In terms of redemption, God’s power is most notably shown when he acts upon the recipient of his salvation. Accordingly, listen to what the Apostle Paul writes in a couple spots…Rom. 1:16 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...1 Cor. 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
And also the Apostle Peter—1 Pet. 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Isn’t that the testimony of all Christians?—“I am the recipient of the power of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ…I have been acted upon by Almighty God and it is his power that will bring me all the way to glory.” You cannot find a legitimate Christian who does not testify to something like that.
All that being said, this saving power is most clearly seen against the backdrop of the sinful depravity of the human condition and the spiritual captivity of Satan. Both monumental problems and the solution to those problems are found in Eph. 2:1-10—before Christ, you were dead in your sin and walking in the lusts of our flesh under the influence of Satan, but God makes us alive in Christ and grants salvation as a gift. This kind of work of God is what is required for anyone to be saved—no matter if someone was raised in a Christian home or has never heard the gospel—and this work of God is what must bring confidence in our gospel efforts. Yes, the human heart is dead, Satan’s captivity is definitive and the world’s pull is captivating, but what or who can thwart God’s power when he chooses to act?
Here’s how these truths can assist us greatly in our faithfulness unto God: When sin and unbelief and false teaching seems rampant and insurmountable, whether that involves a personal relationship or on a larger scale, we must ask ourselves a simple question: Can God’s power overcome whatever is causing our fears and doubts? Instead of a bitter or defeated response to things that seem wrong in life, can you find fresh confidence every day that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation?
God’s Power in Salvation
