“For I
am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation
for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Romans 1:16 NKJV
ashamed: feeling
shame; distressed or embarrassed by feelings of guilt, foolishness, or
disgrace. unwilling or
restrained because of fear of shame, ridicule, or disapproval
dictionary.reference.com
Have
you ever been ashamed to share what you believe with someone else? Have you
ever found yourself talking about God with a fellow believer and then change
the subject when someone else walks up? I think it is fair to say that at one
time or another we all have suffered from feelings of embarrassment when trying
to share, and also been afraid that we would be ridiculed or made fun of
because of what we believe.
I
find it interesting that Paul even brings up this subject considering his
personal experiences as an apostle. I find it hard to believe that he ever
suffered from an acute case of embarrassment while sharing the gospel with
others. Yet he does choose to address it, so I think it might be beneficial to
examine this passage and see what we can learn from Paul that would help us
improve our ability to share the gospel.
The
first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the word ashamed is that the
focus is on what other people think. In other words I am not worried about what
I think, or what my convictions may or may not be, but rather I am worried
about what others might think. Yet the Bible makes it clear that as believers
our first and only thoughts should be about what God would want us to do, and
pleasing Him.
“Finally
then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound
more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please
God;” 1 Thessalonians 4:1 NKJV
Not
only has God commanded us to share Him with an unbelieving world, it pleases
Him to see us do it! Are you concerned with pleasing God, or is your focus on
what someone else might think of you? I believe Paul is reminding us that we
need not be ashamed to share what we believe if we remember we are following
the instructions of our heavenly Father. The disciples were in this position
right after Jesus commissioned them and returned to Heaven, and their response
to the high priest was this;
“But
Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God
rather than men.” Acts 5:29 NKJV
I
think this makes it perfectly clear where they placed their priorities; they
were much more concerned with what God would think than what the people might
think. I somehow think as well that they were remembering something Jesus said
during His ministry when He was sending them out to share the gospel for the
first time.
"Therefore
whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who
is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32 NKJV
So
it would appear that what Paul wants us to know is that there is no reason to
be ashamed when we are doing the will of our Father in heaven. Yet Paul goes
one step further in this verse which not only sends a message to the people of
Rome, but to those who choose to listen today. Notice if you will the reason
Paul says he is not ashamed; it is because of the power of God! Paul was
writing to the Romans, who at that time in history were the most powerful
people and nation on earth. Yet what does Paul say to them but that as powerful
as they were, there was a greater power that they did not possess and that was
the power to give eternal life!
If
you stop to think about it, how many different ways can you think of where
people are trying to exercise or obtain power? It shows up in practically every
situation you can think of from who gets the best toys to play with in
preschool to the person who cuts you off in the parking lot trying to get to the
empty spot before you do. So when Paul takes his ministry to the most powerful
nation on earth, rather than being ashamed as if he were representing a weaker
authority, he boldly states there is a greater power than even Rome could
wield. Only God has the power to give eternal life, and this is the message of
the Gospel of Christ which Paul, and we the church, are commissioned to
proclaim. The world needs to know, however, that this is only one of the ways
God has chosen to exhibit His power.
It
comes as no surprise that current events have produced questions concerning the
nearness of the rapture of the church. Many have asked me for my thoughts on
what has occurred and if these are indeed signs of our impending departure. A
subject I have discussed in the past with others who share my convictions is
when the rapture might happen in relation to the start of the tribulation
period. In other words, does the rapture itself start the tribulation, or is
there a period of time, long or short, between the rapture and the beginning of
the tribulation? My personal feeling is that there is a period of time between
these two events, and that it occurs for a very specific reason. What is that
reason? I believe so that God can begin to demonstrate who really has the power
in this universe.
Most
often when studying or considering the subject of the tribulation, many would
look at it in light of God's “judgment” on an unbelieving world. I would
certainly not disagree for the Bible makes it clear that it certainly is all of
that. But something that often gets lost in the discussion is just what else
God might be trying to accomplish at the same time. My firm belief is that He
chooses to shake the foundations of the earth in order to show the world
exactly where the ultimate power of the universe lies. Does that sound so
strange? Consider this;
“What
if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with
much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,” Romans 9:22 NKJV
We
find here that Paul suggests God has a plan to show the world His power in just
this way. I believe that God's plan is to first demonstrate His power through
those who believe, and as we approach the time of tribulation begin to show His
power through the shaking of His creation. Anyone who has even a basic
knowledge of what occurs during the tribulation understands that God is going
to exhibit His power through natural catastrophes that devastate the earth. Are
we seeing the beginnings of that process even now, and is the rapture of the
church imminent? Many of those who choose to watch faithfully as Jesus
commanded would answer that question with an emphatic “yes”!
Pray for boldness
with the knowledge that more is to come, and we will have even more
opportunities to share the message of Jesus in the short time we have left.
Remember what Paul said; only God has the power to save.
Keep
Watching.
