that sound too simple? it does for some, but this is the hardest of all things to believe. If you believe this, Jesus said that "His Father" has given it unto you.(Matt 16:17) No one can believe that Jesus is the Son of God unless God opens their eyes.(Matt 11:27) It is simply not possible for the mind of the flesh to grasp the things of the Spirit.(Rom 8:7)

In Christ,
Robert Cobb

An excellent word Brother Robert. You have handled the word skillfully and I am confident that many will benefit from the what you have written. A very fitting response to what I just wrote.