What is the Gospel to those who are saved?
To those who are saved, the Gospel—the preaching of the cross—is not merely a ticket to Heaven but the power of God. It is God's power extraneous to anything human, which man cannot touch, and it stands opposed to earning salvation by works.
Les teaches that to us who are saved, the Gospel—the preaching of the Cross—isn’t just a ticket to Heaven; it’s the power of God. He emphasizes this flies in the face of Reformers and good-works people who say we must earn our way into Heaven, but there is nothing we can do but take what God has offered. Les also points to verse 23: Christ crucified is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks, yet to those called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God—a power that man cannot touch and is extraneous to anything human.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.