July 11th, 2024

 “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.”
Romans 1:16 New Living Translation
 
Let's start our journey in this blog with a scripture that holds significant meaning for me. This scripture not only guides us in our daily lives as Christians but also emphasizes the importance of embracing our identity in Christ without any shame. It's a powerful reminder of our worth in the kingdom of God.
 
            Paul is writing to the churches in Rome and opens his letter with, “God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.” Romans 1:2. This promise is the coming of the Messiah, who will set the captive people of Israel and Judah free from the tyranny of Roman rule, or so they thought. The Messiah was coming to set the world free from the bondage of sin at the cost of his life for our eternal souls. By the time Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, Christ had already risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now came to Paul to show him the truth about his way of thinking and his actions towards Christ's people. This change in Paul sets him on the pathway to becoming one of the most well-known writers of New Testament scripture.
 
            So, with all this in mind, Paul is announcing the letter’s theme in this passage of scripture. Unashamed of the message of Christ, that of which is: forgiveness, hope, peace, mercy, and reconciliation with God. Paul spends the rest of his life preaching and spreading this message. However, some people today seem to think that being unashamed of the gospel of Christ is to be boastful and arrogant. This line of thought is wrong. To be unashamed is humbly proud of who you are in Christ, for Christ gave of his life so that we may be set free from the punishment of our sins. 
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            This is why I preach the way I do. I am not ashamed of what Christ has done for me, nor of my role as his follower. I will continue to preach the message of forgiveness and reconciliation with God, for it is a message for all of God’s creation. I pray that all who hear it will come to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. As I conclude, I leave you, the reader, with this: If you feel God's call to share the message of Christ, then do it. God calls all his people to spread the message of Christ Jesus, to love as he has loved us, and to have no other God but our Father in heaven.