A look into Romans 1:16-17

By Joey King

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

Introduction

Have you ever been reluctant to share your faith or to make a biblical comment or statement during a conversation with a non-believer? Maybe you were afraid to say something because you weren’t confident enough in your knowledge of scripture. Or perhaps out of fear of saying the wrong thing to the wrong person or in front of people that might take offense or persecute (harass or tease) you? I believe just about every Christian has experienced this in some form or another.

However, Paul, the Apostle, was fearless and unashamed of his faith despite experiencing severe persecution. He didn’t just get made fun of or rejected but beaten and imprisoned multiple times, yet he continued to travel all over Asia Minor to share Jesus’s message unafraid. If Paul was willing to share the Gospel while facing certain death, then why are some of us in America so afraid of a little pushback?

CONTEXT: The Background Story of the Book of Romans

Paul the Apostle wrote the book of Romans around A.D. 57, which was initially a letter, also called an epistle, before it was sanctioned into the Bible. He was addressing non-believers, commonly referred to as Gentiles, and the Jews regarding salvation through faith in God. If you are not familiar with Paul, prior to becoming a believer, he was known as Saul, a Jewish-Roman citizen who persecuted Jesus’s followers by killing or imprisoning them. While on the road to Damascus with the intention to locate and persecute the followers of Jesus, a light from the heavens shone, and Jesus asked Paul why he was persecuting Him (Acts 9:4). From that moment on, Paul became not only a devout follower after being filled with the Holy Spirit, but also a vessel to carry the name of Jesus to the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel (Acts 9:15). After becoming a believer Paul was repeatedly hunted down and persecuted in the ways we couldn’t imagine in America today. He had been nearly stoned to death in Lystra, beaten, chased out of towns, imprisoned multiple times, and eventually martyred, likely by beheading, much like John the Baptist. All for just preaching the Gospel. Despite all the horrible ways Paul was persecuted, he never stopped sharing the gospel. He even converted a Philippian jailer guarding his prison cell (Acts 16:25-34). Paul was one of the most faithful and God-fearing Apostles in the entire Bible. Additionally, the book of Romans is one of the most theologically prolific Pauline epistles.

The Message: Be Unashamed

When I first decided to follow Jesus…. faithfully anyway, I found myself in situations where I was reluctant to share my faith. My old drinking buddies would ask me to hang out, and I would have to tell them that I quit getting drunk. The reaction was almost always the same, “Why in the world would you do that?” they exclaimed. In the beginning, it was hard for me. I feared being judged and, worse, losing my friends because I found God. But my life was different, and I no longer had the desire to get smashed drunk and hoot and holler all night. I was a follower of Jesus now, and my only desire was to ensure I obeyed God’s Word.

Occasionally a situation would arise at work or during a random conversation with a non-believer but I was too afraid to witness. I still feel guilty for those missed witnessing opportunities because either I wasn’t confident enough with my understanding of the Bible, or I was concerned with their potential negative reaction. I eventually found myself in a Bible study surrounded by several men who had been studying the Bible for a majority of their life. During the first couple of studies, I felt uncomfortable because I feared taking the Bible verse out of context or saying something stupid. This fear was confirmed the first time I opened my mouth, and they giggled a little because I had taken Romans 12:20 literally during a conversation about dealing with people we don’t get along with. But turns out, it was all in good fun, and they actually explained it and really made me feel better about it.

I knew that I needed to overcome my fear. So I studied the Bible, spent time with other Christians, and taught my kids about Jesus. I prayed for wisdom. I watched videos and read countless books on hermeneutics and apologetics. I asked my pastor or looked at commentary for answers if I was unsure about something. I even began teaching kids church on Wednesday nights. I went as far as to start the process of getting a master’s degree in biblical exposition. I am not necessarily suggesting you have to do all this, but I was overcome with a desire to share the Gospel (I still am!).

All of these things made me become a better, more confident witness and helped me grow in my faith. Then as each Bible study came and went, I became more confident and soon, I fit right in with the guys and in some cases, even shared my newfound knowledge, which they would learn from. I was no longer afraid to discuss the Gospel with those that wanted to discuss it.

Now that I was more confident in my knowledge of the Bible, I needed to work on my concerns about rejection. My desire to be excepted by others made rejection painful. I dreaded the negative reactions we, as Christians, sometimes get when we bring up the Lord. I have come to realize that even though some people don’t want to talk much, if any, about God, that I can still witness to them, I just have to be patient and set the example living a Christian life.

I am troubled because I genuinely care for their salvation even if they are a total stranger. So I’ve learned to take baby steps. I wait for subtle opportunities to share little pieces the Gospel or how God has changed my life. Eventually, some begin to talk more about God and I realize that these little seeds being planted may eventually lead to their salvation after all. I pray for them regularly, and I hope that someday they can experience the love of God as I have. I am unashamed!

You might be surprised at how many people are willing to talk about God if you just find a way to bring it up. I was at work one day, and a lady asked me what I was going to school for. I wasn’t sure if she would have anything to do with a biblical conversation and talking about religion or politics at the workplace can be touchy subjects, depending where you work. And where I work it’s definitely avoided in most settings. I immediately thought “oh boy I hope she doesn’t scoff when I tell her.” When I told her I was studying a master’s in biblical exposition, she was immediately intrigued. So much so that she was willing to indulge that she was a lost Christian. We had a great conversation, and I believe she was encouraged to get back into the word. I will stop by her office on occasion and just ask her a random question about the Bible, just to get the biblical juices flowing.

My co-worker, with whom I share an office space with, was inspired by my faithful study of the Bible. After noticing my dedication to learn in depth about the Bible he began to read apologetic books to help him grow in his knowledge as well. Now he was already a Christian but he struggled with his faith after losing his wife to cancer a few years ago. Now we engage in in-depth conversations about the Bible and faith. It helps us both see perspective and also gives us an opportunity to share things we have learned that we can use in our own lives. Thank you God.

It made me realize that maybe that is why God put me here. I learned a valuable lesson in all of this. One is that you should never be ashamed or worried about how someone might react if God gets brought up. If they don’t want to hear about it, they will let you know and you can just move on to another topic. It’s not our place to force God on anyone. having the mindset of, “I will gladly talk to you about Him if you are willing to hear, and if you aren’t? Well we can talk about the weather I guess”. The second lesson I learned, was when I am in a conversation with anyone I am always thinking, “how can I bring up Jesus?” Sometimes it’s the little things.

Before my claim to being unashamed, my biggest fear was being persecuted for my faith. It’s funny looking back because what’s the worse that can happen? Paul had it way worse, and here I am worried about someone’s negative reaction, getting rejected, or being teased for my faith. But that will never get in the way of me sharing the Good News again. And don’t let it get in your way either. Your faith is nothing to be ashamed of and you should not allow anyone to intimidate you because of it. Again, remember Paul the Apostle and his faithful desire to preach the Gospel even though he was severely persecuted for it. He truly is an inspiration to all. Think of the millions of people who have read his epistles, after all, he wrote 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament. And millions have used them to grow in their knowledge and faith in God. When you silence yourself out of fear of persecution or lack of knowledge, or confidence just remember what Jesus said, “but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” -Luke 12:9

Conclusion

Christians, if you live in America, consider yourselves lucky. Even today Christians in other countries around the world are being tortured and even murdered for their faith in God. Remember that you have it easier than most and losing a friend, or making someone upset because you spoke of Jesus’s message is nothing in comparison to what others have delt with. Paul was completely unashamed. He fearlessly preached about God and shared the message of Jesus Christ despite the severe persecution he experienced throughout his years. Why? Because “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17).

Though spreading Jesus’s message may cause you to experience some form of persecution, your simple act of starting a conversation might also end with bringing someone to Christ. Even if your conversation does not lead them to accept Christ at that moment, planting that seed may provoke them to seek Jesus eventually. Live without fear for you are saved by grace and have eternal life in the Kingdom of God. So, keep your eyes on God, your knees on the ground, and your nose in the Bible, and you will experience the grace of the Holy Spirit working through you! If you are not confident in your Bible knowledge, commit to reading the Bible for 30 minutes to an hour each day. Then write down some questions that you want to be answered, pique your curiosity, or that you think you might get asked. Then look them up or you can contact us here.

God Bless you!