Not Ashamed

-

 


Scripture: "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." — Romans 1:16

Devotion:

Paul wrote those words from a world that found the gospel absurd. A crucified Jewish carpenter as the savior of the world? A resurrection from the dead as the hinge of all history? To the Greek intellectual, it was foolishness. To the Roman power broker, it was beneath contempt. And yet Paul plants his flag without apology. Not ashamed. Not embarrassed. Can we say the same?

Here is the honest truth. The pressure to tone it down is real. We live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to exclusive truth claims. The moment you say Jesus is the only way, the room gets uncomfortable. The moment you call sin what Scripture calls it, someone accuses you of hatred. The moment you share the gospel with a neighbor or a coworker, you risk being written off as one of those people.

And so we go quiet. We hint. We imply. We share our faith in such carefully diluted terms that nobody could possibly be offended — or saved. Paul will not let us stay there.

Notice what he says about the gospel. He does not call it a helpful perspective or a meaningful tradition. He calls it the power of God. The Greek word is dynamis — raw, explosive, transforming power. This is not a message that needs our protection or our improvement. It does not need us to smooth it out before presenting it to polite company. It is the power of God, and it has been crashing through human resistance and transforming lives for two thousand years without our help.

The question is never whether the gospel is powerful enough. The question is whether we trust it enough to actually say it out loud.

Shame is fundamentally about what other people think of us. It is the fear that if we fully identify with Christ and his message, we will be diminished in the eyes of the people around us. But Paul has done the math and reached a different conclusion. What is the approval of a culture compared to the power that raises the dead? What is social acceptance worth against the salvation of a soul?

There are people in your life right now who need to hear this message. Not a softened version. Not a culturally curated approximation. The gospel — that Christ died for sinners, was buried, and rose again, and that all who believe in him will be saved. It is still foolishness to those who are perishing. It is still the power of God to those who believe. Be like Paul. Plant your flag. Open your mouth.

Prayer:

Lord, forgive us for going quiet when we should have spoken. Give us courage today to share the gospel boldly, trusting not in our cleverness but in your power to save. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Depend on Christ

-
Scripture : Colossians 2:8 (NIV) See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. Devotion: In Colossians 2:8, the Apostle Paul issues a direct warning to believers, urging them to remain vigilant against teachings and ideologies contrary to the gospel of Christ . He says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” This verse is as relevant today as it was in Paul’s time, reminding us of the subtle and often enticing philosophies that can pull us away from the truth found in Jesus . The world is full of ideas and perspectives—some ancient, some modern—that promise wisdom, fulfillment, or enlightenment. Many of these philosophies are built upon human traditions, cultural norms , or spiritual concep...
Read more

One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism

-
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV) I, Paul , as a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Devotion: Ephesians 4:1-6 calls believers to unity and a life that honors God’s calling. Paul, writing from prison , urges us to live "worthy of the calling you have received." This powerful charge isn’t about earning our place in God’s family —instead, it’s about responding in gratitude to the grace we’ve already received. Paul lists practical ways to demonstrate this: humility , gentleness , patience , and bearing with one another in love. These are not qualities we develop in isolation...
Read more

I Lift Up My Eyes

-
Scripture: Psalm 121:1-7 ( NIV ) "I lift up my eyes to the mountains —where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life." Devotion: Looking in the Right Direction The psalmist begins with a question we've all asked in moments of fear, uncertainty, or desperation: "Where does my help come from?" Notice he doesn't begin with an answer but with honest seeking. He lifts his eyes to the mountains—perhaps looking toward Jerusalem , where the temple stood, or scanning the horizon for approaching danger or deliverance. But the question itself is crucial. In our age of self-reliance and ...
Read more