DEVOTION – DAY 207

Romans 1:16 Be Bold With The Gospel!”

 

Romans 1:16 “For 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.”

 

We have no problem in telling our friends and family where they can enjoy the best seafood dinner in our city. But when it comes to telling people about the gospel, many people appear to be reluctant, or as the above verse suggests, they are “shameful” of the gospel.

 

The reason for people’s reluctance to share the gospel with their non-Christian friends and families is because people fear of offending their friends and families. They fear that their good intentions would be misunderstood. They do not want to be seen as narrow-minded, or judgmental, or insensitive, or hypocritical. They think people may be offended if they were told they were sinners in need of salvation. They think people may be offended if they were told that belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior was the only way to God. The world considers this as a very narrow- minded view about the exclusivity of Christianity, when the world likes the idea of inclusivity – that all religions lead people to Heaven.

 

But this verse reminds us that we should never be reluctant to share the gospel. In fact, we should be proud and eager to share the gospel with everyone. The gospel message tells the wonderful truth that God loved us so much that He risked everything to come to earth as Jesus. God did that to enable every believer in Jesus, to be able to return home to be with Him in heaven one day, because of Jesus’ work on the cross. The gospel message therefore has great power to touch the hardest hearts. The gospel message has changed countless lives as people converted to Christianity. It is a message worth sharing.

 

As Chinese New Year approaches soon, it is an excellent time to share the “blessings” of the gospel when we gather with friends and family members. We like to insert a gospel tract with our gifts of mandarin oranges when we visit friends and family members who are non-Christians. We tell them they are blessings and no one refuses blessings during the festive season.

 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we praise you for your love, grace and mercy. Thank you for loving us and giving us your One and Only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Help us to boldly declare this truth to a world that needs to hear the gospel. In the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus we ask this of you. Amen.

 

Questions

  1. Why do you think you may be reluctant to share the gospel with your friends and family members?
  2. How can you change the way you share the gospel with others so that you will not come across as judgmental or narrow-minded?
  3. Do you believe that there is power in the gospel and power in prayer? If your answer is Yes, will you commit your gospel sharing to fervent prayer and will you be bold in sharing the gospel?