EFFICIENT WAYS OF LEADING MEN TO CHRIST - PART 3

SATURDAY 23 JULY 2022

In our referenced verses below, Paul majored on what Christ accomplished through him in the preaching of the Gospel. By the efficacious working of the Spirit of God in our hearts, the gospel is demonstrated as the power of God unto salvation, according to the sixteenth verse of Romans chapter one.

Reference: Romans 15:18-19 New International Version (NIV) "I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ."

The power of the Holy Spirit is the key to the effectiveness of the glorious gospel. Power here is the Greek word, Dunamis, which suggests the idea of potentiality and efficacy. When the Holy Spirit is at work in us, He demonstrates the power, strength, and ability of God through us. Philippians 2:13 (NLT) reads, "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." So considering this Scripture, this power is God at work in His people to fulfil His purpose and bring Himself glory. By this insight, you can also understand why Paul said, "I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience..."

The precious Holy Spirit is the medium through which the manifold wisdom of God is made known in the church through the gospel, and by His power, the grand scheme of carrying out the great commission is effectually executed. So Paul acknowledged that the Lord has given him the dynamic ability to stand strong in the faith and deliver the message of Christ to the Gentiles by sharing the faith with them. Through the power and influence of the Spirit, sinners are convicted of their sins, forgiven, redeemed, justified and sanctified, and so are brought to light. Simply put, His saving influence renders them righteous as they put their faith in Christ.

It is by the grace of functioning in the active power of the Holy Spirit, that the lost souls of men are delivered from the domain of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of light. So God gave us the Spirit to shine in our hearts and to bring, not only light to a dark world, but also to demonstrate His power in leading men to obedience. This is clearly stated in 2nd Corinthians 4:4-7 which says, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (NIV).

Beloved, Paul described this power as "all-surpassing" which suggests that the power is outstanding, extraordinary, inestimable, abundant and dynamic. It wields mighty works, establishes the miraculous and accomplishes enormous Kingdom exploits. And most importantly, the latter part of 2nd Corinthians 4:7 reveals that the power is not from us but from God, which implies that it is solely attributed to the revelation of the Spirit of God at work in us. Specifically Acts 1:8 also noted the source of this power: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (NIV). The power is an enabler in the sense that, just like Paul, it empowers us to become true witnesses of Christ, thereby telling everyone about Him and leading those who need repentance - to their salvation. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Luke 24:49; Romans 1:4; Thessalonians 1:5; Roman's 15:13.

Guided Prayer: Gracious heavenly Father, there is no limit to those who live in the power of your Spirit because so much goodness and remarkable exploits are laid up for them as they walk in step with the Spirit. Therefore, I acknowledge that the Spirit of God is at work in me both to do and to accomplish your purpose for my life. Thus, I can do nothing except all that Christ accomplishes through me by the power of the Spirit, in Jesus' Name, Amen!