A Devotional by Keith D. Wallace

Rom 1:16  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.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a wonderful thing.  How can a person’s words do justice in describing what Christ did for us when He took away the sin of the world on Calvary?  It’s very easy to sit in the company of other Christians and talk about how much we are thankful for what Christ did for us when He took away all our sins and gave us eternal life.  And while it’s always good to give glory to God for what He has done for us, how many of us are as eager to tell those who have not yet received the gift of eternal life how great our Saviour is as we are to tell other Christians?

Throughout the past 2000 years of Church history there have been many lives cut short because those people were not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.  There are those who risked life and limb to ensure the preservation of the scriptures.  There are those who died a martyr’s death just because they were holding church services or Bible studies in places where such conduct was illegal.  There are those who stood firm on the Rock of their Salvation when faced with either denying their Saviour or undergoing horrible methods of torture.  And yet today what we have is a world full of Christians who, on Sunday mornings, proclaim their love of Christ in a church building and walk out of those doors ashamed to even say the name “Jesus” in public.

There is a world full of lost people right now who have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ.  Even in this country we have thousands, if not millions, of people who really don’t understand that there is a complete salvation awaiting their acceptance.  Why is it that Christians today are so ashamed of the Gospel of Christ?  Paul wasn’t ashamed.  You see, Paul knew what Christ had done for him and he knew that there were others who needed the same thing.

Paul called himself the chief of sinners.  Paul understood the grace and mercy of God, which was given to him through Jesus Christ.  Paul knew that without Christ people would die and spend eternity in a lake of fire.  And Paul knew that it was only because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that he did not have to pay for his own sins.  Paul was not ashamed of the One who had forgiven his sins.

Are you ashamed of the Gospel of Christ?  It’s very easy to say that you’re not ashamed, but are you walking the walk or just talking the talk?  Paul said in Rom 10:14 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?  You don’t have to have spent one day in a seminary or Bible college to be a preacher of the Gospel of Christ.  All you need to do is take your Bible in your hand, stop being ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and get out there and show a lost and dying world what Christ can do for them.  Don’t be ashamed of your Saviour.