Have we ever felt ashamed of the gospel? Paul certainly didn’t - he makes that clear not only in his writings in Romans, but in his very life and how he chose to lead it.
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5 loaves of bread
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Self-introduction
From the beginning of his letter to the Roman church, he introduced himself as a bondservant of Christ, set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1). From Acts, we see that this introduction was not only in words, but in deeds. Paul spent his life furthering the gospel and was willing to bear chains or even die for the gospel (Acts 21:13).
When we are asked to introduce ourselves, what is the first identity that comes to mind?
Is it our status in this world?
Is it our status as a child of God?
Or is it, just like Paul, our duty as a Christian?
As Christians, we must always remember that we have been granted this status of reconciliation with God, not just to enjoy this status, but to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) and to live for good works (Eph 2:10). This is not merely a nice-to-have, but it is our reasonable service. In fact, to live for Christ is what being a Christian is truly about!
Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Paul then goes on to say that he is not ashamed of the gospel, which reveals not only the righteousness of God, but also God’s wrath against ungodliness and unrighteousness (Romans 1:16-32).
What is the gospel to us? When we tell others about our faith, do we tend to focus on the “good” parts - to talk about God’s mercy, love and forgiveness, while avoiding the “less palatable” parts - concerning God’s wrath and judgment, especially on sensitive topics like homosexuality (Romans 1:26-27)?
Or do we simply prefer to avoid bringing up our faith to others, to avoid any potential confrontation?
If so, have we become ashamed of the gospel that is the power of God to our salvation?
Reflections
Let us reflect on our identity in this world. What do we see ourselves as? Are we cognizant of the fact that this world is at enmity with God?
The consequences of the rejection of God listed out in Romans 1:21-32 are clearly seen in the world today. This world is not a friend to grace - in fact, Jesus warns us that the world will hate us (John 15:18-21) and that we have to make a choice to either serve Him or love the world (Matt 6:24).
May we learn to cast aside our love for the world so that we will not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ - the power of God to salvation for us who believe.