Renewing Your Mind - "The Power of God unto Salvation"

Ligonier Ministries | January 20, 2026
Host: Nathan W. Bingham | Featured Teacher: R.C. Sproul

Overview

This episode centers on the essential elements of the biblical gospel, as taught by Dr. R.C. Sproul. Drawing from the opening of Paul's letter to the Romans, Sproul clarifies what the gospel truly is, its divine authority, its core content (the person and work of Jesus Christ), and its unique power to save. He stresses the distinction between personal testimony and true evangelism, warning against reducing the gospel or relying on human effort for its efficacy. The episode aims to equip listeners to discern, articulate, and boldly proclaim the authentic gospel message.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Content and Authority of the Gospel

• Apostolic Introduction (Romans 1:1-4)

  • Paul introduces himself as called and set apart for the “Gospel of God”—emphasizing divine ownership and origin.
  • The gospel “belongs to God, and it is given to us by God” (03:25).

• Gospel Defined by Divine Authorship

  • Not merely “about” God, but actually God's own message, entrusted to messengers (apostles and prophets) authorized by Him.
  • The authority of the gospel does not rest in human insight, church institutions, or ministerial skill but “the one whose announcement and message it is” (05:11).

2. Essential Elements of the New Testament Gospel

• Person and Work of Christ

  • The gospel's “chief concern is regarding the person and work of Christ concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (06:33).
  • Three essential truths about Christ must always be present:
    • His sonship (“He’s the Son of God”)
    • His messianic office (“He is the long awaited Messiah”)
    • His lordship (“He is our Lord”)
      (Quotes from Sproul – see Memorable Quotes section.)

• Necessity of Resurrection

  • Scriptural gospel preaching always affirms the resurrection of Jesus.
  • Attempts—historical and modern—to strip the gospel of supernatural elements (like resurrection) are not the biblical gospel (09:28).

3. Universal Scope and Mission of the Gospel

• Apostolic Obligation Extends to All
  • Paul speaks as “a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise” (11:17).
  • The gospel is for everyone, crossing all ethnic, social, and educational divides.
  • The church’s task is to “proclaim this good news of God to the whole world, to every tongue and tribe and nation” (12:42).

4. The Offense and Power of the Gospel

• The Gospel as Both Good and Bad News

  • Not all receive it as “good news”—many find it offensive; for them, it is a “scandal” and “a stone of stumbling” (14:27).
  • Persecution of apostles was common because the message was met with hostility in many places.

• Paul’s Lack of Shame: Rooted in Gospel Power

  • Paul proclaims: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (16:40).
  • God’s power to save is in the gospel itself, not human eloquence, intelligence, or technique.
  • “The effectiveness of the Word of God does not rest on our abilities or on our skills. But we are called in the first instance to be faithful to the preaching of that gospel.” (23:37)

5. Testimony vs. Evangelism

• Valuing Testimony, Distinguishing Gospel Proclamation
  • Personal testimonies (“once I was blind and now I see”) serve as powerful witness, but they are “pre-evangelism,” not evangelism itself (20:16-21:46).
  • “All evangelism, all true evangelism, is witnessing. But not all witnessing is evangelism.” (21:37)
  • The saving power is in the content “about the person and work of Christ,” not personal stories or church programs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Essential Content of the Gospel

“The sonship of Christ to the Father, the Messianic vocation of Christ, and the lordship of Christ are all essential elements of the content of the New Testament gospel.”
— R.C. Sproul (08:21)

On Gospel Authority

“The authority for the gospel rests in the one whose announcement and message it is... it is God's message. And Paul is simply being a messenger who has been delegated to proclaim the message, whose author is God himself.”
— R.C. Sproul (05:11)

On the Power of the Gospel

“The gospel contains the power of God, and it is the saving power of God. I don't have the power to save anybody... The power to bring somebody into a state of redemption or of salvation. The means by which God has chosen to save the world is the preaching of the gospel. And it is in that message, in His Word, that God works His power of redemption.”
— R.C. Sproul (17:41)

On Testimony and Evangelism

“It is a valid and valuable thing for Christians to bear witness to what Christ has done in their lives. But... as valuable as that testimony is, it’s not evangelism. It's pre-evangelism, because it is not the gospel.”
— R.C. Sproul (20:35)

On Faithfulness in Proclamation

“Your chief task is to proclaim the gospel accurately and clearly and then watch out, get out of the way. It's like letting a lion out of the cage, because it's comforting to pastors to understand that the effectiveness of the Word of God does not rest on our abilities or on our skills.”
— R.C. Sproul (23:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ignoring Essential Elements of the Gospel (00:00)
  • Importance of Christ’s sonship, messiahship, and lordship.
• Apostolic Introduction & God’s Authority (01:43 – 06:33)
• Essential Content: Christ's Person and Work (06:33 – 09:21)
• Necessity of Christ’s Resurrection (09:28 – 11:17)
• Universal Obligation of Gospel Mission (11:17 – 13:09)
• The Offense and Scandal of the Gospel (13:09 – 15:39)
• Paul’s Unashamed Proclamation & the Gospel’s Power (16:40 – 18:07)
• Distinguishing Testimony from Evangelism (20:16 – 22:41)
• Conclusion: Gospel Faithfulness (22:41 – 24:06)

Conclusion

Dr. R.C. Sproul calls listeners to a careful, courageous, and biblical proclamation of the gospel—emphasizing its God-given authority, essential content focused on Christ, and inherent saving power. Evangelism, he reminds the church, is not merely sharing personal stories, but clearly declaring the good news about Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Messiah, and Lord, who rose from the dead.