Does the Modern Church Still Believe in the Power of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit?

What can easily get lost in this whole scenario is the reason Paul made this decision. He wanted their faith to rest on God’s power and not on his own human wisdom. Could it be in our search to be clever we are more interested in impressing people with how we present the gospel than we are in winning people to Christ? Maybe we are trying to wow them with our creativity because we are convinced that to give the simple truth of the gospel can’t work in the day we live in. I can’t say what is in a person’s heart, but I can question the actions a person takes. It is these extreme actions that bring the world into the presentation of the gospel that make me wonder if we still believe it has the power to save.

I encourage using creativity and the gifts and talents God has given us to present the gospel and try to reach those who are lost. However, we must not foolishly believe that our creativity alone is going to win people over. That is not the way the gospel works. We may win them to ourselves with our creativity, but it will take more than that to win them to Christ.

The heart of the gospel is allowing people to confront the person of Jesus Christ, and it is our responsibility to seek or create opportunities for people to do just that. We must make sure we don’t crowd out their opportunity to encounter Jesus because we have buried him in the techniques of the world.

Allow me to say this with no hesitation or reservation. The gospel still has power, and the Holy Spirit is still at work. When we preach the simple gospel and give room for the Holy Spirit to penetrate the heart of a person, then we position them to not only hear, but to respond. Best of all, their response is not to your creativity, but to the movement of the Holy Spirit in their heart. When they are drawn by his power, that becomes the source and basis of their salvation.

While there is room for creativity in how we share the gospel, let’s not go so far or close to the edge that we leave the gospel and the Holy Spirit out of the equation. When that happens, you may have something, but just know it is not the gospel or the work of the Holy Spirit.

More from this author
Why You Really Need to Embrace the Pruning Process
3 Things a Life of Self-Discipline Will Help You Accomplish
Did Jesus Contradict Himself When He Said the Father Is Greater Than I?

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/PeopleImages

Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club.  He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose which will help you understand how God leads you into his will. His most recent book is The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. This book will teach you how to put the pieces together so you can live a victorious Christian life and finally become the man or woman of God that you truly desire to be. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has just released his first Bible study course called Bible Study Basics. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com.