Unashamed

 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

(Romans 1:16 ESV)

 

We often experience feelings of shame. And, at times, these feelings are legitimate. They are experienced rightfully.

 

We feel shame, for example, when our sin or wrongdoing is exposed. We are embarrassed because of what we’ve done.  We’re self-conscious because of the fact that our sin has become known. And we are humiliated because others are now aware of our specific shortcomings.

 

Other times, however, the sense of shame that we feel is unwarranted. It’s unjustified. And it is needless.

 

An example of this is brought out in the passage above. Many of us, although we are believers, are ashamed of the gospel. We are ashamed of the message of Jesus.

 

We’re ashamed of it because it’s at odds with the society in which we live. We’re ashamed of it because it’s not well-received by the people among whom we live. We’re ashamed of it because the gospel is rejected by those deemed wise, and because it’s not the popular view of our day.

 

For this reason, although we continue to trust in Christ, we keep our faith private. Although we have been called by Christ to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation and to make disciples of all nations, we fail to reach out. We speak of our faith, and we live our faith, only among those who share it.

 

However, if we rightly understood the power of the gospel, could we do so? If we rightly understood the power of the gospel, would we feel such shame? I believe the answer to these questions is “no.”

 

I say this because of the words of Paul in the passage above. He tells us, there, that he is not ashamed of the gospel. And he presents to us the reason for his lack of shame.

 

He was not ashamed of the gospel, he says, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. In this way, he’s referring to the fact that we are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus. And he’s referring to the fact that we are brought to faith, that we are enabled to believe, by the gospel (Romans 10:13-17).

 

Apart from the gospel, this is not possible. Apart from the gospel, we are unable to believe. And, apart from the gospel, we are not able to be saved.

 

This, then, leads us, as believers, to share the gospel with the whole creation. It leads us to make disciples of all nations. And it leads us to do so unashamedly.

As we’ve been led to faith by the gospel, we share it with others. As we have come to know the work of the Lord through the gospel, we share it with others. And as we’ve come to trust in Christ through the gospel, we share it with others.

 

We do so as we come to share the heart of God for the lost. We do so as we are led to desire the salvation of our neighbor. We do so, as we desire that none should be condemned.