Do you ever deny you are a Christian? Are there times when you may not lie, but neither do you make it obvious you follow Jesus? Have you considered you may be the only one who others may hear about Jesus from?
There will be times when we don’t want to stand out as a follower of Christ. It is especially difficult when we are early in our walk with Him. On the one hand, we want people to know about our faith. On the other, we fear being ostracized for it.
Being shunned by our friends can be scary. We falsely believe we will not find new friends. So, we fold when fear hits us. This is when we need the gospel, the good news. It is the good news of Jesus Christ that will lift us up, relieve us of the fear we harbor.
The gospel, as we believe it, reveals righteousness. As our faith is put in the gospel, we obtain the righteousness of God. We may not fully understand how it happens, and it may take time for our belief and faith to come to fruition, but it does come.
God works in us as long as we continue to believe He is God, we turn to Him, and we put our faith in Jesus Christ. If we know someone who is struggling in their faith, we must continue to pray for them. Our faith can continue to build them up and call God to work in their lives. We may pray for them for years. But as we refuse to give up on them, God also refuses to give up on them. As we continue to speak the truth of the gospel to them, the power of God is brought to bear on them. In the end, God wins.
I pray we are not ashamed of the gospel. I pray we believe in the power of the gospel. I pray each one of us continues to pray that God works in the lives of others. Believe the gospel. Know you obtain righteousness through faith. Hold on to your faith. Pray for the faith of others to be strengthened. Never give up. Know that God is at work.
Romans 1:16-17 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. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Marty Pressey 