Inspire MAN OF GOD
Are You Ashamed? T
here is a fierce wind blowing in our culture—a philosophical gust that goes against the Word of God and His children. Believers must tolerate, include, and accept any and everything regardless of what God says. Any violation of this squall, and you will be charged with being insensitive or racist. As pastors, depending on the depth of our own faith in Jesus Christ, this could be a scary time to proclaim the Gospel. It will take courage to stand as the darkness increases. In Romans 1:16, the Apostle Paul states his status: “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” He knew the righteousness therein and was seeing its transforming power in his own life. Paul was convinced and confident. He goes on to say that the righteous shall live by faith. That’s you and me! As men of God who minister, we too should never be ashamed of the Gospel, but we can’t just declare
16
A word of hope, support, and encouragement.
TAKE COURAGE
to stand as the darkness increases.
it, we must also wear it. The power of the Gospel provides a supernatural witness that only the Holy Spirit can produce in us (Phil. 2:13). A glance at Paul’s faith in action is captured in 2 Cor. 11:24-25: five times beaten with lashes, three times with rods, and once stoned because of the Gospel. Doesn’t sound like a man who was afraid or intimidated by man or the culture, does it? In essence, Paul’s life consisted of a commitment to proclaiming and living Christ with a humbled boldness that said, “I’m not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16, NASB). From the front, are we shepherding as pastors who are unashamed of the Gospel? If not, have you considered why? Editor’s Note:
This is a new, recurring feature for anyone in ministry. The goal of this section is to do what the very title suggests: Inspire. It is written by Milton Harding, someone who truly inspires and encourages everyone Milton Harding with whom he comes into contact. Milton has served on the staff of Centreville Baptist Church and now serves SBCV churches across the state of Virginia in the role of pastoral relations and encouragement.