Proud of the Gospel

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: the righteous will live by faith. Romans 1:16,17

Paul here is quoting Habakkuk 2:4, the full verse says: see, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright- but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness.

Different versions use crooked instead of enemy. In other words if God's people are to live as God's people they must live out of faith in Him and His righteousness and not be self-reliant, crooked and perverse. I cannot rely on my own hand, but rather God's, His rule book, not my adapted version which allows leniency and escape.

Have you ever been with another Christian who is sharing the gospel with a stranger and felt embarrassed? I have and I have been the person sharing and had one with me who was embarrassed. What causes the embarrassment? Is it fear of man, discomfort with the forthrightness of the one you are with? Whatever the reason, is it right, is it God?

I have confronted friends with sharing the gospel with those who are dying and found them reluctant. What part of a lost eternity bothers us? What part of not knowing the Jesus we have in our hearts is shameful?

We carry the hope of the world in our hearts. Perhaps we need to sharpen our own experience so that we are living for Him, in faith, trusting Him, in faith.

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