Unashamed of the Gospel

By Dean Collins

Most of my readers are smarter than me, so you probably already know this word. But while I apparently was sleeping during English Literature in college, I incorporate this literary device regularly in conversation—and so do you. The word is litotes. And so you won’t have to do what I did and look up how to pronounce it, here you go: “lie-too-tees.” The meaning of this literary device is best understood by example.

Have you ever said, “It’s not rocket science,” meaning it is really simple? Or what about, “She’s not wrong,” meaning she is right?

Now think about this literary device when you read what Paul said about the gospel in the first chapter of Romans:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel…”

Paul was not merely saying that he wasn’t embarrassed by the gospel. He was saying that he was absolutely confident in it. Paul had staked his life on the truth of the gospel and on the fact that it was the power of God for the salvation of every person, both Jews and Gentiles.

Paul was also very aware of how those who lived in Rome understood shame and honor. He knew it was difficult for the average person living in Rome to consider a Jewish carpenter who had been crucified to be the King of kings. No Roman citizen would have considered crucifixion honorable. Yet early in his rich letter to the Romans, Paul boldly declared how confident—and even proud—he was of this truth to which he had committed his life.

I wonder if sometimes we hesitate to share the gospel because some, perhaps many, in our current cultural moment devalue the idea that they need a Savior. As a society, we often see ourselves as self-sufficient. That can be a very good thing, but taken to the extreme, it can result in a confidence that says, “I don’t need God or a Savior.” Some may even believe that faith is simply a crutch for people who need something to give them hope.

But as Paul would later teach in Romans and elsewhere, real hope comes from believing in Jesus and His resurrection.

In verse 17, Paul declared, “The righteous shall live by faith.” If you have been a Bible reader or church attender for very long, you have heard this sentence many times. It didn’t originate with the apostle Paul. He was quoting the prophet Habakkuk. Paul would discuss the role of faith more thoroughly later in Romans, as well as in Galatians and his other letters.

Long before Paul or Habakkuk, we learn that Abraham was counted as righteous because he believed—or had faith—that God would keep His promise to give him an heir and, through that heir, a heritage greater than all the stars in the universe.

Genesis 15:6 says, “And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” The Hebrew word translated “believed” is related to the root aman, which carries the idea of firmness, faithfulness, or certainty. It is also related to the word from which we get “amen.” When we say “amen,” we are essentially declaring that we agree and are putting our full confidence behind what has been said or prayed.

Abraham’s belief in God’s promise of an heir was his “amen.” He trusted that God would do what He had promised.

Yes, we can be bold in our confidence in the gospel, knowing that it is the power of God for salvation for us and for all people. Our faith in God’s promises and the indwelling of His Spirit makes us righteous and enables us, through Christ, to live victoriously now as we lean on—and lean into—our commitment to Jesus and to sharing His good news.

Father, we trust in Jesus and in His promises. We surrender our lives to You today and place our full confidence in the gospel. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Romans 1:16-17; Habakkuk 2:4; Genesis 15:6 ESV

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