|
Being ashamed of the Gospel |
|
The devil
tries to induce believers to be ashamed of the Gospel and thus of the Lord
Jesus Christ, because the Gospel is the announcement of His death, which He
suffered for our sins, and of His resurrection, which took place for our
justification (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans |
|
Why does
the devil try to induce believers to be ashamed of the Gospel? Because he
knows that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who
believes, therefore according to the devil sinners must not hear the Gospel;
and also because he knows that if a believer is ashamed of Jesus, Jesus also
will be ashamed of him in that day, as it is written: “For whoever is ashamed
of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son
of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the
holy angels” (Mark 8:38 – NKJV). |
|
Therefore,
this temptation worked by the devil has two purposes: to keep those who are
under his power from hearing the only message which is able to save them from
his hands and thus from eternal perdition, and to keep those who have been
delivered from his hand from being delivered from the wrath to come. |
|
But you,
brothers, do not be ashamed of the Gospel, rather proclaim it every time you
have the opportunity to proclaim it, at the barber’s shop, at school, at
work, in the street, in the marketplace, at the supermarket, on the bus or on
the train; in other words, wherever you are and every time you see that God
gives you the opportunity to speak to the lost. Do not be shy, don’t be
afraid of men, do not be afraid of their insults:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a
sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 – NKJV). |
|
And
proclaim the Gospel with boldness, as you should, not with
persuasive words of human wisdom nor with excellency of words, lest the
cross of Christ should be made of no effect. Because this message, which is
called by the scornful ‘old tale’ and which is a stumbling block to the Jews
and foolishness to the Greeks, is the message that brought you up out of the
miry clay where you were, and set you free from the bondage of sin and gave
you peace and joy, and it is able to save the greatest sinner on the face of
the earth. Beloved, be strong. |