Anthony contacted Life Center five years ago and asked, “What is your success rate?” He expressed his desperation, sharing that he was contemplating suicide. He sought reassurance that Life Center could offer him a different experience, as he couldn’t bear the thought of having his hopes crushed once more. Dawn, one of our wonderful receptionists, shared Luke 1:27, saying, “Nothing is impossible WITH God.” She scheduled Anthony’s first meeting for that same week.
A few months into ministry, God showed Anthony that he was trying to live the Christian life through “will-power.” More importantly, God showed him that the freeing grace of God was a gift realized through “still-power.” Breakthrough came by faith and walking and doing life WITH God. Anthony made a radical choice to stop trying to live a better Christian life. Instead, he invited God to live in and through him to change his outlook, emotions, life, and self-image. He started doing life WITH God by depending on God to change his thoughts, desires, hopes, and future.
Willpower is not the same as the obedience of faith. Willpower is obedience to trying harder. Self-effort was the reason he kept experiencing defeat. Self-sufficiency is trusting in ourselves to produce the fruits and characteristics of the Spirit. Conversely, “still-power” is trusting in Christ’s sufficiency. It is based on the conviction that God is the author of our faith and salvation AND is also the perfector of our faith walk.
Obedience is the fruit of faith. Faith isn’t believing or trying harder. It is choosing to respond to life, lies, and lack in a Christ-like manner, trusting the Spirit to transform our mindset and underwrite new behavior. The obedience of faith is doing life WITH God and God’s way. When we seek to live God’s way, all the healing, freedom, and victory are added to us by God through the Spirit.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed! That in itself is good news! If you are tired of “rule keeping through willpower” that doesn’t provide lasting victory, here are three insights to experience a breakthrough.
First, when Paul says he is not “ashamed of the gospel,” he conveys that the New Covenant did not fail him. Keeping and enforcing a bunch of Old Covenant rules (laws) didn’t change Paul’s heart and life. Striving to be good enough for God never filled Paul with the love and confidence of God. Rules only made him aware that he wasn’t good enough. Religious activity and sincere fervor failed to perfect Paul. When he believed that Christ is Lord, he was born again and became a new creation. God infused Paul with Christ’s life, love, and godly desires. As believers, we, too, have a new spirit through which God works in us to form a sincere love for God, himself, and others.
Second, it helps to understand the meaning of salvation. “Saved” comes from the Greek word “sozo,” which means to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, do well, make whole, keep safe, restore, and rescue from destruction. Much more than the payment for sins, salvation is the deliverance from the power of sin, which reigns in our unsaved hearts. Sozo speaks of all that Christ came to give and work in us. Although salvation includes the forgiveness of sins, it is abundantly more. Salvation will get you into heaven, but equally importantly, it is the power to live resiliently and confidently when there is hell on earth.
Salvation is not our ticket to heaven. It is belonging to a heavenly family with access to their spiritual power for living. God’s salvation takes the unsaved out of Adam and places them “in Christ”—in a heavenly kingdom. At new birth, we received a spiritual inheritance as children of God—the Holy Spirit. The Spirit in us is our hope of glory—not willpower. The Spirit is our helper, comforter, wisdom, source of joy, peace, hope, perseverance, confidence, clarity, etc.
Third, “gospel” means good news. The good news is that “the power of God” is available to all who believe and do life WITH God. Doing life with God and God’s way does what willpower cannot do. The Spirit is like an umbilical cord constantly supplying us with everything we need for life (kids, finances, choices, setbacks) and godliness (habits, mindsets, loving kindness). Doing life WITH God, instead of through willpower, is relying on God’s constant supply to change us.
Christ in you is the hope (power) of glory. Glory is the manifestation of Christlike character and God’s promise for wellness, deliverance, restoration, and redemption. The Spirit does not and never will operate through “will-power.” The Spirit operates through faith as we do life WITH God. Anthony called that “still-power”.”
Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations.
The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Psalm 46:10–11
When Anthony realized he was trying to produce the fruits and benefits of the Spirit, he ceased striving. “Still-power” became a phrase that meant trusting the Spirit to transform his lies and life. He shifted all of his efforts to the obedience of faith—into trusting God is WITH him and transforming his life. Anonthy has been on the mission field for the last two years, recently married Pamela, and regularly shares the gospel—the good news—at churches and on the mission field.
The Apostle Paul was not ashamed to throw off his old lifestyle and religious striving because he believed that nothing is impossible WITH God. Christ in us always produces peace, joy, contentment, and a meaningful life. It may sound too good to be true, but still, it is true. And that’s good news!
Life Center is not ashamed of the gospel either. We, too, know that it is the power of God that transforms lives, and He is the reason Life Center has a very high success rate. We do not offer more advice, but Good News.
Do you want to experience the gospel that radically improves and enriches your life? The 2025 CHANGED Conference is a catalyst for experiencing the presence and power of God. Reserve seats today.
