Tuesday, December 4, 2018: Romans 1:16
16 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.
Why did Paul share the gospel so freely? Because he was unashamed of the power and grace of God. One reason we struggle to engage in spiritual conversations is because we feel ashamed of our faith. As Christian beliefs fall out of favor with a growing segment of the population, it’s easy to fear standing out from the crowd.
There are many reasons why we might be ashamed of the gospel. We might be ashamed because we are afraid that someone might judge us for being a Christian, and therefore weaken our relationship. We might be afraid that if we share the gospel, our friends will think that we are judging them. But Paul taught that we ought to not be ashamed.
When we think of the power of God, His power in creating the world comes to mind. Genesis teaches us that God spoke, and the universe was born. Now that’s power! We might also think of God’s power as something mighty like the sun. But Paul said that it is the gospel that is the power of God. The gospel has the power to raise a person who is dead in sin to life in Christ. That is real power! If we believe that the gospel is the power of God—the same kind of power that created the universe and wakes the dead—then we will not be ashamed to share it with anyone.
- What makes you want to be ashamed of the gospel? What answers could you have to these objections?
- Why is the gospel not an object of shame?
- Thank God for the gospel message that is able to redeem the most broken of sinners and bring them into a relationship of restoration, joy, and peace.