“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16 TNIV)

This was the verse that was sticking to me today. Have you ever been ashamed of the gospel? There have been times when i have, and when i have been it has been when the gospel have been used to cause harm to another person. But for every one of those stories i am reminded of those good stories of healing and of times when people have changed the way they live. I wanted to see what John Wesley had to say about it so here is what he commented about Romans 1:16.

From John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel – To the world, indeed, it is folly and weakness, 1:18 ; therefore, in the judgment of the world, he ought to be ashamed of it; especially at Rome, the head and theatre of the world. But Paul is not ashamed, knowing it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth – The great and gloriously powerful means of saving all who accept salvation in God’s own way. As St. Paul comprises the sum of the gospel in this epistle, so he does the sum of the epistle in this and the following verse. Both to the Jew, and to the gentile – There is a noble frankness, as well as a comprehensive sense, in these words, by which he, on the one hand, shows the Jews their absolute need of the gospel; and, on the other, tells the politest and greatest nation in the world both that their salvation depended on receiving it, and that the first offers of it were in every place to be made to the despised Jews.

Hope you have a peaceful day, and know that when you believe and live a life centered upon God you have  nothing to be ashamed of.

Peace

MF