“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain” (1 Cor. 15:1-2).

The gospel is God’s power to save the lost (Rom. 1:16). No other message has such power. Since all have sinned, every one of us needs its power to save us from sin, and the eternal death sin brings (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). To grasp the preeminence of the gospel message and its impact on our lives, the apostle certifies its pertinent features in today’s text.

1. The gospel is preached. It is a constant and fixed message, unchanged by the whims and foibles of men (1 Cor. 1:18-25).

2. The gospel is received. Believers do not keep it at arm’s length; they embrace it and thoroughly associate themselves with its converting power (Rom. 12:2).

3. We are to stand in the gospel. It is not a one-off message to be initially believed and then laid aside. We must continue in it, living by its guidance and truth (Col. 2:6-7).

4. The gospel saves us if we hold it fast. The gospel teaches us to keep on living by the gospel, holding to it as the pattern for our lives (Acts 2:42; 2 Thess. 2:15). The word “if” in verse two is huge. If we do not hold fast the word of the gospel, our faith is vain, idle, and useless. Yes, if we choose not to be faithful to the gospel, our faith fails, and we are lost – not because the gospel is weak or powerless, but because we cast it aside for sin.

Believe and faithfully follow the gospel, and its power will save you.