Faith Detonates God’s Power
“I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God's power to save all who believe … For the gospel reveals how God puts people right with Himself: it is through faith from beginning to end. As the scripture says, ‘The person who is put right with God through faith shall live.’"
Romans 1:16-17 (TEV)
How can I, a sinner, be put right with a holy and righteous God? Is it possible to live a life that pleases Him, radically transformed into His very likeness? This is the hope of the Gospel that profoundly changed Paul from one who persecuted Christ followers into one who followed Jesus for the rest of His life, planting churches everywhere he went. In Romans 1:16-17 (TEV), he wrote, “I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God's power to save all who believe … For the gospel reveals how God puts people right with Himself: it is through faith from beginning to end. As the scripture says, ‘The person who is put right with God through faith shall live.’"
Paul uses an interesting word for “power” in this verse when he says that the gospel is the power of God to save all who believe. We get our English word “dynamite” from this word. It’s an explosive power that creates life change! It’s the mighty transforming power of God to remove our sin and make us right with God.
We often get stuck in destructive habit patterns that steal our happiness and hurt our relationships. It seems that no matter how hard we try, we feel powerless to change and break free from the habits that hold us back. Paul says the gospel is the explosive dynamite of God that changes us from the inside out and makes us a brand-new creation in Christ!
In 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT), he describes it like this, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” When you detonate the gospel by faith, God’s power is unleashed through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. With Christ living in you, you have the capacity for change you never had before! This is a decision followed by a process that will last a lifetime. Each day, as you live by faith, the same faith by which you trusted Jesus to save you, He works to keep you in right standing with God. Faith lights the fuse for this explosive power in your life that transforms you into the likeness of Jesus! It’s not about your ability or mine to imitate Jesus. Neither of us can do it. It’s about His ability to reproduce His life in us by faith.
Only Your power at work in me can make me like Jesus. I can’t do it, Lord, you never said I could, but You can and always said You would when I trust You. Thank You that You are faithful to complete that which You have begun. As I began this relationship with You by faith, I pray that I may live by that same faith each day.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.