Have you ever been in a situation involving an unbeliever - a coworker, a friend, a family member, or someone you just met - and you knew they needed to hear the gospel, yet you held back? What was the reason you held back...were you unwilling or restrained due to fear of shame, ridicule, or disapproval from this person? I have been in this situation, and sadly, this is what it means to be "ashamed of the gospel."
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel"
Previously, Paul said he was eager to fulfill his responsibility to preach the gospel in Rome. Now he clearly states that he is not ashamed of this gospel, and he explains why - he knew what it did and what it contained. It brings eternal life to all who believe, and it reveals the righteousness of God - the Father who adopted us - the Dad that we love with all of our heart mind and soul!This gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, contains the righteousness and power of God, and is available to everyone who believes it. Do we really get this? Do we really understand the power that is within the gospel message? Its so much more than stories about Jesus, so much bigger than church, so much deeper than we can fathom. It carries the power to transfer a soul from eternal darkness to eternal life!
While we do need to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when sharing the gospel, His timing is perfect, we must never withhold the good news of this amazing and powerful gospel based on how we think it will be received. The fear of shame and ridicule due to the gospel are selfish emotions, rooted in pride. The last thing we should ever do is prevent the spread of the gospel due to our prideful nature.
from faith for faith
The power of the gospel is made manifest through the gift of faith. Putting trust and confidence in God, who He is and what has been accomplished through His Son, this is the foundation of eternal life. Through faith, we are able to clearly see the gospel message, and this now determines how we live... as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."
How Great is our God!
"the righteous shall live by faith" is one of the most important statements in the history of the church. not only is it the gateway to paul's teaching of justification by faith alone but it has also been used to convert many (like luther etc) from the false gospel of justification by faith plus works.
ReplyDeleteThanks for highlighting the importance of this statement. It is easy to underestimate the effect that a single statement can have on how we interpret other scripture. This statement definitely sets the tone for the rest of Romans.
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