Many of us use the word gospel and salvation by heart but do we really understand these mighty words? If we did, then our lives would reflect the truth of these words. Let us consider a scripture many of us are familiar with.
Rom 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation (sōtēria) of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
What is this sōtēria that believing the gospel brings to you and me? Sōtēria is used 44 times in the KJV and it is defined by the bible dictionary as all of the following:
- preservation,
- safety
- salvation
- deliverance from the molestation of enemies,
- in an ethical sense, that which concludes to the souls safety or salvation
- Messianic salvation
- salvation as the present possession of all true Christians
- future salvation, the sum of benefits and blessings which the Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated and eternal kingdom of God
This is why it is important to hear the gospel attentively when it is being preached or read it carefully when it has been blogged or published. The good news of God’s Word is the Gospel. There is no power on earth as powerful as the true gospel [the too good to be true news about God’s love story with humanity] because it alone has the power to set us free. We shall know the truth and the truth will set us free in every area of our lives. If we believe God is powerful, then the Gospel is His power that brings sōtēria. That is why at the great crusades around the globe, all the servants of God do is to declare the gospel and suddenly sōtēria manifests all over the place.
