Not Ashamed

Harbour Lights is a Southern Gospel Quartet that is affiliated with my church here in Stanzel. Two of the four members of the quartet attend my church; one is our lead elder, the other is the pastor of a church in a nearby community but, along with his wife, attends our Sunday Evening Worship. They have recently produced a new CD called Not Ashamed, with the tittle song I'm Not Ashamed.

As songs often do, that song has been floating through my head for several days now, and it is the inspiration behind today's Bible Insight. In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul wrote: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" (Rom. 1:16a). As he begins his letter to the Roman believers, he encourages them to take a stand for Christ.

The issue of salvation is so important for everyone everywhere, that to fail to confess Christ before your unsaved friends and relatives, is like telling them you really don't care. You don't care what happens to them in eternity. You don't care whether they join you in heaven or if they are cast into eternal hellfire.

With the issue of their eternity in the balance, why wouldn't we openly share the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ to all we come in contact with? Why not? Out of fear. We are afraid of a little ridicule, a little persecution. We are afraid of being rejected and of losing friends. So we risk losing them for all eternity instead! All because we are ashamed of the gospel. All because we are ashamed of Christ.

For this reason, Jesus said, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 10:32-33). That is the biggest risk of all—having Jesus deny you before the Father in heaven.

Don't take that risk. Take a stand for Christ and confess Him before people everywhere you go. With no thought of yourself, tell others about their need for a Savior. Tell them about Jesus. Encourage them to trust Christ. Do not hold back. Share with them the gospel of Christ for their salvation. Why? "For it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Rom. 1:16b).

The gospel of Jesus Christ really is that powerful. "It is the power of God to salvation" (v. 16b). No other message even holds a candle to the gospel message. Don't be ashamed. Throw caution to the wind and take a stand. Let people know that you are a Christian and tell them about Jesus. Amen.