Sunday at Home.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 9, 27 May 1893, Page 7

Sunday at Home.

THE GOSPEL, THE POWER OP GOD. (By the Rev. J. Standring, Baptist Church, Invercargill.) ‘‘ ITor I am not ashamed oi the gospel of Christ : for it is tire power of God unto salvation to every one that beixereth.” —Homans i., 10. Wo have the same gospel of Christ that Paul had. “ The word of the Lord endureth for ever : and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” haul was not ashamed of the gospel. He believed it to be the power of God unto salvation, for he had experienced it, and he was a witness of its effect upon others. We too have confidence in the gospel as the power of God 5 we believe in its present day efficacy for the same reason. The substance of it is this —There is one Divine Lord who is God over all, blessed for ever. One Redeeming Love. The fallen and guilty race that did not deserve this love yet had it. One Atoning Sacrifice, which is man’s only plea for forgiveness and acceptance. One Great Shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep. One Incarnation in which the whole mystery of God was enshrined. One Infinite Saviour, who is both able and willing to save the vilest. One Unman Life that showed the perfect image of the Heavenly Father. One glorious Resurrection which abolished death. One Ascension into Heaven, which opened the gates of the eternal home to all believers. One Holy Ghost, who is the source and origin of all spiritual life, without whom nothing e :h be begun, done, or ended, holily and well. One great judge of men, in whose hands are all the issues of the future. One compassionate and Almighty Christ, whose name is above every name, who alone is able to save, and who has power to heal every imaginable wound, and satisfy every need that the human imagination can ever think, or the actual miseries of this world ever show.” The Thracians had a striking emblem expressive of the power of God. It was a sun with three rays—one shining on a sea of ice, and melting it ; another upon a rock, and dissolving it; and a third upon a dead man, and raising him to a now and vigorous life. This is a beautiful emblem of the Gospel, plus Almighty Power. It melts the hardest heart into obedience with the Divine Will. It breaks every link of the adamantine chain of rebellion. It raises those dead in trespasses and sins to a life of righteousness. Cther systems, some hoary with antiquity, have exerted no salutary influence upon the world, but the reverse—some more, some less ; “ But where the Gospel comes, It sheds divinest light; It calls dead sinners from their tombs, And gives the blind their sight.” If this power of God unto salvation is to be experienced individually, it must be by a personal acceptance of it. The hand of faith must bo stretched forth to receive it, for all Gospel blessings are obtained by faith. It is “To every one that believeth ” that the Gospel is “ the power of God unto salvation ” —to none else. i: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”