One of the most universal experiences of humanity is shame and embarrassment. None of us enjoy feeling shame, so we try to avoid it, but we never fully escape shame. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve thought they could avoid the shame of their sin by covering themselves and hiding from God. They failed. It was only when God himself clothed them with animal skins that the shame of their actions was removed. God had to atone for and cover their sin. There was nothing they could do to deal with their shame – it was only through the work of a gracious, merciful, and entirely holy God that they experienced reconciliation. 

This story has repeated itself ever since. It is the story of people who are lost, hopeless, and covered with shame – why? Because of their sin. But it is also the story of a God who took the initiative to save and redeem His chosen people. And He did this through His Son. 

In Romans 1 Paul tells us he is unashamed of the gospel. There are several reasons why the Gospel message might be considered shameful. It is contrary to worldly wisdom. The Bible tells us this in 1 Corinthians 1:18: “For the Word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” To most, the gospel seems foolish. When we witness to lost people, we often sense this – we are aware that this is a hard message to accept. 

How do we combat such resistance?  Modern evangelicalism has tried to downplay or minimize the “shame” of the gospel.  Many pastors and church leaders attempt to make it acceptable to a contemporary audience. When you follow that paradigm, you end up with churches filled with unconverted people.  A church is not a church if it’s composed of unbelievers. As Christians, we want to be faithful to the true gospel.

The Power of God  

Pastors and theologians often point out that “power” comes from the Greek word dunamis. That is where we get our English word dynamite from – the gospel is dynamite! It’s the power of God. He manifests his power in the world around us. The psalmist writes, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaim his handiwork.” In Creation and Redemption, we behold the power of God in its glory.

God is omnipotent or “all-powerful.” As A.W. Tozer explains, “God possesses what no creature can: an incomprehensible plentitude of power, a potency that is absolute. This we know by divine revelation, but once known, it is recognized as being in full accord with reason. Grant that God is infinite and self-existent and we see at once that he must be all-powerful as well.”

Isaiah declared – “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory”(Isaiah 6). When we know the power and potency of God, it is humbling. We need to be brought to our knees in worship. May we have a high view of God – a reverent fear of God. 

Salvation

God invested his power in the gospel, but what is its intent? The purpose of the gospel is not for our prosperity or the promotion at work that we’ve been hoping for. That’s the self-centered gospel, making God a servant to my wants and desires. 

The Gospel is the power of God for salvation. What are we saved or rescued from?  

The wrath of God (Romans 5:9). From willful spiritual ignorance (2 Thess. 1:8). From evil self-indulgence (Luke 14:26). From the darkness of false religion (Col. 1:13). From eternal punishment and separation from God (Romans 6:23). Some say the gospel saves us from poor self-esteem, gives us health, wealth, and peace, and prosperity. But the Bible tells us we are saved from eternal, conscious punishment. If you reject God’s gracious offer of salvation, you will spend eternity in hell. 

Would there be any reason for Paul to be ashamed of this gospel? Not at all. Paul could glory in this message. But for whom is that power realized? Everyone who “believes.”

To “believe” means to have faith in. The object of this belief is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the second member of the Trinity.  Many people struggle with this because it means the gospel is exclusive. God has set boundaries on who can be saved. Only those who “believe” in Jesus Christ can and will be saved. 

Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No man comes to God the Father except through me.” Likewise, in Acts 4:12, “There is salvation is no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Only Jesus!  

The Bible says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6). Salvation doesn’t come to the proud and self-sufficient. Salvation comes to the weak yet humble. God says to us: “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2b) 

There are no national, racial, or ethnic barriers to salvation (Romans 1:16b). It comes to all who believe in Jesus. For Paul’s readers, this would have been a radical statement. Paul was essentially saying, “If you are breathing, then the gospel is for you!”  

Elsewhere Paul says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ” (Galatians 3:28). 

How could Paul be ashamed of the gospel and Jesus Christ? He gloried in the gospel, rejoicing in the power of Jesus to save. 

The Righteousness of God 

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

In the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed to us. The righteousness of God is not something that we all of a sudden encounter in the NT. It is a theme that runs throughout the whole Bible. (Isaiah 45:8, 46:13 are examples)

What is the righteousness of God? John Stott writes: “The righteousness of God is God’s righteous initiative in putting sinners right with himself, by bestowing on them a righteousness which is not their own but his. The righteousness of God is God’s just justification of the unjust, his righteous way of pronouncing the unrighteous righteous, in which he both demonstrates his righteousness and gives His righteousness to us.” 

There are 3 main aspects to the righteousness of God. 

Isaiah 45:21 reads, “And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.” God alone is righteous, just, and holy. When we, as human beings, judge things we tend to be partial and biased in our judgment. We operate in a fallen condition and often don’t see things as they truly are. God does. He is impartial, unbiased, accurate and true in his ways and judgments. That is why He is God and is worthy of all our praise! 

The righteousness of God is a divine attribute. This sets Him apart from everyone else.  

Secondly, the righteousness of God is a divine activity. The righteousness of God is His saving intervention on behalf of His people. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. This leaves no wiggle room. It is a universal indictment. No one escapes this condition. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Ezekiel had told his audience “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).

Because of His holy character, God must punish sin and iniquity. But God did not leave us there. He met us in our helpless state through Jesus, the Son of God. 

The cross of Christ and the benefits that come through the cross was something God did on our behalf. We can’t take credit for it and it stems back to the righteousness of God.

Thirdly, the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel is a divine achievement. Here we turn our attention from what has God done to what does God require? God requires that we be righteous in his sight. As the Bible puts it, “Be holy as I am holy.” If God is righteous, then He has every right to require that of His people. 

For all who repent of their sin and trust Jesus for salvation, they are declared righteous in Christ. They are “justified.” Nothing can change this declaration because God makes this declaration, and it’s based upon the righteousness of Christ. 

Paul writes in Philippians 3:8-9: “Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from and depends on faith.” 

That last line says it all. It is a righteousness that comes from God. Martin Luther called this alien righteousness. It is a righteousness that is foreign to us, coming from something outside of us. It is the gift of God. Paul summarizes how this happens for us in 2 Corinthians 5:21. “For our sake he made (God made) him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 

God imputes His righteousness to the account of the believer. No one can say they had some merit or righteousness stored up in their account. Every sinner is bankrupt. Our sins are piled up a mile high and then some. But in salvation, we are given the righteousness of Christ. Christ not only imputes His righteousness to us, but our sins and iniquities are imputed to Him. Christ takes upon Himself our sin and in turn bears the wrath of God. Salvation is the gift beyond all gifts! We have no merit of our own and yet God by his grace, gives us His righteousness.  

Faith that Endures 

Paul continues in verse Romans 1:17: “the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith.” What starts in faith will end in faith. Christianity is a persevering faith, from first to last, from beginning to end, and from justification to glorification. If you are a genuine believer, you will have a faith that stands the test of time. No matter what storms you go through, no matter what battles you fight, no matter what trials may come your way, you will persevere in the faith. This is not because you are stronger than anyone else, but because God is and He will keep you. He is a covenant making and covenant keeping God.   Paul writes in Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ.” 

Have you responded in faith to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Have you turned from your sins and looked in faith to the only Savior? Are you living by faith…today? Is your faith present and real and growing? Can you say along with Paul, I am not ashamed of the gospel?