Meditation on the Text of the Week

Unashamed

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1: 16

By the time Paul was writing these words the “gospel” had become a technical theological term. Of course, in Greek, “gospel” means simply good news. But as Paul writes his opening remarks to the Roman church, “gospel” has a definite article. It is not just any good news, but the good news.

The good news was that salvation has come to all who believe (“all” in this context specifically pointing to all types of humanity—both Jew and Greek). Now, this was a controversial statement and a radical revelation against the rigid sectarianism of Judaism which had come to regard the Gentiles as worse than dogs. The idea that God would actually save them and bring them into the place of His mercy and favour was a rank anathema. It was this revelation which sent the Jerusalem mob ballistic, you remember, when Paul was preaching to them. (Acts 22:21,22) The mob pronounced the death sentence upon him: “this man should not be allowed to live.”

But Paul is resolute: he is not at all ashamed of this Gospel which declares God's mercy to Gentiles, as well as Jews.

Now this may seem strange in our day, for our age despises God and therefore His Gospel. While the Bible declares that the one who comes upon the mountains proclaiming the Gospel of God has beautiful feet, the modern world curses and derides such a messenger. But this simply is an indication that it has pleased the Lord to pass by our modern world. For the Gospel remains the power of God for salvation: all that the Gospel is and represents remains powerful because God is behind it.

His Word and His actions are the hammer which breaks the rock in pieces and which shatters the nations in their unbelief. As the Gospel is proclaimed it remains eternally powerful. To those who are perishing, whom God has passed by, the Gospel is a savour of death. It pronounces the mockers and the scorners to be already putrefying flesh. It is a condemnation. That is why Paul at one time dismisses hostile Jewish people as “judging themselves to be unworthy of eternal life.” So the Gospel of God is powerful to condemn and tear down those who oppose God.

But, to those who are granted the gift of faith, those who believe, the Gospel is powerful for salvation: that is, it actually achieves and effects salvation. And God's salvation changes everything.

As we lift our eyes and consider our lost and benighted world, we stand with Paul. Like him, we too are not ashamed of the Gospel of God. The Gospel of God's mercy in Christ to all who believe is the only solution to sinful humanity—and it is sin, or rebellion against God—which is at the root of all human ills and imperfections.

The effect of the Gospel of God, being of God, extends as far as the curse is found, and affects all that God has created. It touches the heart and mind of every individual who believes. In this sense, the Gospel is radically individualistic, in a way that nothing else is or can be. But it also touches and changes the full extent of human civilisation and culture, for out of the heart of man flows all things.

So as we contemplate the coming year we know there will be wars and rumours of wars. There will be famines, plagues, droughts, and floods. There will be great fear and uncertainty. Our hearts will not be unmoved by these things. We will not be insensitive to them. But neither will we be distracted from the Great Cause—the task and responsibility of doing what we can to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. For it is only in the Gospel of God's salvation in Christ that we have any--indeed, the only--genuine remedy to wars and famines and all human calamity.

We, too, are not ashamed of the Gospel. It has ever been so for God's people who have believed.