Jump Start # 757

Romans 1:16 “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 t the Greek.”

The Gospel is God’s gift to us. Through it we come to know Jesus Christ and God’s will for us. The Gospel is the bridge to connect us to Christ. It seems there are two extreme attitudes believers have about the Gospel.

One attitude is to make the Gospel cool. They want the Gospel to look good, feel good, and be hip. The Gospel is given a softer, more appealing edge to it. Less talk about doctrine and more life stories. This marketing attitude is thought to make more folks interested. Grandma’s church is out. Contemporary is in. No pews. No ties. No “church-like” atmosphere. To go along with all this, the message has to be just like that. It can’t be long, stuffy, reading of passages. Humor is in. The thought is, make the gospel, make the church, make the services like a sit-com, and people will come. The problem with this whole premise is that the Gospel isn’t cool. It doesn’t fit in. It goes against the way we think and what we want. It’s about the Lordship of Christ. It calls for obedience and commitment and counting the cost. Laughter makes us feel good, but no one is saved through humor. Marriages aren’t rescued by a lite– gospel. A hard look at what sin does and how forgiveness works is what changes a person. The message must be Christ crucified.

The other attitude many believers have is to be embarrassed about the message. Some apologize that they have to do what the Bible says. A friend offers them an alcoholic drink and they refuse, apologizing. There is no apologizing for doing right. There is no “I wish I could, but I can’t I’m a Christian.” The ashamed Christian wishes his message, his life, and his ways were more like the world. He’d like to fit in and not be left out. The ashamed Christian can’t share the gospel because He is ashamed. He has opportunities every day to say things, but he doesn’t. He knows people who are seeking, but he never invites. He’s ashamed. He says little about God or the saving message of Christ. His conversations are totally secular and superficial. He longs to fit in with a world that is going the opposite direction. Lessons about personal evangelism brings extreme guilt to this person because he knows his lips are silent about Jesus.

Two extreme attitudes, and neither one is correct and neither one will do any good. The Gospel will never fit in with a sinful world. The gospel calls for all to change to be righteous. The message of Jesus offended folks then and it still will with some today.

Shaking the salt and shedding the light, or “shake and shine” as my friend Rickie calls it, gets us noticed and brings attention to what we believe. The world is dark and rotting. It needs light and salt of the Gospel. Invite. Ask. Let people see you bowing your head and praying. Let them see you reading your Bible. Some will be offended. Some will walk away. Some will respect you. Some will be curious. Some will seek answers from you. Show it. Live it. Walk it. Do it. As we teach our children in the little song, don’t hid your light under a basket. “I’ve got to let it shine, shine, shine.” People will see you. You will be noticed. Blending in is not an option when you are a Christian.

I am not ashamed…I am not ashamed of what it says. I am not ashamed of what it calls me to do…I am not ashamed of where it draws the line…I am not ashamed of God.  How about it? Are you ashamed? Are you ashamed to admit that you are ashamed? Are you more interested in what others will say or what God will say?

Paul before Caesar…Daniel in the lion’s den…Moses before Pharaoh…often God’s people have had to stand alone and stand for what was right. They did it and so can you.

I am not ashamed…I am glad to be a Christian. I am glad to be on God’s side. If that be true, then let’s act that way!

Roger