I Am Not Ashamed

 "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. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”-Romans 1:16-17

As an American, I live in relative freedom every day. I have the freedom to live and believe as I so choose. So it is easy for me to say that I am unashamed of the Gospel of Christ. But in almost every other nation in the world, Christians are living in fear for their lives from their governments, which are continually persecuting them for their faith. One would think that these believers would try to conceal their faith. But on the contrary, we hear stories almost daily of how believers are standing firm in their faith, even in the face of imprisonment and even worse, death.

            What is it that keeps our brothers and sisters in foreign lands to continue to stand for their faith in the face of death? They understand that the gospel is the most important message in the history of the world. This gospel is the message of Christ, who gives all people, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status, salvation through their faith in Him. It is as powerful as dynamite, which is what the Greek word for “power” means. It brings life and deliverance from sin to those who believe, but death and banishment to those who do not.

            Paul, as a Jew, was not ashamed to be preaching a doctrine that went against popular Jewish belief. John MacArthur notes, “He had been imprisoned in Philippi, chased out of Thessalonica, smuggled out of Berea, laughed at in Athens, regarded as a fool in Corinth, and stoned in Galatia, but Paul remained eager to preach the gospel in Rome…Neither ridicule, criticism, nor physical persecution could curb his boldness.”

            It is only through the gospel that the righteousness of God is granted to mankind through faith in Christ. Righteousness is perfectly conforming to God’s law. Since it is impossible for totally depraved humanity to achieve righteousness, therefore the perfect righteousness of God is granted through faith in Christ. This is why Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4, noting that salvation has always been given to God’s people through faith alone.

            Even though Western Christians live in relative ease, we believe a doctrine that goes against the "touchy-feely" experience-driven religion of popular culture. Our faith lies in Christ, not ourselves, nor science. We must be willing to take a stand for the gospel and to preach salvation through faith alone in Christ alone to all.

Reformation Day

Everyone realizes that October 31 is Halloween. But you may not be aware of another important celebration on that day. October 31 is the anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. On October 31, 1517 a German priest named Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the church in Wittenburg, Germany. Luther was protesting, among other things, the sale of indulgences. According to Roman Catholic theology, salvation could not be attained through faith alone, but through works of charitable deeds, such as purchasing indulgences. Luther's reaction became known as the spark which ignited the Reformation.

Not only did the Reformation have major theological and religious implications, but practical and cultural implications as well. Up until this time, very few people in Europe knew how to read and write. Those skills were mostly reserved for those involved with the Catholic church. The church intentionally kept its parishioners in the dark so they could have more control over them. All works of literature were published in Latin, including the Bible. Luther translated the Bible from Latin into German, making it easily accessible to commoners. The Reformation brought the people of Europe out of the Middle Ages. More people had a desire to read the Bible, and this led to a major jump in the literacy rate.

 

The Catholic church, of course, was not pleased with Luther. Luther was accused of heresy. He was asked by Pope Leo X to recant or else risk excommunication and possibly even death. When Luther would not recant, it was suggested that he be burned at the stake. Luther's Theses were banned from publication and he was ordered to appear before the Diet of Worms, a general assembly of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1521. During this assembly, Luther was noted as saying, "Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason...I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything". Luther was declared an outlaw, his works were banned, and he was arrested.

 

Martin Luther, priest, theologian, author, and reformer, strongly taught the doctrine of salvation by faith through Christ alone. Although Reformation day is not as exciting as Halloween, it is very important and should be remembered. The positive effects of the Reformation transcend 16th century Germany, Lutheranism, and even Christianity in general. We have all positively benefited from the courage of Martin Luther, as well as other reformers after him.