What does Romans 1:16 mean by saying the gospel is the power of God unto salvation?
The gospel is the message that Christ died for the sins of the world; it is God's power to salvation, not human works, denomination, or effort. Salvation means more than a better way to heaven—it is genuine, Holy Spirit-driven belief that one's eternal destiny rests on what Christ did on the cross.
Les teaches that Romans 1:16 says Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, because the gospel itself is the power of God unto salvation. The gospel is that Christ died for the sins of the world. Salvation is not achieved by our works, our denomination, or anything we can do; it rests on what Christ did on the cross. Les stresses that this requires a genuine, Holy Spirit-driven belief, not mere mental assent. He also notes that some newer translations water the verse down by calling salvation a better way to heaven, but salvation is more than that. In the surrounding context, he connects this to Romans 6's analogy of a seed that must die before it brings forth life, picturing that when Christ died, we died; when He was buried, we were buried; and when He arose, we arose to new life.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.