11) For
I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end
ye may be established;
12) That
is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you
and me.
13) Now
I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come
unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also,
even as among other Gentiles.
14) I am
debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the
unwise.
15) So,
as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at
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.
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any
people today believe that there is no difference between preachers or churches.
Of course, it is only logical that there would be differences because, aside
from the fact that everyone does not have the truth of the word of God, not all
who have it understand it.
Servants
of God are determined by more than just an itch to preach. He who is truly a
servant is dedicated to helping others get saved and stay saved. He will let
nothing keep him from helping a soul into the
In
that the gospel is the power of
salvation, how can one effectively minister it without having or understanding
that power? No one can use the gospel for its intended purpose (to bring souls
into salvation) unless he has experienced such for himself. To make one’s time
spent in the ministry profitable, he has to be instructed in the way and word
of God and accept salvation.
Inarguably,
the power conferred upon us through salvation is the same power which created
the universe and saves souls today. Being “mighty through God to the pulling
down of strongholds,” it cannot, never has been, and
never will be weak. Therefore, we are allowed no provision for excuses. Because
it is the gospel which brings us salvation, once we are delivered from sin, we
become responsible for spreading the truth of salvation.
In
a world aching and pining away for what it knows not, we have the most valuable
commodity ever given unto
If
we accept people have anything other than the totality of Jesus, we are
sanctioning that other gods can do His work. As much as we may value our
relationships with friends, if they do not know Jesus like we know Jesus, then
they don’t really know Him at all and so, are in danger of suffering the wrath
of God.
We
can stop at nothing in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can accept
neither “christianity” nor “religion” as a substitute
for salvation. The minor discomfort we must sometime endure upon giving the
truth has got to become to us worth the saving of a soul.
Though
we often speak of “knowledge” of salvation and its importance to mankind, we
must realize that knowledge alone is not enough. If one knows of salvation but
never accepts it, he will still be lost.
Even
after full acceptance of the gospel, some saints remain as “criminals.” How? By
perpetuating a lifestyle which suggests that the power and salvation of God is
weak. This is, indeed, criminal, for it gives an entirely false impression of
Jesus.
We
owe the Lord fair representation because of all that He has done for us. The
form of payment He requests is that we labor in the vineyard to help our
brothers as He labored to help us. Having become recipients of God’s grace, we
should not be able to rest until others have been presented with the same
power. However, to manifest such gratefulness, we must appreciate the miracles
we, ourselves, are. It is a miracle to be torn from the bondage of sin. People
try all of their lives to make themselves different
and find it impossible because the effort is made outside of the Lord and
inferior means used. But just think—we became different and everyone else can,
too, in a matter of moments simply by accepting Jesus Christ and His power.
If
we are to be convincing to others, we are going to have to be able to stick
with our testimony. Alternating between joy and despair is killing our witness.
When a man has desperately and unsuccessfully tired one thing after another, he
eventually wants and needs some “guarantees.” We can be those guarantees. Man needs
to know that the gospel of Jesus is sufficient to get us into and keep us in
the
As
we observe the decline of the World in general, and our society in particular,
how can we not be moved to praise? Praise offered unto the Lord for the fact
that He did not leave us in the condition in which He found us. He could have,
you know. Just because He saved us didn’t mean He had to pick us up and clean
us up—but He did.
A
very important aspect of the power of the gospel is the privilege we are
granted of praising Him. If we magnify Him, He will deliver! If we take joy in
Him, He will deliver. If we learn to praise Him, we will be happy no matter
what!
The
supernatural power that we inherit upon salvation frees us from one of our
worst enemies—flesh and its bondage. This bondage is that from which only the
Lord can free us—for we are bound because of who we
are. Human beings are fleshly, therefore bound to and through sin. Therefore,
when we operate in the flesh, of necessity, we sin—and sin brings forth death.
So conversely, if we cleave to the spiritual, we reap life.
Why
are so many so limited in their spiritual accomplishments? Because
they are limited to their five natural senses. Relying on the natural
senses will limit one in the spiritual world and render him unable ever to
comprehend anything spiritual.
The
power of salvation that we gain through the gospel enables us to conquer and
accomplish all that would hinder or help us gain the