Not Ashamed // Romans 1:16

What causes you to feel embarrassment, shame? Let’s be honest, have you ever felt ashamed because of your faith, even if you’re just seeking? I’ve been there. I remember being a teen and wrestling with wanting to be like Jesus and be popular, fearing people wouldn’t like me if they knew I liked church. It was quite a match to be honest. I know there are many times I stepped back when I had an opportunity to shine for Jesus because I didn’t want to be judged. The cold hard truth is we are all going to be judged. I can’t say I’m consistently bold in my adulthood, but I’ve gotten much more confident in my faith because it dawned on me somewhere along the way that I was going to be judged regardless. We all will be. We will either be judged by Christ or the crowd. There might be some tension with people, but the consequences of being judged poorly by Christ are infinitely worse. So let’s revisit today’s verse about not being ashamed of the gospel. Paul went on to write that the reason he was not ashamed was because the gospel is the power to save everyone who believes. Therein lies the rub, my friends. This world is so corrupt right now and evil is convincing some that right is wrong and wrong is right. You might be inclined to shrink when given the chance to stand up for Jesus. Please, please, please don’t. Choose salvation over shame. Choose God’s justice over people’s judgment. The gospel is the power to save and transform the life of any and everyone who believes. If you want to learn more or discuss this further, please comment or send me an email ([email protected]).