Be Not Ashamed
When I first became a follower of Jesus Christ, it was a big shift in my life to say the least. For pretty much the previous ten years, I had been fairly outspoken about my atheistic leanings. Now after ten years of saying that God didn't exist, and living accordingly, I was in the midst of experiencing a huge identity shift. I was transitioning from atheist to believer and I was convicted to tell my friends about my new found faith in Jesus.
Being ashamed can mean to be reluctant to do something through fear of being embarrassed or being humiliated. For me, it was humiliating at first to associate myself with faith in Jesus. This feeling of being ashamed came from the fact that I felt I was seeming like a hypocrite. I was embarrassed at times as if I had undergone a whimsical and ill-advised change. This was a challenging time of growth for me in my faith. The old me used to boast about how 'there was no God.' Now, in God's good sense of humor and as He often does, He was having me go back into those same spheres of friends and family where I had once boasted of my atheism and profess my faith and love of Jesus Christ. God was forcing me to face feelings of being ashamed head on, and I am thankful for that. The gospel should leave us 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. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17 ESV)
Interestingly my life mirrored my namesake Paul. Paul in his life was a persecutor of the Christian faith, zealous against Christianity and boasting in his Judaism and in the law. However, he had a forceful encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus that changed him forever. Paul became an unashamed follower of Jesus, and a tool in the hands of his Savior for the spread of the gospel throughout the world.
Paul was unashamed of the gospel, lacking any fear of embarrassment or humiliation. Immediately after his conversion he began preaching in the synagogues. This once staunch Jew now went back into the synagogues willingly, excitedly, and without shame to proclaim the good news of the gospel.
Paul began preaching boldly wherever he was, because he was not ashamed of the gospel. Throughout his ministry, Paul was driven out of cities, stoned and left for dead, imprisoned, mobbed, persecuted, mocked, opposed, reviled, among many other sufferings. Despite all of this affliction, Paul remained unashamed of the gospel - he did not fear embarrassment or humiliation.
The apostle Paul was not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.
The gospel message comes forth with the power of God.
We never have to be ashamed of the gospel, because the gospel carries with it the power of God. Gideon overcame the Midianites with only 300 men because he was backed by the power of God. Moses parted the Red Sea by the power of God. Jesus rose from the dead by the power of God. We never need to be fearful or reluctant to tell people about the gospel, because we herald the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ by the power of God!
The gospel message offers salvation to everyone who believes.
There is no distinction, God shows no partiality. Anyone can receive God's justifying love by faith in Jesus Christ through the preaching of the gospel. The gospel is the finest news that has ever been heralded and God shows no partiality when redeeming His people. Jesus chose lepers, tax collectors, and sinners to receive salvation. Paul tells the church at Corinth:
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:21-31 ESV)
We preach Christ crucified, and to those who are called Christ is the power of God unto salvation. We were not wise, powerful, capable and of noble birth. We followers of Jesus Christ were low, despised, weak but in Christ we become wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Let us boast in the Lord! The Gospel is God in all his power justifying sinners by their faith in Jesus. The blemished and marred and corrupted sinner is made clean, holy and pure by the power of God.
Let us boast in the Lord! Let us tell others without shame about our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! Let us preach Christ crucified that others may hear the good news. Because everyone needs to hear the gospel!
1. The gospel proclaims that the holy God cannot tolerate sin.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20 ESV)
All people are without excuse before God because all of us have sinned. It is hard for us to think of ourselves as sinners. I urge you to consider that God is holy, and that in your sin (as in mine) we have 'missed the mark.' We have fallen short of God's hope for us, and we are in His debt because we have transgressed against Him. Our sin separates us from God.
For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:22b-23 ESV)
We owe God a debt that we cannot repay. We cannot draw near to God, we cannot please God.
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19-20 ESV)
Our sin has placed us in serious trouble. Our works can't save us. We are clothed in rags, marred, blemished, hostile as we approach the throne of the holy God. There is no way for us to draw near to God unless He makes the way, which is exactly what He does by sending his Son, Jesus to the cross.
2. The gospel proclaims that Jesus Christ the Son of God died in our place and lives so that we may live through faith in him!
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26 ESV)
The gospel tells us that despite our sin and hostility to God, Jesus has made the way for us to be saved! Through our faith in Jesus Christ we are justified! The punishment for our sin has been laid on Jesus when he died on the cross! Oh what mercy we have received!
We are justified by God's grace - it is a gift to us that we receive by faith in Jesus. Our faith brings us redemption because Jesus died for us! God has passed over our sin! God has nailed our sin to the cross of Christ and justifies us!
This is why Paul encourages the Romans to not be ashamed of the gospel! Salvation is at stake, it is a matter of life and death.
Have you trusted Christ?
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11 ESV)
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3 ESV)
Our culture in America wants us to be ashamed of our faith in Jesus Christ. It can become very easy to try and agree with everyone and never say hard or challenging things. It can be scary for us because we fear we may lose friends. Our popularity can be threatened if we are honest about our faith. Sometimes, we simply forget the gospel - we don't live in ways that represent our hope in Jesus.
The Christians in Rome lacked size, fame, and honor. They lived in the machine of Rome with its power and influence and Paul knew it could be very easy for Christians in that empire to feel ashamed of their status and of their faith and of the gospel, so he encouraged them to remember that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. We have to always remember this as well.
For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:11-17 ESV)
Everyone who believes in Jesus will not be put to shame. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Let us be people who are not ashamed of the gospel and preach the word of Christ, because faith comes from hearing.
Most importantly let us consider Christ. Jesus was not ashamed of us. Jesus bore our shame. Jesus was humiliated for our sake. Jesus died in our place so that we may have life. Let us heed his words:
For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38 ESV)
When those opportunities in our lives arise for us to share the gospel boldly, let's answer that call. For we were weak, ungodly, needy sinners and our great Savior went to the cross for our sake, despising the shame that he had to bear in our place. We should consider it our greatest honor and privilege to even be associated with the name of Jesus, much less proclaim the gospel. And let us always remember that the words of the gospel are backed with the power of God to grant salvation to everyone who believes!
Let Christ be our vision and let us be not ashamed of the gospel!
Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise;
thou mine inheritance, now and always;
thou and thou only first in my heart,
high King of heaven, my treasure thou art.
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Have you put your faith in Jesus?
Are you ashamed of the gospel? How is God convicting you to be bold in proclaiming the good news?
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