Not Ashamed
In Romans 1:16 Paul said by inspiration, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Men fear the sneer. However, Jesus said, “blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. For great is your reward in heaven.” Throughout history, Christians have been persecuted and prosecuted and tested in their faith. Contrary to popular opinion, testing is for our own good. The advantages the trails of life are listed in Romans 5 and James 1. God often uses trials and tribulation to prove his power…to show us as Paul said, “Thy strength is made perfect in my weakness… thy grace is sufficient for me.”
The gospel is the good news of God’s salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. There’s power in the Word of God and in the cleansing power of the blood of the sinless lamb of God. The truth of the gospel of God’s saving grace overcomes the the darkness of the fallen world.
Americans are encouraged to pursue “the American Dream.” We’re taught that the “pursuit of happiness” is one of our unalienable rights as American citizens. However, be careful what you seek, for ye are slaves to whom ye obey. The world’s definitions of happiness and wealth are the opposite of God’s definition of blessings. The greatest blessing is not material prosperity. Jesus said blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The greatest blessing is the pursuit of the Blessor and not the blessing.
Mark 8:34 -38 Jesus said, “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37. Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
There is a cost to following Jesus. The question is, “what price are you willing to pay to follow him?” One step follows the other….First you need to want, to desire to follow him. Then you have to deny yourself. According to Oswald Chambers, you have to give up the rights to yourself and acknowledge that “Father knows best” and that he has our best interests in mind. The standard is the denial of self. The cross is the symbol of the penalty of death. Paul defined what it means to “take up thy cross” in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me, and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” To be alive to Christ is to be dead to sin and death. Jesus has called his followers to die to self to live for him.
The devil will appeal to the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life. He says, “you need to look out for number one.” This is the same lie he’s told ever since the fall of man….Ye shall be as God. God’s not God, you are. To live in the newness of life, Jesus said, you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.
Jesus culled the crowd. He was interested in people who wanted to follow in his footsteps. He told them, “the works that I do, greater works shall they do because I go unto my father.” He said, “You’ll need to emulate me in order to be my disciple, my disciplined follower. Whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it. What will it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his own soul? Missionary Jim Elliot who gave his life as a martyr witnessing to the Auca Indians of Ecuador said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep in order to gain that which he cannot lose.”
If there’s nothing worth dying for then there’s nothing worth living for. According to Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech ye therefore by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable act of worship. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that yet may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
The greatest joy is to give all in service for him…For what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.
Therefore, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ…for it is the power of God unto salvation.
May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael