To live unashamed of the gospel means that we, like Paul, allow it to dominate our lives to the extent that everyone within our sphere of influence can see that we have “been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. We are not allowing its truth to penetrate our lives so that others see its changing power. When we “walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners, and sit in the seat of scoffers” (Psalm 1:1), we are being ashamed of the gospel. When we indulge in worldliness and carnal desires or blatantly disobey scriptural standards, we indicate that we lack confidence in our own message (1 Corinthians 3:3 1 Peter 2:11). We are “ashamed of the gospel” when we allow sin in our lives to go unchecked (Matthew 3:8). He did not preach one thing and live another. Paul’s life choices supported his message. To live unashamed of the gospel means we proclaim it, but it also means we apply it to our lives and show we believe it. The offer of salvation that was presented to people of the first century is still open to us (Acts 2:39 John 17:20). 1:17 For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, the righteous by faith will live. What was true thousands of years ago is still true. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. We can rest in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of Scripture never changes (2 Peter 1:21 Malachi 3:6 Hebrews 13:8). He wrote them to congregations he had founded, but Romans was written to a community of Christians that he had not founded. “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame” (Romans 10:11 cf. Romans differs from the other letters written by Paul. We can proclaim with boldness the truths that God has revealed in His Word, with no fear that our confidence is misplaced. Just as Paul placed his confidence in the gospel of Christ, so can we. The application can extend to us as well. He explained to the Romans why he did not believe that he had wrongly identified with Jesus and why proclaiming Jesus’ message was his life’s work. Paul had given his life to proclaiming the truths that Jesus Himself had revealed to him (Acts 9:3–6 2 Corinthians 12:2–4). So, when Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel, he is saying his confidence in the gospel is not misplaced. For In whatever contempt that sacred dispensation, and they who publish it, may be held on account of the circumstances and death of its Author, the character of its ministers, and the nature and tendency of its doctrines I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ But rather glory in it. The word can refer to being dishonored because of forming the wrong alliances. The word translated “ashamed” means “disgraced” or “personally humiliated.” A person “ashamed” in this way is like someone singled out for misplacing his confidence-he trusted in something, and that something let him down.
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