Good morning! Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel.  Some are appalled that this notion—that the apostle Paul could ever have trouble in this area.  How could Paul, after his conversion experience that was so spectacular, ever be ashamed of the gospel and of His Savior?  As one commentator put it, it’s only when you have the capability of being ashamed that you could, by comparison, say that you are not ashamed. 

Times may arise that you are ashamed of the gospel. It may affect your reputation, you may lose your job, you may desire to commit some sort of selfless act–and the list goes on. Yet, we must continually and intentionally look the glory of the gospel and the power of salvation this brings to all.

Charles Spurgeon once preached:

Those who are once justified are justified irreversibly. As soon as a sinner takes Christ’s place, and Christ takes the sinner’s place, there is no fear of a second change. If Christ has once paid the debt, the debt is paid, and it will never be asked for again; if you are pardoned, you are pardoned once forever. God does not give a free pardon . . . and then afterward retract it and punish man . . . He says, ‘I have punished Christ; you may go free.’ And after that we may ‘rejoice in hope of the glory of God,’ that ‘being justified by faith we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ . . . . In the moment they believe, their sins being imputed to Christ, they cease to be theirs, and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to them and accounted theirs, so that they are accepted.[1]

Spurgeon, “Justification by Grace,” NPSP 3:126.

When we have surrendered to Christ and the penalty of our sin has been removed (justification), God grants a peace that passes all understanding.  We have access to grace!  We have joy in the hope of the glory of God!  Suffering comes?  We rejoice!  It brings endurance, which develops character, which produces hope.  How? 

“God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5).  The Holy Spirit is sent by God to show us the Father, to convict us of our sin, to guide us into all truth, to regenerate us unto salvation by grace through faith, and will continue to counsel us in the days ahead.  This is how we know of God’s power—it’s called change. 

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