Ashamed of the gospel?

Romans 1:8-17

⁸ Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. ⁹ God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.

¹⁰ One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. ¹¹ For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. ¹² When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.

¹³ I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. ¹⁴ For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. ¹⁵ So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. ¹⁷ This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Firstly, we need to know what the gospel IS (and isn’t). The gospel is not music (although, how great is gospel music!) The gospel is not my good life as an example to my friends and family (although my life should match my words and give evidence that following Jesus means I become more like Him) – that would miscommunicate that one is saved by being good, instead of saved so I can be enabled to do good.

The gospel is the message of good news that God has come into our world, in the person of Jesus Christ, to carry ALL our sins upon himself, to rescue us from the penalty of our sins (my death), and to bring about humanity’s restoration through Jesus’ resurrection from the grave, and that this rescue, this salvation to eternal life with Him is a gift freely given anyone who would receive it through repentance and faith, i.e. Those who say yes to the gift of forgiveness and choose to live his way. 

This gospel has power. It changes nations, cultures, families, marriages, and day-to-day life; it even lifts moods and anxieties! (Try it. Preach the gospel to yourself and watch your mood change!) 

This Gospel is for everyone- no matter what you’ve done – and is actioned through faith alone.

It is through the Gospel I become righteous- I obtain God’s very own righteousness. His righteousness becomes my righteousness.

The gospel says I can’t earn God’s forgiveness and righteousness, I can buy it, I can’t “good-deeds” my way in – forgiveness and heaven is given as a gift when we repent and believe. 

How could I ever be ashamed of that?

Jesus, your gospel – the good news of your death and resurrection for me, because you love me – amazes me and thrills me and humbles me and breaks me. With hands lifted high in praise, I offer you my thanks.  Amen

Written by B van Noppen