Not Ashamed of the Gospel

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation… Romans 1:16a

          Have you ever been so impressed when eating at a new restaurant, watching a television show or movie, or playing a game that you quickly told all your family and friends about it.  You thought the product, service, experience, etc. was so great that everyone else should try it too.  Why is it any different with Christ.  Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”  God is good.  He is much better than the new chicken dish at the restaurant downtown you are telling all your friends about.   Chicken is the kind of goodness that will just satisfy someone’s dinner hunger.  Christ is the kind of goodness that will satisfy for an eternity.    John 3:17 says, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

          Jesus came so that the world would be saved (Luke 19:10, John 3:16-17).  However, for the world to be saved we have a part to play.  Romans 10:14-15 says, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”  People cannot be saved unless they believe, and they cannot believe if they have not heard the message/Gospel.  Now it would be easy to say, “I am not a preacher.  They need to hear the message from a preacher.”  You do not have to be the pastor of a church to preach the saving message of Christ to a person.  Jesus said in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”  Jesus was talking to the disciples who had been known as tax collectors, fishermen, and tradesmen.  Jesus was talking to all of us.  We are all called to preach the Gospel, and we should not be ashamed of it for it is the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16).