Witnessing
"For I am not ashamed of
the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one
that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16).
Humanly speaking, there may
have been something for this learned scholar to be ashamed of in the Gospel.
After all, it was the Gospel of One who was hanged on a tree as a common
criminal. His teachings were everywhere spoken against. His followers were by
and large, made up of the most common people, lowly and despised.
Yet this man who had studied
in the great universities of Tarsus at the feet of their most gifted teachers
had only one concern: that his life never be a shame to the Gospel. He himself
was never ashamed of it! Why?
To put it on a positive
note, why was Paul proud of the Gospel of Christ? Because the power of the
living God was working through the Gospel to bring salvation to all who
believe".
What does the word,
"Gospel" mean? Simply stated, it is "good news." It is the
good news of God, concerning His Son. It is the gospel of the glory of Christ
and of the grace of God. It is the gospel of your salvation and the gospel of
peace. The last book of the Bible calls it the "eternal Gospel."
In Romans 1:15 the Apostle
Paul says, "As much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you
that are at Rome also." Some newer translations say: “To the extent of my
ability, I am eager to preach the Gospel to you that are in Rome.”
Now let's just settle back
for a minute and reflect on that. Is that your testimony? Or are you like I am:
from time to time you find yourself less than eager to share the gospel with
others? Do you leave the breakfast table some mornings with little eagerness to
share Christ with those who will cross your path that day?
What do you do about that?
Get mad at yourself? What good will that do? Feel ashamed of yourself? How will
that help? I'll tell you something you can do that may help. Why not go to the
Lord and talk over the whole thing with Him? He'll understand.
Tell Him all about your
coldness of spirit and lack of zeal for the Gospel. Then take a bold step: Ask
Him to begin to work in your heart and give you an eager spirit. Tell Him you
don't expect it overnight, but ask Him to begin to build it into your life
patiently and deeply. That you can do.
He will be glad to help you.
It is much more on His heart than it is on yours. You can count on Him. Soon
this universal good news will have its proper priority in your life.
This vital Bible verse is
just one of 60 carefully selected scriptures that are contained in the
Navigators Scripture Memory course. If you want to
memorize Scripture, but aren't sure what to memorize or how to get started,
this is exactly what you need. The Topical Memory System includes memory verse cards in four different Bible versions -
NIV, KJV, NASB, NKJV. Topics include all of the basics of the Christ-centered
Spirit-filled life, sharing your faith, and growing on to maturity in your walk
with God. May God bless you as you fill your life with His Word.
© Copyright 2002, LeRoy Eims