Most people associate dynamite with destruction. But there is more to the story of dynamite and the man behind it than blowing things up.
Nitroglycerin, the precursor to dynamite, is extremely sensitive to shock, heat, and pressure, making it dangerous to work with. But thanks to Alfred Nobel, a more stable and solid form of nitroglycerin was developed by combining it with diatomaceous earth. In this solid form, it could be shaped into rods to be transported and handled safely. He called his material dynamite.
Surprisingly, one morning in 1888, Alfred Nobel picked up the newspaper and read his obituary. Feeling quite alive, he realized they had mixed up his name with his brother Ludvig, who had recently died. What struck Alfred, however, was reading what his reputation and legacy would be if he had died. The obituary condemned him for his invention of dynamite. The obituary stated, “The merchant of death is dead,” and went on to say, “Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday.”
Alfred Nobel was determined to change his legacy. On 27 November 1895, at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris, Nobel signed his last will and set aside the bulk of his estate to establish the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded annually without distinction of nationality. Few people today connect Nobel with dynamite. He used his finances and knowledge to promote peace and life, creating a new legacy of power.
Nobel borrowed the word dynamite from the Greek word dynamis, which means power. Scripture uses dynamis to refer to God’s creative and redeeming power (see Acts 1:8, 2 Cor. 12:9). God’s creative power is what Paul had in mind when he referred to the gospel as dynamite.
For I am not ashamed of this Good News (gospel) about Christ. It is the power (dynamite) of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile (Romans 1:16 NLT).
Power Released
Along with the invention of dynamite, Nobel invented blasting caps that, when attached to the dynamite rod, would release its innate power. We don’t give the gospel power, but by proclaiming it, we release it.
The Apostle Paul‘s “blasting cap” was his “foolish preaching” (1 Corinthians 1:21). He said:
When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
The power of God to create life out of nothing is the same power that creates a new spiritual life from what is spiritually dead. The creation of new life is much more than we usually recognize. Too often, we limit the power of the gospel to justification. As vital as that is, it is not all that the power of the gospel accomplishes. There is much more to the gospel’s power. Much more.
Paul spends considerable text in his letters to the Ephesians and Colossians, expanding the scope of gospel power. (As you read these letters, notice the frequent use of “You once were” and “you now are.”) The gospel power results in what God does for us the moment new life begins and what God begins to do in us over time. The former is past tense and completed action; the latter is present tense and ongoing. The former deals with our identity and position, and the latter deals with life change, what theologians call sanctification.
We may not fully grasp all that God has accomplished for us, but we can’t help but be awed by the scope of his work. In part, this is what Paul was referring to when he said that in Christ, we are now a new creation, the old has passed away, and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). These things are true about us, even if we are unaware of or don’t understand them. Consider a few examples and remember that this is not what God is doing for us, but what he has already done.
Power in Action
- Transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light (Col. 1:13)
New citizenship (Col. 2:19)
New destiny – Life in His kingdom (Jn. 3:2)
- Adopted into a New family (Jn. 1:12)
Reborn by the Spirit (Jn. 3:3)
New inheritance (1 Peter 1:4-5; Rom. 8:17)
A new name written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 21:27; Phil. 4:3; Luke 10:20)
- Indwelt by the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 3:16)
Sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13; Eph. 4:30)
Guided by the Spirit (John 16:13,14) to have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16)
- Freed from slavery to sin, the chains removed (Rom. 6:17);
Sin’s rule is broken (Rom. 6:7,11, 22);
The old self is crucified (Rom. 6:6)
- Reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:19)
Certificate of debt, like a massive unpayable bill, has been canceled and nailed to the cross
Declared righteous by substituting Christ’s merit for our demerit
Like the birth of a child, a spiritual new birth is a miracle. A new life now exists that did not exist before. The power of God’s gospel not only creates new life but sustains it. When we embrace the gospel, we are never the same. Just as God unleashes his power to create and sustain the cosmos, that same great power creates and sustains new spiritual life.
It’s too late
Have you ever wondered if your place in God’s newly created family is secure? Can it be lost, stolen, or returned like a book on loan?
After looking at the results of gospel power, consider what would have to be undone for this to be possible. Our sins collected from somewhere, our debt certificate rewritten, our citizenship revoked, our new life terminated, our name erased from the Book of Life, our pardon revoked, and we would need to be transferred out of the kingdom of light back to the kingdom of darkness, etc. Considering God’s promises (Phil. 1:6; John 10:23-24; Rom. 8:29-30) and the magnitude of the new birth, it seems unnecessary to question our security in Christ.
For those we know or know of who have rejected the faith they once embraced, there are only two options available: They never were a child of God, or they still are. Our confidence as children of God who possess the life that is eternal is not found in ourselves but in the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The power that creates as well as sustains. As the 2024 song by CeCe Winans says, “It’s too late to stop this miracle; it’s too late.”
