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Abstract

e>We’re told Jesus said to love God with all our mind, heart, soul and strength, and to love others as much as we do ourselves. Do you know how impossible this is to do? None of us do it. I doubt Billy Graham even did it.And Jesus knew it. In the text it says he was responding to (1) a trick question, (2) from a lawyer, (3) about the law. He was being set up to fail by this trick-question legalistic lawyer. Jesus saw it coming.Jesus was not preaching the gospel when he said this. He was answering a legal question about the law of the Old Testament. Thus, later in his ministry he changed this to say, “Love others — AS I have loved you.”This puts a whole new dynamic and ‘swing’ to the issue of loving. Here, we begin in God’s love, not our own love. The truth is we don’t initiate very much. Our job is to respond to God as he empowers us. This later teaching of Jesus makes the whole matter of love more centrifugal.Later, the New Testament says, “The Lord make you increase and abound in love toward one another.” Here, God begins it or initiates it. He causes us to INCREASE in his love until we’re like a balloon that is so full it is ready to pop. Then we just ABOUND over, or leak or spill over on everyone else close to us.In

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the gospel, it’s nothing we do. We just (1) receive and then (2) release. Jesus says, “As you have freely received, so freely give.” In the gospel, there is nothing we have to do on our own. We are always given what we need in order to do the right thing.Jesus says his way is easy and his burden is light. In talking to the lawyer with the legal trick question, Jesus made things difficult — if not impossible. But the gospel, being the power of God, establishes us, fulfills us, and then just overflows out of us.This gospel is a whole different synergism: it’s the power of God.Paul says, “The gospel fulfills the word of God in us.” Can you imagine anything fulfilling the entire word of God in you? Let your mind imagine it. Dare to believe it. Trust God enough to let it happen in you.Maybe this is why Paul says, “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to his power that works in us.”I see the gospel as being his vehicle that causes all this to happen. It produces the glory of God in us.<figure id="cca2"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*_95sWWzlNbTr7dvAtkg12A.jpeg"><figcaption>We all want to experience the glory of God on earth.</figcaption></figure></article></body>

Living in the Gospel Power of God

“The gospel is the power of God.” — “It establishes us in everything we do.”

Here I’m wearing the hat of ‘The Gospel Life Coach.’ It is one of the areas I focus on in my writing.

The gospel is the power of God in us and through us.

I’ve discovered that living life in God’s gospel makes everything so much easier than it would be otherwise. This is why the gospel is called ‘the power of God.’

It is God’s process in us to help us live life better by accident than we ever could on purpose in ourselves.

This is why Jesus told us to believe it and live it. He really didn’t give us a choice. I don’t think he intended to. The Apostle Paul says it is the gospel that judges the secret intents of our hearts.

Let’s take a look at LOVE as an example.

We all feel alone at time and need love, especially the love of God.

We all need love. “What the world needs now is love….”

We’re told Jesus said to love God with all our mind, heart, soul and strength, and to love others as much as we do ourselves. Do you know how impossible this is to do? None of us do it. I doubt Billy Graham even did it.

And Jesus knew it. In the text it says he was responding to (1) a trick question, (2) from a lawyer, (3) about the law. He was being set up to fail by this trick-question legalistic lawyer. Jesus saw it coming.

Jesus was not preaching the gospel when he said this. He was answering a legal question about the law of the Old Testament. Thus, later in his ministry he changed this to say, “Love others — AS I have loved you.”

This puts a whole new dynamic and ‘swing’ to the issue of loving. Here, we begin in God’s love, not our own love. The truth is we don’t initiate very much. Our job is to respond to God as he empowers us. This later teaching of Jesus makes the whole matter of love more centrifugal.

Later, the New Testament says, “The Lord make you increase and abound in love toward one another.” Here, God begins it or initiates it. He causes us to INCREASE in his love until we’re like a balloon that is so full it is ready to pop. Then we just ABOUND over, or leak or spill over on everyone else close to us.

In the gospel, it’s nothing we do. We just (1) receive and then (2) release. Jesus says, “As you have freely received, so freely give.” In the gospel, there is nothing we have to do on our own. We are always given what we need in order to do the right thing.

Jesus says his way is easy and his burden is light. In talking to the lawyer with the legal trick question, Jesus made things difficult — if not impossible. But the gospel, being the power of God, establishes us, fulfills us, and then just overflows out of us.

This gospel is a whole different synergism: it’s the power of God.

Paul says, “The gospel fulfills the word of God in us.” Can you imagine anything fulfilling the entire word of God in you? Let your mind imagine it. Dare to believe it. Trust God enough to let it happen in you.

Maybe this is why Paul says, “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to his power that works in us.”

I see the gospel as being his vehicle that causes all this to happen. It produces the glory of God in us.

We all want to experience the glory of God on earth.