For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes...(Romans 1:16 HCSB)
If we were all to be honest there would be some things about our lives, past or present, that we are ashamed of. There are parts of our lives we would just rather forget and would prefer others not know about. If we could go back and redo these things, we would. But what is it about our faith, our belief in God, our personal relationships with Christ, that cause many of us at times to want to hide our faith as if it is a horrible mistake from our past?
The Apostle Paul, who wrote today’s verse, along with the other apostles, were certainly not ashamed. As a matter of fact they were so bold in their faith and the sharing of the gospel message they eventually gave their lives for it. What has changed? For starters, Paul and the others had witnessed first hand the ministry of Jesus Christ and saw first-hand it’s power to change and transform lives. For Paul, this was intensely personal. Remember, if there was ever an instance recorded in scripture of a life radically transformed by “God’s power of salvation” it was Paul’s. One day he is murdering Christians, the next day he is one and is preaching its power to change lives.
We would do well today to remember exactly what the gospel means to us personally and what It can do for others as well. The term “gospel” literally means “good news”. So why should we be ashamed of the good news? We shouldn’t let modern culture confuse it with being an outdated or irrelevant social issue. The gospel transcends social issues and salvation is most certainly relevant to you and others. Acknowledging you are a Christian should not be considered a badge of shame. Remember what it has done for you. And I would argue that if you are ashamed of your faith the problem lies within your own life and it is not in the message of the gospel. If those around you have a poor impression of the gospel then they are not seeing it in the same way Paul and the other apostles did. If you are the model of the gospel they see and they are still confused then something is wrong with the model. We owe it to them to share its true message; what the gospel has done for you and what it can do for them. It is “God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes.”
Live your life in such a way that you have no reason to be ashamed or apologize for your faith. Live out your faith in a way that other see it as something for which there is no need to be ashamed. Don’t forget what God has done for you and live a life that displays His grace for others to see. Remember the gospel is good news. Live like it.
