#98 NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL 9-7-26
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16) Paul was not embarrassed by the gospel. He was not ashamed of its message, its demands, or its Christ. And neither should we be. In a world that increasingly has little respect for the things of God, we must be people who are willing to stand openly and confidently for Jesus.
DON’T BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL’S POWER.
The gospel is the power of God to save (Romans 1:16). Paul told the Corinthians that the message of the cross may seem foolish to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). There is no other message like it. No philosophy can transform the human heart like the gospel. No political movement can reconcile a sinner to God. No self-help program can do what Jesus does. The gospel takes broken people and gives them hope. It takes sinners and calls them to repentance. It takes people who were far away and brings them near to God through Christ.
We have to believe in the power of the gospel. We have to preach it, live it, and proclaim it without apology. The world does not need a watered-down gospel that makes people comfortable. It needs the gospel that changes lives because it is the power of God.
DON’T BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL’S PRINCIPLES
The gospel does not leave us the way it found us. When Christ comes into our lives, He begins changing the way we think, the way we speak, the way we treat people, and the way we live. The great principles of the gospel are summed up in love. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39).
Jesus perfectly embodied those principles. He loved God completely. He loved people sacrificially. He touched the untouchable. He welcomed the rejected. He forgave the repentant. He served those who could do nothing for Him in return. He ultimately demonstrated His love by giving His life for us. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
We should never be ashamed of the principles of the gospel. Love is not weakness. Forgiveness is not weakness. Humility is not weakness. Compassion is not weakness. Serving others is not weakness. These are the marks of a life being transformed by Jesus.
DON’T BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL’S PERSON.
The gospel is one message about one Man. His name is Jesus.
Everything we have is because of Jesus. Everything we are is because of Jesus. Everything worthwhile that we do is because of Jesus. Everywhere we go, we should carry the influence of Jesus with us. We are vessels of His love, ambassadors of His grace, and witnesses of His goodness.
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32–33)
So don’t be ashamed of Him.
He is the best Friend you will ever have and the greatest Person who ever lived. There is no one like Him. No one can do what He can do. No one loves you the way He loves you. No one can forgive like He forgives. No one can save like He saves. No one can comfort like He comforts. No one can walk with you through life and death like Jesus.
The gospel is not merely a system of beliefs. It is the good news about Jesus Christ. He is the center of our faith, the foundation of our hope, and the reason for everything we are and everything we do.
So let us lift our heads and proclaim Him without shame. Let us believe in the power of the gospel. Let us live according to the principles of the gospel. And above everything else, let us love and honor the Person of the gospel.
Jesus is the gospel we proclaim. Jesus is the Savior we trust. Jesus is the Friend we love. Jesus is the Lord we follow. And Jesus is the One we must never be ashamed to confess.
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Lord Jesus, give us courage to never be ashamed of Your gospel. Help us believe in its power, live according to its principles, and boldly proclaim Your name. Make us vessels of Your love wherever we go, and let our lives point people to You. May we confess You before men with joy, knowing that You are the greatest treasure we could ever possess. Amen.
BDD
