Now, if you'll take your Bibles
and turn me to Romans, chapter 1. Romans, chapter 1. We'll be looking at verse 16 and verse
17 this evening. The title of the message is,
Not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Not Ashamed of the Gospel
of Christ. Scripture says here in Romans
chapter 1 verse 16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ, for it is the power of God and the salvation to everyone
that believe it, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Now the Apostle Paul says in
the previous verse, verse 15, that he is ready to preach the
gospel to the church at Rome. He is ready to preach the gospel. The apostle was willing, he desired
with his whole heart, but was hindered from coming
to this church at Rome. He was hindered by the providence
of the Holy Spirit because there were other churches, there were
other fruits that he must preach to, there were other people,
other believers that he must preach to. And while I'm sure
that the apostle was discouraged, as many of us are discouraged
by providence. Who has not been discouraged
by the providence of God? We've been discouraged. But yet,
always. The providence of God works out
for the good of God's people here. The apostle was not able
to preach this gospel to them, so he wrote the gospel to them. And we have this gospel right
now because of the providential hindrance of God. And so the
apostle who was willing to preach the gospel to them in the flesh
now is ready to preach the gospel by this epistle. And if you were
to say there was a starting point for the book of Romans, the salutation,
the introduction, the prayers, but this is the beginning of
the epistle. This is the beginning of the
message to the church at Rome is here in verse 16. The apostle says, he begins his
message with this, He declares that the gospel of Jesus Christ
must be above all things. He says, I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Jesus Christ. This statement by the Apostle
Paul is not a mere sentiment. Most people would profess to
not be ashamed of the gospel. You tell them the gospel and
they say, well, yeah, I believe that. I'm not ashamed of that. Most people say they're not ashamed
of the gospel so long as it doesn't interfere with their lives or
it doesn't interfere or interrupt their lives. But to not be ashamed of the
gospel is more than just having a sentimental feeling about the
five points of Calvinism. Not being ashamed of the gospel
is more than just giving consent to the truth. But these words were found to
be true throughout the entire life of the Apostle Paul. How many times had he preached
the gospel and been hated, cast out, despised, stoned, ridiculed
for the sake of the gospel? And yet, what was his testimony? His testimony was that he never
quit preaching the gospel. He said, I'm not ashamed of this
gospel. Though I've been kicked out of every city from here,
through Athens and Corinth. I've been kicked out and beat
by the Jews. I've been in prison by the Greeks."
He said, I'm not ashamed of this gospel. I'm not ashamed to be
arrested for this gospel. The apostle was never ashamed
of the gospel, but always preached the gospel. Friends, instead of being ashamed
of the gospel, men should be ashamed of their sins. Men should be ashamed of their
sins. Go over to Ezra, Ezra chapter 9. Ezra chapter 9 and verse 6. We'll go to verse 5, and he says,
At the evening sacrifice I rose up from my heaviness, and having
rent my garment and my mantle, I fell on my knees and spread
out my hands unto the Lord my God, and said, O my God, I am
ashamed and blushed to lift up my face to thee, my God. For our iniquities are increased
over our head, and our trespasses have grown up under the heavens." Friends, we should be ashamed
of our sins. There's no doubt about that.
Men should be ashamed of sin. And yet, here we live in an age
where sin is exalted, sin is cast out in front with no shame
whatsoever, and then they expect God's people to be ashamed to
declare the truth of the gospel. No, we will not be ashamed. They should be ashamed. They
should be ashamed. In Psalm chapter 6, Psalm chapter 6 and verse 10.
The Scripture says, let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed. Let them return and be ashamed
suddenly. Friends, the enemies of the gospel
should be ashamed. They should be ashamed. Men should be ashamed for their
sins. The enemies of the gospel should be ashamed because they
blaspheme the name of our God. And let those who preach a false
gospel be ashamed. Let those who worship a false
Christ be ashamed. But we who preach the gospel
of God's sovereign grace in Christ, we should not be ashamed. Not be ashamed. Let them be ashamed. Isn't that what the gospel does?
The gospel shames men. Men don't like that word shame.
Oh, that's such a bad word, such a negative word. Men shouldn't be ashamed. No,
you shouldn't say that. No, God says they shouldn't be
ashamed. But we who are blessed to know
the gospel. We are blessed to know the gospel.
God says to us, fear not and be not ashamed. That's over in
Isaiah chapter 45. Isaiah chapter 45, verse 17. He says, But Israel shall be
saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation. Ye shall not be ashamed
nor confounded, world without end. When shall you be ashamed? Never. Never. It's what God says. God says you shall never be ashamed.
Why? In verse 24 it says, Surely shall
one say in the Lord, I have righteousness and strength. Even to him shall
men come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed."
That's the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one with righteousness.
He's the one with salvation. And God says, let all men come
to Him. And anybody who won't come to
Him, let him be ashamed. Let him be ashamed. The Apostle here, He had all sorts of trials and
troubles and hatred and even death because he would not compromise
the gospel. And friends, that's what it is
to not be ashamed of the gospel. It is to not compromise the gospel. It is not to compromise with
men. As Paul was never ashamed of
the person and work of Christ, neither should we be ashamed
to suffer for His namesake. In Philippians 1.29, it says
it's not only given unto you to believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, but also to what? To suffer for His namesake. To suffer for the gospel is to
us who believe a badge of honor. And just as faith is given to
us, so is our suffering for the gospel. If we will not be moved from
the truth of salvation that is by grace through faith in Jesus
Christ alone, if we will not be moved, if we are not ashamed
of that gospel message, we are surely going to be hated of this
world. We will be despised of men, but
that's OK. That's OK. I'm good with that.
I'm OK with it. Jesus tells us the difference
between those who are not ashamed of him and those who are ashamed
of him is the difference between life and death, the difference
between salvation and eternal damnation. Go to Luke chapter
nine. Luke chapter 9 verse 23, And he said unto them all, If
any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life
shall lose it. But whosoever will lose his life
for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man's advantage
if he gain the whole world and lose himself or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed
of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed
when he shall come in his own glory. and his fathers, and of
the holy angels." Believers in Jesus Christ, we are not ashamed
of our Lord. We are not ashamed of His words. Believers in Christ, We are to
affirm and believe the gospel knowing that it will cost us
greatly regarding the things of this world. We should know
that going into this. We should not go in with blinders
as supposing that we would keep the world and serve Christ. No. This world will hate us because
of the gospel we preach. It hated our Lord. Will it not
hate us? If they called him Beelzebub,
What will they call us? They hated His Word, they will
hate ours. We should pray for such boldness.
Boldness. I didn't say brazenness. I've
known some people who are very brazen. Some people would take
the gospel and would love to beat people over the head with
the book, not even read it to them, just really take the book
and just hit them with it, supposing somehow that would change them. No. Boldness is to stand fast
in the gospel. Believers, we are not the sword. The Word of God is the sword.
This is what makes the difference. I remember learning this early
on. I remember talking to family
members who I thought were believers in Christ at the time. I had
no idea. And so I had made some mention of a message and how
horrible it was regarding decisional regeneration and stuff. This
part of the family over here, they were Armenian. I didn't
know it. And they started getting on me, and they started... I
never saw them... I've never seen old people...
I didn't think those old people could get that angry. But they
did. And they were really mad at me.
And I didn't know what in the world to do. I was new to the
family anyway. So I didn't know what to do.
I remember my wife's grandfather just... Oh, so simple. All he did was just simply quote
the Word of God to them. He simply, patiently, he wasn't
loud. He didn't debate the issue. All
he did was stand fast. And these people had nowhere
to go. He wasn't the sword. The Word of God was the sword.
The Word of God divides. Jesus said, I came not to bring
peace, but a sword. And if we stand for the gospel,
if we are not ashamed of the gospel, that in and of itself
will cause a division among us and our own family, our friends,
those around us at our work. It will cause division without
us even trying. We are told not to hate men,
but to love all men. We should have a compassion for
men. We who have experienced grace should be the most compassionate
people in the world. But we are never to use love
as an excuse to compromise. Never use love as an excuse to
compromise the gospel of Jesus Christ, to do so is to be ashamed
of the gospel. To deny the gospel is to deny
the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. May God keep us
from such evil as to compromise the gospel. May the Lord give us boldness
to speak the truth, how? In love. in love. Speak the truth in love, but
not compromising. Second of all, notice this, go
back to your text, that he is not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ. Why? For it is the power of God
unto salvation. The preaching of the gospel is
the only means that God has chosen, that God has chosen, that God
has chosen. to save sinners. This is not
some means that we have chosen. This is not something that I
determined to do. This is something God has purpose
to do. It is only by the declaration
of this gospel, by the preaching, the simplicity of this gospel,
that men are saved. Go to 1 Corinthians chapter one. Verse 17, the Apostle says, For Christ
sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom
of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. But unto us which are saved,
it is the power of God." The apostle was not sent to baptize
people, but to preach the gospel. Baptism is important. But if
that's all you think people are to do, it's just to dunk people
in water. That's not what he was there
to do. He was there to preach the gospel. That was his main
purpose and goal, was to preach the gospel. Have you ever heard
how that preaching is outdated? Have you heard that? Because
I've heard that. I've got the memo. I've got the memo that
preaching is outdated. That there should be other ways
and other means by which you can do this. There are better
means than preaching the gospel. This has got to be the worst.
Well, to them that perish, it is. But I'm not ashamed of preaching
the gospel. I'm not ashamed of this means.
Because this is the only means that pleased God. Look at that
in verse 21. For after that the wisdom of
God, by the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God.
It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. The preaching of the gospel is
the means God chose. the preaching of the cross. It
is the power of God unto salvation. Therefore, we preach Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. We preach the gospel. We preach
the gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom
of God. We preach how that God in grace
chose a people for Himself that He would make holy, a people
that He would make blameless, a people that He accepted in
Christ before the world began. We gladly declare that message
because that's the message of the Gospel. We preach how that
God through the centuries of the Old Testament How that He
testified of His Son. How He testified that there was
One coming who would redeem Israel, who would save His people from
their sins. You remember, He gave the promise,
the seed of the woman. Then He promised Abraham, is
in thy seed. In Isaac shall thy seed be called. And then we have the Passover
lamp. We have the law. We have the prophets. And all
of those pictured Christ. All of those pointed to Him.
You cannot look at the Old Testament and not see Christ in the Old
Testament. Every time I preach from the
Old Testament, I'm not going to preach history, the history
of the nation of Israel. I want you to see Christ, because
that's what God intended for you to see, His Son. And now
Jesus the Messiah has come and fulfilled all the law and the
prophets. Was He not born of the seed of the woman? Yes. He was born of the Virgin Mary.
Was he not of the seed of Abraham? Yes, he was of the seed of Abraham,
traced back from Abraham all the way through David, all the
way to Mary. Was he not the Lamb of God? That's
what John the Baptist testified. He said, behold, the Lamb of
God that taketh away the sin of the world. Was Jesus not that like? That serpent that was lifted
up in the wilderness, was that not a picture of Him? Even so
must the Son of Man be lifted up. Jesus was lifted up on the cross
to die under the wrath of God for our sins. We preach Jesus
Christ and Him crucified, the suffering substitute. And after that Jesus died and
satisfied the justice of God by His one blood offering, by
His one offering for sin, He had forever satisfied God's justice. He was laid in the tomb according
to the Scriptures, and He rose again according to the Scriptures,
and is now seated at the right hand of God, ever living to make
intercession for His people. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ
that we are not ashamed of. We are not ashamed to testify
of these things. I'm not ashamed of a successful
Savior, are you? They should be ashamed who preach
a Savior who is a failure. Men should be ashamed of such
a Savior. But my Savior did not fail. He was not discouraged. He actually accomplished salvation
for all those that He purposed to save. And I'm not ashamed to preach
mercy. Is there anyone in need of mercy? I'm not talking partial mercy.
Full mercy. Do you need full mercy? unmerited favor from God? Do you need grace from God? Do you need absolute free forgiveness
of sins without any merit in yourself? Then I've got a message
that I'm not ashamed to preach to you. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. God says, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy. You know who God has mercy on?
Everyone who needs mercy. Not one person who has ever needed
mercy, he has ever left without giving mercy. Not one. Because all his people know their
need of mercy. All his elect will know their
need of mercy. And they'll find it in Jesus
Christ alone. I'm not ashamed to preach that
salvation is completely of the power of God. Because this is the means of
the Holy Spirit to give eternal life. And all the elect will believe. All of them. Not one will be
left. Not one. I know we don't feel that way
at times. I know that we look and we see the remnant being
so small. But I know this, that God's gospel
is triumphant whenever and wherever it's preached. By whoever it's
preached. This is the glory of it. That
God gets all the glory for this. Whenever the gospel is preached,
it is victorious. It accomplishes exactly what
God sends it to do. The gospel is worthy to be preached,
and we should never be ashamed to declare it. Never. I am often ashamed of my preparation. I am often ashamed of my execution
in preaching this gospel, but I am never ashamed of this gospel. I'm never ashamed of this gospel.
I wish that I had more ability to preach this gospel like it
should be, like it should be preached. But that does not negate the
power of this gospel. The gospel that I preach, it
is the power of God unto salvation. Go back to your text. Look at
verse 17. For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith. There is no other place
where the righteousness of God is revealed to sinners. No other
place where sinners are able to obtain the righteousness of
God but through the gospel of Jesus Christ. For therein, therein
being the gospel of Christ, the power of God, is the righteousness
of God revealed. The righteousness of God under
salvation is not ever revealed by creation. If you look in verse 18, it says,
The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness,
because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for
God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of the
creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the
things which are made, even the eternal power and Godhead, so
that they are without excuse. Because that when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became
vain in their imagination, and their foolish heart was dark. There is no salvation in preaching
creation. I'm thankful for creation. Scriptures
speak in great detail of God's power to create this world, and
we should be thankful for God's creation. I'm thankful for trees
that give out oxygen and take in carbon dioxide. I'm thankful
for that. I'm thankful when the sky is
blue and the sun is shining and it's nice and warm outside. Kind
of hard to be thankful when it's cold, but we should still be
thankful for the cold. It's God's beauty, God's creation,
but no one is ever saved by creation. And yet, how many people are
arguing creation? How much time and energy has
been spent trying to prove the existence of God through creation? Let the potsherd strive with
the potsherd. Let them discuss that. Let them
go. Salvation is not revealed by
creation. The study of creation can only
show what man knows within his own heart. that God is holy,
and they're sinners. But yet, even knowing that, they
change the very image of God into a beast or a man. Because of man's depravity, he
takes that which he knows of God, and he doesn't glorify God. And therefore, the wisdom of
man does not reveal the righteousness of God. Men spend so much time in study
and education, and yet the righteousness of God is never going to be revealed
by their study or their ability to learn. The righteousness of God is only
revealed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, by the power of God,
and no other means. It's not by the thoughts of all
religious men who make some idol or some image that they call
God. Righteousness is not obtained
by the works of men or by the obedience of law. Therefore,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind. God gave men exactly what
men wanted – sin, lust, fornication, wickedness, backbiting, that's
all men want by nature, and so God gives them over to it. This is the offense of the gospel,
that there are not many ways to God. There are not many ways to God.
There is only one. And his name is Jesus Christ,
the Son of God. He is the only way to the Father. Jesus said that no man cometh
to the Father but by me. This is offensive to the academic
man, the wisdom of man. This is offensive to the carnal
man. that salvation only comes by
Jesus Christ. What does this gospel of righteousness
declare? Well, the gospel of Christ declares
this, that all men are unrighteous. The righteousness of God declares
that all men are unrighteous. Isaiah said, the whole head is
sick and the whole heart is faint. He said, all our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags. The hymn book says that not all
our sighs or prayers or tears could bear our awful load. How many times have you sighed
for your sins? How many times have you wept
for your sins? How much of that paid for any
of your sins? None of it. None of it. Even our weeping over our sin
is sin. Only God is righteous, and He hath declared the truth
that we need His righteousness. If any of us is going to be righteous,
it must be by the righteousness of God. Scripture says that there
is none righteous, none good, none wise, none can be accepted
of God by works. How then can we be made righteous? Well, the Scripture says that
there is a generation of the righteous. There is a people
that is righteous. Well, these people that are righteous
are righteous because they were made righteous. Not because they
were righteous in themselves, but they were made righteous
by a substitute. A substitute. Jesus Christ is
our substitute, our representative. I do not understand fully how
it is that I may obtain the righteousness of God through a substitute,
but I believe that I obtain righteousness by the substitution of Jesus
Christ. He is my righteous. Salvation has come to Zion because
Jesus Christ has come and provided a righteousness, even the righteousness
of God. And in chapter three of Romans,
verse twenty two, it says even the righteousness of God, which
is by the faith of Jesus Christ. This righteousness. It says in
our text, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith. Whose faith? From His faith. Revealed from His faith to our
faith. His faith created righteousness. His blood paid our sin debt. And now He has sent His Holy
Spirit by this same gospel that has been preached for thousands
of years. He sent His Holy Spirit and now
has applied that blood to our hearts. That righteousness now
has been given to us, imputed and imparted to us by God so
that we may believe. How did you believe? It was by the grace of God. By
the power of God. There is no such thing as simple
faith. Faith is not simple because none
of us can do it. For by grace you are saved through
faith. And that what? That what? Faith
is not of yourself. It, faith, is a gift of God,
not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk therein." Everything was done
by God. From His faith to the gift of
the Holy Spirit to give us faith, as it is written, the just shall
live by faith. This righteousness proclaimed
by the gospel of Jesus Christ is revealed to every one of us
who believe. Do you believe? Do you believe
on Jesus Christ now? This is a gift of God. It's a gift of God. Are you saved by the grace of
God? Do you remember from the hole, the pit from which you
were dug? Do you remember? Do you know? Have you looked to the rock of
Jesus Christ as all your righteousness and salvation? Do you believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ? Where in the world did you hear
such a thing? Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God." If the gospel of Jesus Christ
is the power of God unto salvation, if the gospel of Jesus Christ,
if therein the righteousness of God is revealed, why should
God's people ever neglect to hear the message that saved We should never neglect to hear
the message of Jesus Christ. This is how we grow. We grow by the hearing of the
gospel. And if men neglect the gospel
of Jesus Christ, is it not because they're ashamed of it? Have they not put something else
above the gospel? Yes. That's just so. May God keep us from that. And
the more we see the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ,
the more we love it. The more we love Him. And I'll tell you, the more I
abhor myself, may God be gracious to show us
his righteousness and trust in him. The stand will be dismissed
in prayer.