The Confident Witness (13)
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God… Romans 1.16
The power for new fruit
We are looking at what specifically makes the Gospel of the Kingdom such great Good News. We have seen that, first, it is the power of God for salvation, and second, it is the power of God for transformation. The Gospel betroths us to Jesus and then prepares us for our eternal marriage by making us more like Him.
In the third place, and related to the previous facet, the Gospel of the Kingdom has power to bear new fruit. Paul summarized the character of the Kingdom as “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14.17, 18).
Righteousness is abounding love founded in spiritual knowledge and true discernment, leading to excellence and purity in life after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 1.9-11). Righteousness defines the character of Kingdom living.
Peace is that “beyond understanding” state of mind and heart that nothing can terrify and nothing can shake (Phil. 4.6, 7). Those who know the power of the Gospel know peace because they are settled on Christ, hidden in the palm of God’s hand, sheltered by His Word, and filled with and protected by His Spirit. Peace is the condition of Kingdom living that emerges as people live together in Kingdom righteousness.
Joy is the consequence of Kingdom living. The joy that attends righteousness and peace conveys a hope that is lodged in transcendent and unchangeable realities, a hope that is so infectious that, observed, it leads others to seek a reason for it (1 Pet. 3.15).
Where the power of the Kingdom is working, which we enter by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the salvation of God works transformation so that the fruit of righteousness, peace, and joy begin to be increasingly in evidence. This is the Good News that men and women in every age have delighted to know.
Power to reconcile
Fourth, the Kingdom is Good News because it brings power to reconcile, to set things right. In the Kingdom of God, we are set right with God through the saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5.17-20). We no longer fear His wrath against our sins; our hearts are devoted to knowing and serving Him; and we rejoice to see the evidence of His Spirit at work, making all things new in our lives.
Beyond that, the Gospel is powerful to reconcile strangers in the love of Jesus Christ (Eph. 2.13-16); restore broken relationships and trusts (Lk. 19.1-10); enable us to love those who wish us ill (Rom. 12.14-21); and even to return creation and culture to higher states of goodness before the Lord (Rom. 8.20; Heb. 2.1-9).
The world may seek this reconciling power by a wide variety of means, but nothing short of the power of the Gospel can bring about the kind of inward and spiritual transformations that are required for reconciling men to God, one another, and the world. The course of history has shown that, wherever the Gospel takes root and flourishes, people, societies, culture, and even to a large measure creation find a new birth of life and freedom in the power of God’s Good News.
Power exceedingly and abundantly more
Finally, the Kingdom is Good News because it brings power exceeding and abundant to be and do more than we could ever ask or think (Eph. 3.20). The Gospel surprises us with the many ways its power works beyond our expectations, both in us and in the world. Here is a power we can never exhaust and that springs up day by day in ever fresher, ever more abounding ways to make all things new in our lives (Jn. 7.37-39).
Here is power to overcome the sins that continue to plague and shackle us.
Power to renew and enrich all our relationships with the people we see each day.
Power to enable us to proclaim the Kingdom to others.
Power to impact our culture for the Lord and to endow our children with a legacy of grace and truth.
Power to advance the realization of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit, to sustain us in the face of trials, to enlarge and expand our sense of purpose in life, and to make us ever-increasingly fruitful in good works to those around us.
The Gospel of the Kingdom is the power of God to save, transform, renew, and reconcile, and to do so more and more for all the days of our lives and all eternity.
This is Good News! Good News, indeed!
Is this the Gospel you have believed?
For reflection
1. How can you tell if someone has truly believed the Good News of Christ and His Kingdom?
2. What are the keys to continuing to dig deeper into the power of the Gospel?3. How do you hope to be surprised by the power of the Gospel today?
Next steps—Preparation: Review the five ways the power of the Gospel affects us. In which of those areas do you need to know more of that power? Spend time in prayer, seeking the Lord for the full power of the Gospel in your life.
T. M. Moore
Give thanks
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Knowing Jesus
Being confident witnesses begins in our relationship with Jesus, in knowing Him. Two books can help you grow in Jesus. To Know Him is a brief and lively exposition of Philippians 3.7-11 and explains what Paul means by this. You can order your copy by clicking here. Be Thou My Vision offers 28 daily meditations on Jesus, drawing on Scripture and writings from the period of the Celtic Revival. Order your copy by clicking here.
Thank you.
Many of you are faithful and generous in praying for and supporting Crosfigell and The Fellowship of Ailbe. Thank you. I encourage all our readers to seek the Lord about becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal or Anedot, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
