The Saving Power of God (Romans 1:16-17, Isaiah 46:3-13)
Rev. David Huffman, June 16, 2024Part of the Series On Romans series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
These two verses are Paul's thesis statement for the whole book. Paul joyously presents what God has done to bring us salvation, by means of the saving power of God. The gospel of God is the gospel of His son. Salvation is all of God and not of man, available to both Jews and Greeks, and also to the barbarians. The gospel is called into contempt by the world, yet Paul was not ashamed to preach it. For Jews, a crucified messiah made no sense. He was cursed for hanging on a tree, right? For gentiles, it was foolishness for a man to claim to be the savior who would then be found guilty, condemned and crucified. It is often the same in our day for Christians in the public forum. It would be easy to be ashamed of the gospel in the face of criticism. But, how can we be ashamed of the power of God? He creates by His Word, from nothing. He brought His people out of slavery in Egypt. God's power is effective in salvation of poor, lost, enslaved sinners by the means of preaching, considered folly by many, who are perishing. In this, He rescues us from the judgment we deserve. The Word is power to save people. Preachers are to preach the true Word of God. We must talk about the reasons we need salvation, beyond salvation in itself, that is, the judgment and wrath of God that leads to destruction. Those that do believe demonstrate the power of the gospel by their changed lives. When the gospel is preached, it calls for a response. By this response we know that God is in our midst. To some, the lost, the gospel is a stench. In the Psalms we learn that in the gospel, God's righteousness is revealed in salvation as part of His covenant promises. God provides what we need to be reconciled to Him, that is His righteousness. He declares this upon us by faith in His Son. By this comes the substitutionary atonement that purchases our justification. We stand forgiven and clean, no longer guilty. Now, we live by faith, as the prophet Habbakkuk wrote.
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Romans 1:16–17 (Listen)
16 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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
(ESV)
Isaiah 46:3–13 (Listen)
3 “Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
4 even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.
5 “To whom will you liken me and make me equal,
and compare me, that we may be alike?
6 Those who lavish gold from the purse,
and weigh out silver in the scales,
hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
then they fall down and worship!
7 They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,
they set it in its place, and it stands there;
it cannot move from its place.
If one cries to it, it does not answer
or save him from his trouble.
8 “Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
9 remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
11 calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.
12 “Listen to me, you stubborn of heart,
you who are far from righteousness:
13 I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off,
and my salvation will not delay;
I will put salvation in Zion,
for Israel my glory.”
(ESV)