Romans 1:16-17 NKJV

“16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’”

The Gospel of Christ

First off, what is the gospel of Christ? And the reason I ask that question is because there are multiple renditions out there being called “the gospel,” most of which are alterations of the gospel taught by Jesus and by his New Testament apostles, as taught in the correct biblical context. But Jesus taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self), willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel, and we must follow him in obedience to his ways. For Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness in obedience to our Lord’s commands.

Ashamed or Not Ashamed

And what does it look like if we are ashamed of the gospel taught by Jesus and the apostles in the correct biblical context? It means we care more about what people think of us than we care about the salvation of human lives. And so we do not share the gospel with others, because we want people to like us. Or else we dilute and alter the gospel to make it less offensive and more acceptable to the ungodly, which includes many who profess faith in the Lord who are not following him in obedience. And all of this takes place if being liked by people supersedes being approved by God.

Thus, if we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, then we will be bold in sharing with others the truth of the gospel for their deliverance from their addiction to sin so that they can now serve God with their lives in walks of obedience to our Lord’s commands. And it will be of critical importance that we make certain that the gospel we are sharing with others is the gospel taught by Jesus and by his apostles in the correct biblical context. For we will want to make sure that we are not passing on to others any lies that we had been taught and maybe accepted for a while, too. We want to speak truth!

[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 9:23-26; John 4:31-38; John 10:27-30; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 10:14-15; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-14; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:9,21,24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

What is Biblical Faith?

And what is faith? Well, biblical faith is not of our own doing, not of human flesh nor of the will of mankind. The faith to believe in Jesus is authored and perfected by Jesus Christ, it comes from God, it is gifted to us by God, and it is persuaded of God as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to die to sin and to obey our Lord in daily practice. For Jesus shed his blood on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our bondage to sin so we will serve the Lord Jesus with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands, all in the power of God.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Hebrews 12:1-2; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24]

And what does it mean to live by faith? It means that our life practice is to serve the Lord Jesus with our lives, to walk in his ways, to follow him wherever he leads us, and to do whatever he commands that we do. So this isn’t something that we just profess with our lips while we go on serving ourselves and doing whatever our flesh desires. This is about being fully surrendered to the Lord day by day, and hour by hour, to go where he sends us, to say what he gives us to say, and to do what he wants us to do. And it is being sensitive to the Spirit’s voice so we know what to do and when.

Your New Life

Based off the Gospels
An Original Work / May 15, 2014
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Go and make disciples of peoples,
Teaching them to obey their Savior.
Do not fear, but go where He sends you.
Tell them all of what you have heard.

The kingdom of God now is upon you.
Come, and follow Jesus, your Lord.
He will make you fishers of man.

If the people Jesus desire,
They must die to sin and to self-life.
If they want to hold on to their lives
They will lose them forevermore.

Surely you heard that coming to Christ
Means a new life in Jesus, your Lord.
Follow Christ wherever He leads.

Love the Lord with all of your heart, and
Love your neighbors as you would yourself.
Preach the gospel to all the nations.
Do not worry what you will say.

Proclaim the freedom for all the captives.
Share the light with all who are blind.
You are ministers of our God.

The Power of God
An Original Work / June 3, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love