Not Ashamed of the Gospel
“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
I remember clearly the moment I first clearly understood the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was a freshman in college. Billy Graham had come to UNC to preach for several nights to our campus community. It was late March of 1983.
“Your sins have separated you from a holy God,” I remember hearing Dr. Graham preach. “Nothing you can do can save yourself. Your sin is a problem you can’t fix on your own. You need a Savior.”
I remember him pointing at the crowd of thousands in Carmichael Auditorium. I felt like he was pointing right at my heart. “From this moment on, you have no excuse before a holy God,” he said with passion. “You are accountable to God. Your place in eternity is based on your choice of how you respond to Jesus.”
In that moment the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the Good News: God sent His only begotten Son, so that I might have life if I believed in Him. A little over a month later, on May 11, 1983, I surrendered my life to God and received His free gift of salvation through Christ. Jesus had set another captive free! Praise His Name!
I think in all our efforts to reach people today for God, we can forget the simple power of the timeless gospel of Christ. We all know that the word gospel means, “Good News.” It was good news the day Jesus said, “It is finished,” on the cross. Since that day, the good news of His death, burial and resurrection has saved millions of souls from eternal death.
The gospel is good news because without Jesus we were without hope. The gospel is good news because Jesus satisfied the wrath of God over sin. The gospel is good news because we are now forgiven of our sin and given abundant life to enjoy. The gospel is good news because now there’s hope for every heart and life. The gospel has been good news for centuries, and the gospel is still good news in 2014.
Don’t be ashamed to talk to people about the simplicity of the gospel. We lost it all because of sin. Christ did it all on the cross. We receive it all through His resurrection power. Sinners become saints. Dead people come to life. Guilt is gone. Hope has come. The gospel is life-transforming truth.
Share it with anyone who will listen. Share it without fear. It has always been the power of God unto salvation. It was power for me and you. It is still power for the world. Let’s faithfully share it! To the glory of God! Don’t be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It still has power to save the wounded soul!