| The Gospel is the Power of God |
Written by Michael Nevins
April 5th, 1998
Index:
- Introduction
- The Gospel Perverted In the Garden
- The Gospel According to the Flesh
- The Gospel According to Jesus
- The Gospel of Power Preached by Paul
- The Cause of Unbelief
- The Powerless Glory of a Man named Jesus
- Conclusion
"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." Rom 1:16 (KJV)
The gospel according to Jesus was a message of truth and of
power. Jesus cried out "The truth shall make you free." This was a man by
which the "spoken word" of God would come. He was not just a static
ontological expression of God that drew people in by his mere presence. He drew
people in by the power of truth that was spoken about his Father and the preaching of the
holistic impotence (powerlessness) of man in all things. This message produced faith in
the hearts of the elect of God. For "Faith cometh by
hearing and hearing by the (spoken) word of God" Rom 10:17
He declared the absolute omnipotent power of God to
those who were poor in spirit. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek:
for they shall inherit the earth." Matt 5:3-5 (KJV) The gospel message that Jesus spoke will
offend those in the flesh who have not seen their own impotence. And if no one has
preached to you that you are hopelessly lost and that your will is in bondage apart from
the mercy of God moving in your life then you have never heard the gospel message.
We see in John 5:7 this very message, where Jesus comes to a man who had been in a state of impotence for 38 years. "The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Do you think that this man still had to be taught he was impotent? No, the father brought him low so that He might bind him up and make whole. As he cried out to Jesus (a man with the right message) he was delivered from his spiritual death. Jesus did not come to heal dead bodies physically and then leave. He came to give spiritual life to the impotent and humble. The impotent said, "I have no man to put me into the pool of life." But there stood before him that one man that could heal by the word of living waters.
See here how the power of God works in all men: "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. (Deut 32:39) "For he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. (Hosea 6:1) "For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.(Job 5:18)
Oh how great is thy
goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;
which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the
pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the accusing tongue.
David
Before we plunge
into the liberating truth of the real gospel we must first declare to you what the gospel
is not.
The Gospel Perverted In the Garden
Most have never seen the deception that took place in the Garden. If I were to ask; "How was man deceived in the Garden?" We probably would be hard pressed to give a straight answer. Most have only seen the outward disobedience of Adam and have absolutely no clue as to what it was that deceived them. Oh, we know it was the serpent, but what did he say to Eve? It is important to understand this, because this deception is what every descendent of Adam is born into. And if we do not clearly know what that deception is then to some degree we are still deceived.
It is clear that this false gospel is still around today laced with the same lies that were told to Adam and Eve in the garden. The premise of this original perversion of the truth, was that man could call on his own wisdom to make a "FREE WILL CHOICE" between right and wrong or good and evil (i.e. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil). This belief is taught prominently by many evangelicals who call themselves preachers of the gospel.
Martin Luther stated in his greatest book "The Bondage of the Will", "That teaching free will is the greatest enemy of the cross of Christ and at the very root and heart of sin."
When Satan proclaimed this deception to Eve in the garden he said, "You know Eve, I have been watching you and you seem like a pretty responsible kind of gal. You're good lookin. You're smart. And you know what? I believe that YOU know how to choose the difference between good and evil. I think that you have misunderstood God. Hath He really said that you would die if you eat of this tree? How could a loving God do such a thing? Would He withhold such a wonderful gift from you? Surely you will not die. For God knows that when you eat of this tree it will give you the wisdom and understanding to know right from wrong and then you will be just like Him."
So the law of good and evil and blessing and calamity came into a hidden subtle existence before it was ever exposed at Mount Sinai. Eve of course, then believing herself to be a good responsible person, naturally picked from the good side of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and did eat and gave also to her husband and he did eat. What else is a good responsible person to do but to make "The Right Choice." Man is still continuing to beleive that he has the power to be responsible and cooperative in the flesh and if you would only make the right choice like a good responsible person, God will bless you with spiritual wisdom and physical prosperity.
There is an added twist to the deception that we must note and it is this; The religious and the proud believe their right chioces, or picking from the good side of the tree of death, are good and call it righteousness; but if they eat from that evil side they blame it on their circumstances or who ever is nearest to them at the moment, like their spouse or parents. Adam did this very thing when he accused his wife.
The Gospel According to the Flesh
Satan's lie has been incorporated into the current day, so called, gospel message. We have been taught that if we would just lead someone down the Romans road and then get them to repeat the sinner's prayer and confess all their outward sins, known and unknown, they would be saved. And then again it must be that with some, one time is not enough, because they do this every Sunday. Others believe that if you die with unconfessed sin in your life you will go straight to hell. Here is a perfect example of someone who has never heard the true gospel trying to lead someone to salvation because of some urgent call of evangelism, which when preached states that God does not have the power to save and that His children will go to hell if someone sits quietly by. We have been promoting a lie while pushing for people to make a choice or commitment in the flesh, trying to force them into a mold without teaching them to fear the Lord.
Unless we are taught the
faith of our Father Abraham by the Spirit we are not his seed of promise. This is
the starting point with all, for "The beginning of
wisdom is to fear the Lord." I am afraid that in
many circles we have not just put the cart ahead of the horse, by preaching a watered down
powerless gospel, we have shot the horse.
This writer has experienced many so-called conversions by
this untruth. There were four different times that I asked Jesus to come into my
heart, and verbally stated that I believed in God, but I never heard the power of God
preached, so I never saw my indwelling bondage and impotence which is what produces true
repentance. Many are taught this subtle deception which is producing a false hope in one's
own ability to make a mental assertion toward God through calling on one's own will power
and human understanding. "But I fear, lest by any
means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from
the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus,
whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not
accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Cor 11:3-4 KJV)
Paul wrote further about this subtle lie which teaches man that he must trust his free choice to save him instead of the omnipotent power of God.
Gal 1:6-12
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him
that called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some
that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If
any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if
I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me
is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the
revelation of Jesus Christ. (KJV)
In Matt 4:23 It says that Jesus preached unto them "The Kingdom". The question is, what did he say that delivered all those that heard?
Did he say, "Raise your hand and ask me into your heart and you will be saved?" Of course he had not even died yet, nor was he risen from the dead.
Did he say, "Dedicate your life to me. Surrender your will to me. Commit your life to me" A question comes to mind. What kind of life would a dead man dedicate, commit, or surrender?
Did he say to the masses, "Let me take you down the Romans road and have you repeat the sinners prayer" and so then all were converted? Romans was not even written yet.
Did he say, "Well just believe on me; Oh, by the way my name is Jesus that's all you need to know, I have no message, just believe on me, that's all it takes."
These are the subtle lies of the flesh and are absent of the heart of the gospel message. The power behind the gospel as Paul states in Rom 1:16 is the preaching of the absolute omnipotent power of God in all things. See (Rom 11:36, Col 1:16-17, Eph 1:11)
In John's gospel chapter 6:28-29 the disciples said unto Jesus, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." Again the question is; Is this just a mental belief in a historical fact that Jesus died, was buried and rose again, or was there something more? I know many people that believe Jesus died, was buried and rose from the grave, but believing in an event or a person does not save them. We were taught that we needed a Savior, but we have not been taught why. We were taught that Jesus died for our sins and we need forgiveness, but we have not been taught why. This fleshly gospel has produced a mulititude of what we would call unsaved believers. They recite all the creeds and verbally will commit their flesh to a mulititude of programs, but they are lukewarm.
As Jesus
continues his conversation with his disciples he says to them,
"I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall
not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. "But I said to you, that you
have seen Me, and yet do not believe. "All that
the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who
comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. (John 6:35-37 NAS)
As Jesus continues to speak the Jews begin to murmur among
themselves because he said, "He was the bread that
come down from heaven." They could not understand what he was saying and had been eager to kill
him for some time now. Then in verse 44 he hits them right between the eyes cutting them to their hearts.
I say to you "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him;"
I paraphrase, You can not work your way to me; You can not even find me unless I lift the scales from your eyes; for no one truly seeks God. "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (Rom 3:11KJV) The nation of Israel sought God with diligence but never found him because they where looking for an outward sign and trusting in their own works or choices. "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (Rom 11:7 KJV) When the gospel was preached to those who were blind they were deeply offended because they believed in their own ability to find God through their own understanding; "Having only a form of godliness but denying the power.""For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." (Gal 6:3KJV)
Jesus continued to speak to them. As the disciples listen they said to Jesus in response to this paralyzing truth in verse 60; "This is a hard saying, who can hear it?" Jesus replies to them, "Is this a stumbling block and an offense to you? (verse 61 Amplified)
What was it that offended them?
Jesus then strikes the truth out like lighting again to them in verse 63. I tell you " It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing." The flesh has no power, no spiritual wisdom or understanding, only self-centered deception. The question is; Is it your free will choice that quickens you or is it the Spirit?
I can just hear them murmuring even more,
"What does he mean we have no power? I am a good Jew. I am a responsible person. I have made the right choices. I have kept the law. I have understanding and wisdom. I have committed my life to God from my youth. I have memorized the Bible. I have prayed to God three times a day. I am at church every time the doors are open. What does he mean the flesh profiteth nothing?" Can you hear all the I's from the serpents deception?
Jesus continues, "there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. Why were these men unbelievers? Because they did not believe what he said about the omnipotence of the Father. Then he says to them for the fourth time; "Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, EXCEPT it were GIVEN unto him of my Father. John 6:64-65 If we apply this verse to the one earlier sited in John 6:37 we can see the perfect harmony. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
(65)"No man can come except it were given" and
(37)"All
that the Father giveth shall come"
After this
truth hit them like a freight train the passage continues; "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no
more with him. (John 6:66 KJV)
The rest of the passage continues with the same theme;
"Then
said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to
whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the
living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you
twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of
Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the
twelve. (John 6:67-71 KJV) It was the words of eternal life that delivered them from bondage and
fear.
Jesus was the "Word of God spoken" in the
flesh. What man would not wrestle with the truth that men are predestine to either
life or death by the sole purpose of God alone. However, we are warned not to
question the omnipotence of God. "Nay but, O man, who
art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it,
Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and
another unto dishonour? (Rom 9:20-21 KJV)
A truly humble man will not reject this message.
The proud, the wise, and the self-righteous will stumble, because they believe that their
own power to choose is to excersise their own faith option, or human faith, not the faith
of Christ in operation. The paralyzing truth is that no one is saved apart from the
power of God moving in all aspects of one's salvation. To believe in one's own
mental ability to reach out to God is human understanding without the power of faith mixed
with it. "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also
to suffer for his sake; (Phil 1:29 KJV) The faith that is needed to believe is a gift from God,
and it is not given to all. "For
many are called, but few are chosen.(Matt 22:14 KJV)
See in these next verses that it is God who works our faith in us to come to Him:
Jesus is the
author of our faith not free will.
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
(Heb 12:2 KJV)
Grace is given as a gift and our faith is apportioned out as God sees fit. "For by the grace given to me, I warn everyone among you, not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him. (Rom 12:3 KJV)
God not only works our faith in us He works all things in us!
"LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought ALL our works in us. (Isa 26:14)
Man's goings are of (who?) the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way? (Prov 20:24 KJV) He can not!!!
Who prepares our hearts, brings forth the answer and directs our steps?
"The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. (Prov 16:1 KJV)
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh even to direct his own steps. (Jer 10:23)
It is his choice that is affective in us not ours.
Ps 65:4
4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied
with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.(KJV)
Eph 1:4
4 According as he
hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:(KJV)
John 15:16
16 Ye have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:
that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.(KJV)
The Gospel of Power Preached by Paul
Salvation is a crisis of faith where the omnipotent power of God meets the impotence of a man in a holy convergence of divine transformation. If a man does not see his impotence he will never see a need for a savior, and thus never truly cry out for salvation. Because he is hopelessly self centered and powerless he can never see until he is brought low by the power of God through suffering in the flesh. "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (1 Pet 4:1KJV) Our suffering in the flesh produces the cessation of sin which is believing that self (man, flesh) has power. Confession of our outward behavior or sins is not repentance. Here many in the flesh run to 1 John 1:9 and quote it as a spiritual bar of soap, but if you will read the whole context of the passage it is talking about salvation not a continual washing. When we go from darkness to light we confess we are lost and without strength this is what it means to confess our sins.
Sin is not an unruly deed but an attitude of unbelief and until that unbelief is driven out by the power of God you are still in unbelief. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; John 16:7-9 (KJV) Sin is simply unbelief in the omnipotent God, and this unbelief is demonstrated quite clearly by one's own personal assertion of free will.
"And
my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but
in the power of God.
1 Cor 2:4-5(KJV)
Is your faith in God's power or in your own wisdom ?
1 Cor 1:17-24
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Need it be said any clearer! The preaching of the cross is the power of God. This is why Jesus said, "unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. (Matt 16:24-25 KJV) Take up your cross means to deny your self-will as having power and repent.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and
will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is
the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made
foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after
that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For
the Jews require a sign,
and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we
preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto
them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the
wisdom of God. Who does the calling? Us or the Father? "All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37 KJV)
What is it that you are believing in?
If we are believing in our "free will choices" we are
believing in our own power and fleshly self-will not God.
"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Rom 7:18 KJV) Paul here clearly says he has no power to perform that which is the least thing in the flesh. (Also see: John 3:6; John 6:63; 1 Cor 1:29; Phil 3:3)
God can never be debtor to the choices of men, because then our choices control Him and that can never be, we are not stronger than God. Salvation by grace has no reference to a previous endeavor made by man. As Paul continues his thrashing of free will with the following verse he quotes from Isa 65:1 in Rom 10:20 "But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I manifest myself unto them that asked not after me." Paul states here that the Gentiles which did not seek God or even ask for him, much less prepare themselves for Him by a power of free-will, found Him because it was given unto them to hear and to come.
Martin
Luther speaks in regards to this verse in his great polemic on free-will, "From this passage itself it is clear enough that grace comes so
freely, that no thought of it and certainly no endeavor or desire after it, precedes its
coming. And take the case of Paul, when he was Saul--what did he do with all the
power of his free-will? Certainly, if his state of mind be regarded, his heart was
set on what was best and highest. But look at the endeavor whereby he found grace!
Not only did he not seek grace, but he received it through his own mad fury against
it!"
John
12:37-50
37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they
believed not on him: Why?
38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he
spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been
revealed?
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40 He
hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their
eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but
because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the
synagogue: These are those to whom the seed was sown in
stony places; they believed at first in what he said but had no root and were not the
chosen of God. Why?
43 Because they loved the praise of men
more than the praise of God.
The Powerless Glory of a Man named Jesus
John 12:44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
Jesus did not come to promote his flesh but to promote the Father. His words were the words of life to the chosen and foolishness to the perishing.
45
And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me
should not abide in darkness.
47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world
(lost), but to save the world (elect).
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one
that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me,
he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I
speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. (KJV)
Jesus's words where the words of God. He came to reveal the Father to us and to show us what a perfect man is. In John 5:30 Jesus tells us the definition of a perfect man. "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own (self) will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (KJV) He never believed in a self-will and that is why he never sought after it, because that is the greatest of lies. (See The Man named Jesus)
"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works(choices), but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," (2 Tim 1:8-9(KJV)
"But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were
born, not
of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13 KJV)
Hear we see that John wholly rejects all
that a man could do without God's power. If a man's will could avail anything, John
hear reject's all. He includes those that were born of the bloodline of Abraham,
which would be the Jews by physical birth. The will of all flesh, and again in case
you are not listening, the will of all men. John hear speaks of the will of all men
or any created being which includes all flesh, and then brings it home to a personal level
and states that no man has any power to come by his own will.
Luther comments on this verse in his polemic and states, "John is here saying, not only that grace is not received by any effort of our own, but that it comes by the grace of another, that is, 'one man, Jesus Christ'. So either it is false that we receive our grace for the grace of another, or else it is apparent that 'free will' is nothing; for these two positions cannot stand together, that the grace of God is both so cheap that it may be gained anywhere and everywhere by a little endeavor on the part of any man, and so dear that it is given to us only in and through the grace of this one great man! And I could wish that the guardians of 'free will' would be taught by this passage that when they assert 'free will' they are denying Christ. For they abandon Him in His office as a Mediator and kindest Saviour, and account His blood and grace as of less worth than the efforts and endeavors of 'free will'." Luther continues, "The Holy Spirit is no Skeptic, and the things He has written in our hearts are not doubts or opinions, but assertions--surer and more certain than sense of life itself."
"The denial of 'free will' is the foundation of the Biblical doctrine of grace, and that denial is the first step for anyone who would understand the gospel and come to faith in God." Luther
Luther states that, "The man who has not yet practically and experimentally learned the bondage of his will in sin has not yet comprehended any part of the gospel; for this is 'the hinge on which all turns,' the ground on which the gospel rests."
Martin Luther was deeply grieved with the inability of the flesh the majority of his life. It was not until his later days that he discovered the secret to the blessings of God. His discovery was the same key that Jesus used to unlock heaven. Man is without power to save or to keep himself. When he discovered this truth he instructed his followers to burn all his books except for his one book "The Bondage of the Will", of which he said was the only true work of God.
So with boldness of truth we hear proclaim with Luther, Paul and John that "Free will is not an academic question. The whole gospel of the grace of God is bound up with it and stands or falls according to the way one decides it." What other truth comes with so much power as to perfectly humble man, produce faith unto salvation and glorify God all in one lighting bolt.
One person who wrote me said that this is a truth that no child could understand. But I say with holy boldness; What child could not be taught simply and plainly that they are helpless and without strength and that the great God of heaven and earth is the only power that there is and that apart from his kindness all are lost. It is only the wisdom of the wise that utter such foolishness and that is why it takes such a discourse as this to undo the human wisdom of those who have grown up to believe they are smart. This writing is given to unwrap all our misunderstandings and deceptions that have built up over the years.
Read again these verses which clearly focus on the power of God
"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." Rom 1:16 (KJV)
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor 1:18
"And
my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but
in the power of God.
1 Cor 2:4-5(KJV)
"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works(choices), but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," (2 Tim 1:8-9(KJV)
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13 KJV)
"Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? (Rom 9:20-21 KJV)
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