The Gospel- God’s Power to Salvation

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. ¹⁷For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

- ROMANS 1:16-17

²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²²Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

- 1 CORINTHIANS 1:21-24

THE GOOD NEWS – JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF AND ALL THINGS  THAT HE HAVE DONE

³⁴Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. ³⁶You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. ³⁷You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— ³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

³⁹“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

- ACTS 10:34-43

GOSPEL IS THE BASIS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

¹Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ²By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

- 1 CORINTHIANS 15:1 – 2

THE WORD OF GOD THAT WILL LAST FOREVER

²⁵but the word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the word that was preached to you.

- 1 PETER 1:25

³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

- MATHEW 24:35

THE GOOD NEWS THAT BRINGS SALVATION

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

- EPHESIANS 1:13

FAITH IS THE FIRST STEP TO SALVATION

That 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. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

- ROMANS 10:9-10

Repentance is proof of having faith

³⁸Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

- ACTS 2:38

Being baptized is the proof of repentance

and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

- 1 PETER  3:20-22

WE MUST CONTINUE IN FAITH IN ORDER TO BE SAVED . . .

³⁵So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. ³⁶You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. ³⁷For in just a very little while,
“He who is coming will come and will not delay.
³⁸But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back,
I will not be pleased with him.”^[39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

- HEBREWS 10:35-39

Continuing in faith means :

• Remaining in God’s word that is following Christ’s commandments

1To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

- JOHN 8:31-32

• Living a life  in accordance with the Gospel

²⁷Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel ²⁸without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.

- PHILIPPIANS 1-:27-28

• Bear fruits of good works

¹⁰For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

- EPHESIANS 2:10

FAITH UNTIL THE END WILL LEAD TO SALVATION . . .

We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

– HEBREWS 3:14

All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

- MATHEW 10:22

BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL

• JUSTIFICATION FROM SIN

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . .

- ROMANS 3:22-23

“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ ¹⁶know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

- GALATIANS 2:15 – 16

• GIVING OF HOLY SPIRIT

⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

- ROMANS  5:5

⁴But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,

- TITUS 3:4-6

• MAKING PEOPLE RIGHTEOUS

⁶Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

- GALATIANS 3:6

⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

- PHILIPPIANS 3:9

• MAKING PEOPLE BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD

²⁶You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, ²⁷for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

- GALATIANS 3:26-29

because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

- ROMANS 8:14

• FREEDOM FROM HEAVY BURDENS OF THE  LAW OF MOSES THAT  WAS UNABLE TO  MAKE PEOPLE  RIGHTEOUS

³For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man

- ROMANS 8:3

¹³When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

- COLOSSIANS  2:13 –14

⁶But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

- ROMANS 7:6

⁴But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, ⁵to redeem those under law,that we might receive the full rights of sons.

- GALATIANS 4:4 – 5

FAITH THAT LEADS TO SALVATION

. . . and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

- 2 TIMOTHY 3:15

FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

²¹Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

- 1 JOHN 5:20-21

ALSO MEANS FAITH IN GOD THE FATHER

¹Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. ²This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. ³This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,⁴for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

- 1 JOHN 5:1-5

²²Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.²³No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

²⁴See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵And this is what he promised us—even eternal life.

- 1 JOHN 2:22-25

JESUS CAME TO EARTH TO DO THE WILL OF GOD-HIS FATHER

¹⁹Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. ²⁰For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.

³⁰By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

- JOHN 5:19-20, 30

HAVING FAITH MEANS BEING LOYAL TO CHRIST TEACHINGS

⁹Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

- 2 JOHN 1:9

A GENUINE FAITH IS PROVED BY WORKS

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

- JAMES 2:14

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

- JAMES 2:22-24

TWO KINDS OF WORKS

1. WORK OF THE LAW  (Law Of Moses – Old Testament)

³Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? ⁴Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? ⁵Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

- GALATIANS 3:3-5

²⁸For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

- ROMANS 3:28

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.

- EPHESIANS2:8-9

0Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

- ROMANS 3:20

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” ¹¹Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” ¹²The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”

- GALATIANS 3:10-12

2. WORK OF FAITH  (Law of Christ – New Testament)

²²You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

- JAMES 2:22-24

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

- PHILIPPIANS 3:9

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.²⁵The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

- MATTHEW 7:24-25

A FAITH THAT LEADS TO SALVATION . . .

1. RESTS ON THE POWER OF GOD

¹When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. ²For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. ⁴My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, ⁵so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

- 1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-5

¹Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.²By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

- 1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-2

2. CONTINUES IN THE TEACHING OF CHRIST

Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

- 2 JOHN 1:9

³¹To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

- JOHN 8:31-32

3. WILLING TO SUFFER

²¹To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

- 1 PETER 2:21

²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

-MATHEW 16:24

⁹For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,

- PHILIPPIANS 1:29

4. BEARS FRUITS OF GOOD WORKS

⁴So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

- ROMANS 7:4

¹“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.⁵“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. ⁸This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

- JOHN 15:1-8

. . . who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

- TITUS 2:14

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

- EPHESIANS 2:10

⁷To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

- ROMANS 2:7

¹⁶And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

- HEBREWS 13:16

5. FAITHFUL TO THE END

¹⁴We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

- HEBREWS  3:14

³⁷For in just a very little while,
“He who is coming will come and will not delay.
³⁸But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back,
I will not be pleased with him.” ³⁹

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

- HEBREWS 10:37-39

¹³but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

- MATHEW 24:13

LOVE OF MONEY IS A THREAT TO FAITH!

⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

- 1 TIMOTHY 6:7-10

SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS THE KEY TO FAITH . . .

²²Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[a]? ²⁶Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?²⁷“Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

- LUKE 12:22-31

LAY UP  TREASURES  IN HEAVEN!

¹⁷Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

- 1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19