“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17).
When Paul wrote to the saints in Rome, he said he was “not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16). Because of the confidence he had in Christ’s message, he was “eager to preach the gospel” (Romans 1:15) and do many other things in the cause of Christ.
We need to have the same confidence as Paul so that we can also say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16). Can we say this? To answer that question, we need to consider what we would be willing to do with and for the gospel.
Be Willing To…
Teach – As we noted above, Paul was “eager to preach the gospel” (Romans 1:15). This did not just include part of it, but all of it (Acts 20:27) – even those parts that may not have been popular. Paul told Timothy, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). Though not all will publicly proclaim the gospel (James 3:1), all of us “ought to support” those who do “so that we may be fellow workers with the truth” (3 John 8). Our desire must be for the word of God to be proclaimed in its entirety. But if we are ashamed of the gospel, we will be unwilling to help teach others the gospel.
Confess – When Jesus taught, not everyone who believed His message wanted others to know about it. John recorded: “Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees, they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue” (John 12:42). Christ will either confess or deny us before the Father based upon whether we confess or deny Him before men (Matthew 10:32-33). Timothy was willing to make “the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12). We must be willing to affirm our faith publicly as well. But if we are ashamed of the gospel, we will be afraid to confess our faith before others.
Answer – Peter wrote, “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15). Others will try to intimidate us (1 Peter 3:14) and silence us through their “speculations” that are “raised up against the knowledge of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Though the world might label the gospel as “foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:18), we must be willing to take a stand and be “ready to make a defense” (1 Peter 3:15). But if we are ashamed of the gospel, we will be reluctant to give an answer for our hope.
Exemplify – Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). If we believe in the Lord and follow His word, that should be apparent to others by our actions. Paul told Timothy, “In speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:12). While others will look for a reason to “slander [us] as evildoers,” we must “keep [our] behavior excellent” so that “they may because of [our] good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). We are called to be different (Romans 12:2), so we must be different. But if we are ashamed of the gospel, we will not want others to see us living according to the gospel and differently from the world.
Submit – Paul told the brethren in Colosse of the importance of submitting to the authority of Christ: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). This does not mean that everyone who claims to perform deeds for Christ is accepted by Him (Matthew 7:21-23). Instead, it means we must do those things that are commanded and authorized in His word. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Because of this, disciples are to “observe all that [He] commanded” (Matthew 28:20). We should be content with this standard (2 Timothy 1:13). But if we are ashamed of the gospel, we will follow a different standard of authority.
Suffer – Paul told Timothy, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8). Persecution will come against the faithful (2 Timothy 3:12) and we must be willing to endure it. Peter wrote, “If anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name” (1 Peter 4:16). We are to be “faithful until death” (Revelation 2:10), even if it means being put to death for the cause of Christ. But if we are ashamed of the gospel, we will compromise and/or deny the faith in order to avoid persecution.
Why We Should Not Be Ashamed
We should not be ashamed of the gospel for the same reason Paul was not ashamed of it: “It is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). In the end, this is all that matters. It could be that by refusing to teach, confess, answer for, exemplify, submit to, and suffer for the gospel, our lives on earth might be better. But is that worth giving up “the power of God for salvation”? Notice what Jesus said: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Even if we could gain the whole world, it would not be worth it to lose our soul. Therefore, we must hold fast to the gospel and not be ashamed of it.
Conclusion
Paul said the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). He was not teaching salvation by faith alone (James 2:24), but was using belief in the comprehensive sense – an obedient trust in God (cf. Romans 1:5). Jesus is “to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). To obey Christ, we must be “baptized into Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:3; cf. Mark 16:16), become “slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18; cf. Matthew 28:20), and remain “faithful until death” (Revelation 2:10).
Examine yourself in light of the Scriptures and see if you can echo Paul’s words: “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16). If you cannot, now is the time to make the necessary corrections in your life.
Excellent article and thoughts on the necessity of Christians standing for the gospel of salvation and defending it.
Another excellent article, Andy
Thank you, gentlemen. I always appreciate your comments.