Embrace the gospel

“16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.” 

(Romans 1:16–17 CSB)

Here at the beginning of his letter to the Romans, Paul declares that he is unashamed of the gospel. That is an easy affirmation to make as a Christian. Until there is a spontaneous confrontation of my faith in the real world. Then it can be very easy to hide my faith or keep it under wraps.

Now, you have probably never done this, but I will admit that even now, I don’t leap at every chance to speak up about my faith. I am not truly ashamed of the gospel. But I do still find myself concerned that I will be rejected or ridiculed in some way for my faith. And so many people find it offensive to have your religion “shoved down their throats.” I can agree that is no fun. But fun and comfort are not the criteria. And shoving religion down throats is not the means or message.

I do not feel compelled to share the gospel because I need validation, or want to fill my church seats, or because I’m a pastor and a “professional Christian.” It’s because I believe the words of what Paul above: the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” And even more: “For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed…” The gospel (that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead to give us eternal life by faith in Him) is the power of God for salvation! How can I keep that to myself? Because I don’t want to have someone think I’m self-serving with it? If that is how I communicate it, I have preached the wrong gospel. That would be like withholding CPR from someone who needs it while claiming I wouldn’t want to end up being glorified for saving them. There is no need or room for making this about me. The gospel is the power of God, not the power of me or you. The power of God saves them, not me or you.

“But it can be so self-righteous!” Not the gospel. The righteousness of God fills them and transforms them, not my righteousness. If I make it about my righteousness, I have not preached the gospel. I, too, am a sinner in need of God’s grace. I myself daily need the grace and forgiveness of God. There is no righteousness in me that did not start with Christ. And He offers that to you as well. “Everyone who believes.”

May you live without shame, boldly declaring the gospel, for it truly is the power of God to save any and all who believe it.

 Brian Lucas is co-pastor of Pax Christian Church