August 5th 2018
The Gospel---It Is The Power Of God For The Salvation Of Everyone Who Believes!
Romans 1:16 (NIV)
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
What an amazing statement Paul makes in this verse! As Paul writes, “the gospel---it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes!” Today we hear many people saying that the Bible is just another book, as they will say it is just written by men. Many of these people are professing Christians, with some of them being pastors who lead a church. What do you believe about the Bible, does it contain fulfilled prophesies which is evidence that it is divinely inspired? Most modern seminaries do not teach those seeking a degree that the Bible is as Paul has written a Book that has “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes!” Today or tomorrow when you read the Bible, remember what Paul has divulged to us here. Sometimes people will call it the Holy Bible, as they have recognized that this book is NOT just another book that was written by men. It was written by men, but they were conveying to its readers, the Words of God, as He revealed to them what to write.
Of course, reading the Bible does not save your immortal soul, but it points you to Jesus Christ the Son of God who has paid the necessary price of the perfect blood sacrifice required to atone for the sins of anyone who believes that salvation is available only through this blood sacrifice. Jesus is the only way by which your immortal soul will be saved. We know this, because we read what Jesus said in our Bible. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6). Just before Jesus made this statement, He was telling His disciples about God’s plan for salvation of believers only through Him. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" (John 14:2-5).
This description confused His disciples, and Thomas made his confusion known by asking a question, which is still being asked today by people all over this world. The question remains the same, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Do you know the way to heaven? Many people today do not believe there is such a place, which we call heaven. The Bible presents a lot of evidence that there is a place called heaven, but this evidence requires believing it is true before anyone can accept it. Could you explain heaven to someone who does not believe it exists? Heaven is only necessary, if in fact, everyone is born with an immortal soul! The same is true for the existence of hell! If you believe in heaven, you must also believe in hell. When you die to this life, your immortal soul must go to either heaven or hell. The curse brought on by Adam’s sin has caused an interruption of immortality by requiring death to allow mankind to leave this earthly lifetime, and then, for your immortal soul to go to either heaven or hell.
This lifetime allows each member of mankind to determine where their immortal soul will spend eternity! Therefore, every day offers a chance to seek the salvation being offered by the One God, only available through Jesus Christ. Paul wrote about this daily opportunity to obtain salvation. As God’s fellow-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. (2Corinthians 6:1-2). Salvation is available to everyone, every day, but it is only available to those who believe God’s Word!
Jesus left this message of salvation through love, when He walked this earth as the God/man or as He termed Himself the Son of Man. John wrote about how Jesus told us, His followers, we must show our loyalty by showing love to each other, as He loves us. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:12, 16-17). Note here, that when we love each other, then God will answer our prayers. As John wrote, “Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” Image the power of prayer indicated here, “the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
Jesus has also indicated that those who choose to follow Him must be willingly humble. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28). Humility is a difficult task in this world, as the worldly people teach us about having self-esteem that is based solely on self-worth. We are to compare ourselves to others seeking to find positive effect. While this is not a bad thing to do from a worldly perspective, it seems to be the opposite of what Jesus taught.
Jesus taught a very strong message about becoming worldly makes it difficult, if not impossible, for a worldly person to become a follower of Jesus Christ. If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26). Of course, Jesus is not teaching us to hate the members of our earthly family, or to hate ourselves. What He is teaching is that we must not love this world. Remember, this world is NOT a good place, it is a cursed place, because of sin and all of us have a sinful nature, we inherited from Adam’s sin! Next Jesus is teaching that we must NOT cling to the possessions of this world or of this lifetime. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33). Remember, you cannot take any possessions with you when you leave this earth!
When Jesus perceived that the rich young man loved his earthly wealth, and that he could not give it up to follow Jesus, thus this man turned away sadly! Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no-one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." Salvation is priceless, nothing else is!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Romans 1:16 (NIV)
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
What an amazing statement Paul makes in this verse! As Paul writes, “the gospel---it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes!” Today we hear many people saying that the Bible is just another book, as they will say it is just written by men. Many of these people are professing Christians, with some of them being pastors who lead a church. What do you believe about the Bible, does it contain fulfilled prophesies which is evidence that it is divinely inspired? Most modern seminaries do not teach those seeking a degree that the Bible is as Paul has written a Book that has “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes!” Today or tomorrow when you read the Bible, remember what Paul has divulged to us here. Sometimes people will call it the Holy Bible, as they have recognized that this book is NOT just another book that was written by men. It was written by men, but they were conveying to its readers, the Words of God, as He revealed to them what to write.
Of course, reading the Bible does not save your immortal soul, but it points you to Jesus Christ the Son of God who has paid the necessary price of the perfect blood sacrifice required to atone for the sins of anyone who believes that salvation is available only through this blood sacrifice. Jesus is the only way by which your immortal soul will be saved. We know this, because we read what Jesus said in our Bible. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6). Just before Jesus made this statement, He was telling His disciples about God’s plan for salvation of believers only through Him. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" (John 14:2-5).
This description confused His disciples, and Thomas made his confusion known by asking a question, which is still being asked today by people all over this world. The question remains the same, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Do you know the way to heaven? Many people today do not believe there is such a place, which we call heaven. The Bible presents a lot of evidence that there is a place called heaven, but this evidence requires believing it is true before anyone can accept it. Could you explain heaven to someone who does not believe it exists? Heaven is only necessary, if in fact, everyone is born with an immortal soul! The same is true for the existence of hell! If you believe in heaven, you must also believe in hell. When you die to this life, your immortal soul must go to either heaven or hell. The curse brought on by Adam’s sin has caused an interruption of immortality by requiring death to allow mankind to leave this earthly lifetime, and then, for your immortal soul to go to either heaven or hell.
This lifetime allows each member of mankind to determine where their immortal soul will spend eternity! Therefore, every day offers a chance to seek the salvation being offered by the One God, only available through Jesus Christ. Paul wrote about this daily opportunity to obtain salvation. As God’s fellow-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. (2Corinthians 6:1-2). Salvation is available to everyone, every day, but it is only available to those who believe God’s Word!
Jesus left this message of salvation through love, when He walked this earth as the God/man or as He termed Himself the Son of Man. John wrote about how Jesus told us, His followers, we must show our loyalty by showing love to each other, as He loves us. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:12, 16-17). Note here, that when we love each other, then God will answer our prayers. As John wrote, “Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” Image the power of prayer indicated here, “the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
Jesus has also indicated that those who choose to follow Him must be willingly humble. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28). Humility is a difficult task in this world, as the worldly people teach us about having self-esteem that is based solely on self-worth. We are to compare ourselves to others seeking to find positive effect. While this is not a bad thing to do from a worldly perspective, it seems to be the opposite of what Jesus taught.
Jesus taught a very strong message about becoming worldly makes it difficult, if not impossible, for a worldly person to become a follower of Jesus Christ. If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26). Of course, Jesus is not teaching us to hate the members of our earthly family, or to hate ourselves. What He is teaching is that we must not love this world. Remember, this world is NOT a good place, it is a cursed place, because of sin and all of us have a sinful nature, we inherited from Adam’s sin! Next Jesus is teaching that we must NOT cling to the possessions of this world or of this lifetime. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33). Remember, you cannot take any possessions with you when you leave this earth!
When Jesus perceived that the rich young man loved his earthly wealth, and that he could not give it up to follow Jesus, thus this man turned away sadly! Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no-one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." Salvation is priceless, nothing else is!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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