What Does It Mean to Live Unashamed?

How heavily do you identify with the Gospel?

Is it so much that your life, words, and actions declare it?

Have you prepared within an authentic church community and in unceasing prayer to reach others with the Gospel?

Do you share the Gospel explicitly regularly, or have you ever shared your salvation story?

Paul, the author of Romans, seems to live and breathe the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus Christ)—unceasingly bringing it up whenever he gets the chance, unwaveringly holding fast to it, and perpetually giving its gift to anyone he can.

We find this to be the main idea of chapter 1, and really, all of the book of Romans:

16 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. 17 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

In 2024, here in Fort Worth, TX, or wherever you might be, what does being unashamed of the Gospel look like?

Through these verses, we can look at Paul’s thought process and life and find ourselves, too. The truth is, whether then or now, Paul’s words remain true.

If the Gospel is genuinely for everyone, our lives must reflect a public salvation. We live out a life genuinely unashamed of the Gospel in a public way through how our lives and words preach to all, how we commune with other believers, how we prepare ourselves in prayer, and how we carry an eagerness and longing in our souls.

Paul says that in the Gospel, God’s righteousness is given to people by faith in Christ. He makes painstakingly clear that people cannot be declared righteous before God by following the law. That is—to be made right with God.

And only through His declaration can we be with and reconciled to God. He justifies those who trust in Christ’s sacrificial payment of the penalty of death and separation from God for our sins on the cross. Revealed in us, God sees us through Christ and declares us made right with him, “just if I’d never sinned.”

The revelation here is important. In a world where so much is assumed to be needed to conceal, God explicitly reveals something within Christians.

And I believe this revelation within the Gospel is not to be hidden. Why?

Because, like Paul says, this truth is for everyone—the Greeks and the barbarians, those within Greek culture and those outside of it, those who are wise and those who are foolish. Also, this Gospel and good news are the power of God for salvation.

If you had the cure to someone’s sickness, would you give it to them?

The reality is, one way to put the state of the human heart is: diseased.

Jesus even said to his disciples “‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” (Matthew 2:17) I think this implies something being made public about our faith. There is something to be declared in our lives.

What do you think it would mean for you to be unashamed of the Gospel?

For Paul, this is about and for all people. He feels two obligations: one to Jesus and two to those he’s been sent to reach with the Gospel. If you call yourself a Christian, think of why you are here.

Why are you in the spaces and places, whether home, work, or school (where you live, work, and play), that you are in?

Why are you within the family and friends you are in? Why are you in the city you are in?

Rome was a bustling, multicultural city—a melting pot of people, thoughts and ideas.

Paul was eager to preach the Gospel there because of the vast opportunity to fulfill His Christ-given mission to reach those from all nations (Acts 9:15) and people groups, many likely represented in the global city of Rome.

Did you know the city of Fort Worth was declared the fastest growing city in 2023?

On average, 53 people arrived a day and probably still are. The same is true for many major cities, including the one you may be in.

Does this make you eager?

What are you eager to declare in your life?

Have you ever wanted someone so badly to know what you know about God?

I know I have, and I don’t just say this because I am a missionary. In the beginning of my journey of faith as a 21-year-old junior in college, there was a desperation within my soul. Once I realized that there was a cure to the anguish and pain I was drowning in, I gasped for air and grabbed hold of salvation found in Jesus.

Like a paralyzed man who had been healed or a woman who was told everything she’d ever done in grace and release, I could not keep within me or to myself the source of the power to heal and restore.

Before a life of vocational ministry was even a thought in my mind, there was this inextricable and undeniable draw to make the gift of freedom in Jesus known to my friends and family. I felt an obligation even to the far-off person I did not know. I think this is so natural and crucial to true faith in God. Jesus says to his disciples in Matthew 4:21-23:

A Lamp Under a Basket
21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

What was once concealed (the light = the word of truth about the kingdom of God as taught through parables) was revealed. Up until that time, the Jews knew that a Messiah or savior was coming to redeem and rescue them. They didn’t understand who He was or how He would rescue them.

But now, this was revealed in Jesus. And now that He has been resurrected, all of the secrets of His kingdom have been revealed and entrusted to us—salvation for the Jew and the Gentile (all).

There is also this communal part of our public salvation that prepares us. It encourages and challenges us. As Christians, we must seek to strengthen others by meeting or contributing to their spiritual needs, as we were intended.

I remember not too long after deciding to follow Jesus, as a more naive version of myself now, I struggled with the idea of community.

First, having been raised in the diverse Houston metroplex, I had experiences and relationships with people from all walks of life. However, I entered the world of academia at the University of Texas in Austin, one of 50,000+ students. Not only that, but I was one of a small 3% of the university students who were black, one of ~10 black students within my smaller engineering major, and typically one out of 3-5 black students in my 300-500-person introductory STEM courses.

Very quickly, I learned through experience and intuition that not everyone was for me—some explicit moments shattered my soul, while some more microaggressive or subtle things felt even worse. So, naturally, as many of us do, I gravitated toward what felt safe and familiar: friendship and relationships with those who looked like me. I found my place within that small community pocket and stayed there.

However, when I found our campus ministry (ENC) at UT and finally stopped running from God and submitted my life to Him, the main people loving me and caring for me were those who looked nothing like me and shared little of the same experiences with me. Little did I know that God would use diverse friendships and mentorships within ENC and Mosaic there in Austin to heal deep wounds within my heart.

Who knew that the deepest relationships I had ever had would come from such places?

A hug from a sister and being seen by a brother—the most diversity I had seen within a church environment—healed me and strengthened me. It prepared me for a life lived publicly and unashamed of the Gospel.

We can contribute to and meet one another’s deepest spiritual needs.

Would you allow your heart to open up to those within this space, our church?

Can you allow God to prepare you by forming you and freeing you within the Christian community?

If you look up at v. 7, as I’m sure you can tell, Paul gets slightly sidetracked by his eagerness to talk about the Gospel. That’s why the intro to the Book of Romans is so long. It’s like he is screaming ‘this is who I am!’ We see this in earlier verses in Romans 1.

Can you say that the Gospel is all that you are? Does it ooze out of you similarly?

In v. 8, Paul says that he is grateful because [the Romans’] faith is proclaimed throughout the world. The church in Rome was famous and known for its belief in Jesus.

What could it look like for us, the Church of Jesus here in Fort Worth, to be famous and known for our faith in Jesus?

In a city whose demographics and needs are changing by the hour, how can we make an impact on and share our faith not only here but also in the world?

I think our investment starts here—in our schools, neighborhoods, and city. Some opportunities may allow you to share your life and the Gospel implicitly, and some may allow you to share explicitly.

Either way, you tend to go into serving & loving your community expecting to impact them, but a byproduct of this service and sharing of your faith (even if implicitly / through your character and service) is the impact the community and those you serve make on you.

In v. 9, Paul shares that he serves God by preaching the Gospel. We find what is famously known as the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28: 18-20:

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This is our co-mission with God. After his death and resurrection, Jesus appears to some confused yet hopeful disciples on a mountain in Galilee. He tells them He is using His authority to send them on a lifelong mission. He commands them, and in turn, us, to make more disciples, followers, and apprentices of Him.

In a public way, they were to mentor and personally expand His kingdom and make this their primary mission as His followers. But they and we won’t do it alone—Jesus promises to be with His disciples always, into and through eternity.

We have been given this Great Commission by God. Paul insists and pleads with God to allow him to take part in the city of Rome with his fellow brothers and sisters so that he may also share in the glory of souls being won for the kingdom of God.

When is the right timing for all of this—this sharing of the Gospel? The urgency is evident.

Daily, people live lives that are further and further away from God. We are obedient to our public salvation, and many people are ready to hear and receive the Gospel, but He is the one we trust and pray to earnestly send us out and prepare us to harvest a crop of people submitted to Him.

We believe there is a plentiful harvest here in Fort Worth. God saw it fit to send our church here to seek and save the lost. We did not come to Fort Worth to make a private declaration but a public declaration and proclamation of who God is and has been.

We weren’t meant to be non-practicing or disengaged “Christians” in name. Jesus was the greatest teacher, and following and being with Him was the call of his and our disciples today.

He did not keep His mission and the Gospel to Himself privately. He was publicly revealed through His life and mission on earth unapologetically. He didn’t conduct Himself privately in His home in heaven.

What can you say of your life today?

Where you live, work and play, are you living unashamed of the Gospel? Are you living out your salvation publicly?

How can you show up in these places in a new way today?

Like the city of Rome, Fort Worth is growing and bustling, full of people who desperately need Good News.

Practical Next Steps

Read: Romans 1, Matthew 2:17, Matthew 4:21-23, Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 10:2, Galatians 3:1

Journal: Write down your thoughts and feelings about sharing your faith and allow God to encourage and empower you to share your story with others.

Declare: “Speak the Gospel. Use deeds when necessary.” (Mark Galli, Christianity Today) and make the good motive of the Gospel known in the family, friends, places & spaces you are in (where you live, work and play).

Prepare: Lean into a church community and pray unceasingly for the things you long to see happen in the lives of those around you.

Share: Walk eagerly and longingly to share the Gospel with others. Share your story of salvation in Jesus with someone.

Reflection Questions

Reflect on these questions as you think about living out your salvation publicly:

What fear(s) do you have surrounding sharing your faith?

Who in your life do you feel obligated to (for the sake of the Gospel)?

What would it look like for you practically to be unashamed of the Gospel?

Let’s Pray Together

Father, give me boldness and courage to live a life unashamed of the Gospel. Remove shame and fear where necessary in my life. Amen.