“I am not ashamed of the gospel” is a phrase that is reflected in the book of Romans 1:16 and that shows us that the gospel is the Power of God that gives us the tools to face adversity, since in the word we find the truth, the way and the life, who is Jesus Christ himself.
In this sense, this passage from the Bible should always be in our lives to give us the necessary strength to move forward and grow as believers, since it is not easy in such a corrupt and unbelieving world: “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, the Jew first and also the Greek” (Romans 1:16)
Why am I not ashamed of the gospel?
The answer may seem simple but deep down it is not. We can say that we are not ashamed but in some situations we can feel pressured by society that does not understand the powerful meaning of the gospel.
This can be a barrier to achieve our spiritual development, since in the word it says that we will be tested and that we cannot feel ashamed of being Children of God, and of believing in the gospel that is the Power of God. As the word says:
“For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the son of man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory, and in that of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26)
Our beliefs should be reflected in our daily lives, and not just when we go to church on Sunday. Most people say they are Christians and faithful believers, but when presented with a situation in which we really need to show others that we are living the word, we fail and somehow feel ashamed of the gospel because it doesn’t allow us to fit in. the society. As his word reflects:
“When you find yourself tempted to keep quiet about Christ because of the hostility of the surrounding culture, I encourage you to remember the reasons why the apostle Paul was not ashamed of the gospel. He is, by the grace of God, an excellent example for all of us.” (1 Cor. 11:1).
The Holy Scriptures show us that the gospel is for our salvation, but if we are ashamed, will we obtain salvation? The answer is deep within our soul, mind and spirit and only God can give us that answer. But we must reflect on our actions and obey the word of God so as not to disappoint Our Lord.
5 reasons not to be ashamed of the gospel
I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is power, life and encouragement in moments of great difficulty, because it is the truth that reveals to us the miracle of salvation and eternal life through the perfect sacrifice of Christ. In Paul’s time, the Christian faith was highly controversial because of all that it meant and means today.
In this way, this character from the bible was never ashamed of the gospel and taught it to us in the word. He was proclaimed an apostate in Jerusalem, and because of this he had to secretly flee from Berea and Damascus, and he had to go through many hard and painful things, he was scourged, imprisoned, and was on the verge of death on many occasions.
In addition, they stoned him and he suffered as a shipwreck. He was attacked by Jews, false Christians, thieves, and non-Jews. He spent nights and days without being able to sleep or eat on the trips he made, he was also cold and suffered from being naked. As can be seen in the following quote: “Three times I was beaten with rods; once stoned; three times I suffered shipwreck; One night and one day I was in the depths.” (2 Cor. 11:25).
However, Paul wanted not only to serve the Christians who were in that place, but also wanted to see new transformations, since he felt that he had to proclaim the word to everyone.
He also had a willing spirit for that and was not afraid of anything that would happen to him in Rome, since he knew that if he died he would be in heaven, and if he lived God would keep everything under control, since he fully trusted the promises of our Lord.
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So the apostle Paul was very willing to please God, and he was faithful in preaching the word not only out of love for God but also for others. His joy and gratitude did not depend on the situations he could face, but on the Lord, because Jesus was everything to him: “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Philippians 4:11).
For this reason we must consider the following reasons not to be ashamed of the gospel, just as the apostle Paul did:
1.- The gospel is the power of God
The gospel is the Power of the Almighty, of the creator of heaven and earth, of the one who sent his Only Begotten Son to give himself up as a sacrifice for us.
And in it the message of Christ is revealed, of the way, the truth and the life, of the perfect covenant, where the only mediator between God and men is Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us so that we may achieve forgiveness and eternal life.
In such a way, this biblical character represents a very important being within the sacred scriptures because he knew the importance of the gospel for the lives of all of us.
For this reason, he had the mission of proclaiming it and never being ashamed of the gospel, and despite the vicissitudes he had to face, he never denied Christ. In this way, when a person calls himself a Christian but is ashamed of the gospel and does not speak about it Your faith is not genuine.
Silencing the word of God is violating the mandate that the Lord gave to all believers, since it represents such great news that it changes the eternity of those who believe it. As his word reveals:
“But if our gospel is still hidden, among those who are lost it is hidden; in which the god of this age has blinded the understanding of the unbelievers, so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, may not shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Cor. 4:3-5).
2.- Because the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
We should not be ashamed of the gospel because the wrath of God will be revealed from heaven and those who felt ashamed of the Lord will be punished. So his wrath will be just, since we have all sinned and deserve it.
However, God has mercy on us and has provided a way to save us without leaving aside his Justice. We must hold on to the gospel of him that will lead us to eternal life through Jesus Christ. This can be seen in his words:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of men, who in unrighteousness restrain the truth; for what is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them. Because since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divinity, have been seen with all clarity, being understood through creation, so that they have no excuse. For though they knew God, they did not honor him as God, nor did they thank him, but became vain in their reasonings, and his foolish heart was darkened.” (Rom. 1:18-21).
3.- Knowing God
I am not ashamed of the gospel because I know God and I know his purpose in the life of each one of us, because I know his word, his divine plan and his infinite love, just as his word expresses it. “For which I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; because I know in whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to keep my deposit until that day.” (2 Tim. 1:12).
In this way, Paul was not ashamed of the gospel because he knew who God was and that Our Father was faithful and just forever and that is why what began with the second coming of Christ to earth would end. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God because nothing is greater than God” (Rom. 8:35-39), and “Nothing that happens in our lives escapes His hands” (Rom. 8:28).
So the apostle Paul knew that even though our world view is limited, everything the Lord does in our lives is perfect, and if we fail to see it in this life, we can be sure that eternity is guaranteed.
4.- The sovereign grace of God
One of the reasons why Paul was not ashamed of the gospel was because he knew perfectly well that God had his chosen ones for salvation and that his sovereign grace could eliminate any resistance from others. As we can see in his words:
“And through a vision during the night, the Lord said to Paul: Do not be afraid, keep speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, because I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9-10).
In this passage it can be seen that the Lord never abandoned Paul in his mission and that he always gave him words of encouragement when he was going through difficult times. This apostle never doubted the purpose of Our Lord and was never ashamed of the gospel.
On the contrary, he armed himself with courage to proclaim the word of God and do his will. However, at times he felt overwhelmed by being the one chosen to send the message of salvation to his chosen ones.
In this sense, Paul was convinced that the word would not be in vain, although he knew that not everyone would receive Christ, but sooner or later God would enter the lives of his chosen ones to enforce his word, since God can grant repentance to people, holding all tenacity and hardness in them, just as his word reveals:
“that with meekness correct those who oppose, in case perhaps God grants them to repent to know the truth, and escape from the snare of the devil, in which they are captive at his will” (2 Tim. 2:25-26).
5.- Salvation and forgiveness
One of the reasons why I am not ashamed of the gospel is because through it we can obtain forgiveness and salvation, since his word shows us the path we must follow, where truth and admirable light are present. As his word reveals:
“I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord, who strengthened me, because he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, having previously been a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a reviler; but I was received mercy because I did it out of ignorance, in unbelief.
But the grace of ourLord was more abundant with faith and love that is in Christ Jesus. Faithful word and worthy of being received by all: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first” (1 Tim. 1:13).
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In this sense, Paul had many reasons to feel discouraged, but he did not do so because he knew the truth and that is why he was able to face the negative things that happened to him, since the suffering of Jesus was even greater, and this comforted him to continue forward in his On his way, he would never feel ashamed of the gospel, on the contrary, he proclaimed the word with devotion and respect, just as his teacher Jesus taught him on earth.
In this way, these reasons show that through the gospel we can achieve our spiritual growth, recognizing that the only God in…