Well, good afternoon. If you would please join with me in turning to the book of Romans, chapter 1. As others have already said, I want to say thank you to Stephen and Sermon Audio for inviting us, for making it possible for my wife to come with me. It's been a real blessing for her to be here with me. and also making it possible for my son and my future daughter-in-law to be a part of the conference. And so I'm thankful for that as well. I am thankful for each of the speakers who has preceded me. Each of the sermons has encouraged and challenged every one of them. And so I just pray that the Lord might make some use of this and that in some way we could make a contribution of what the Lord is doing here at the conference. Romans chapter 1 we read beginning at verse 15 down to verse 17. Paul writes, So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 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. For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith. As it is written, the righteous shall live by faith. Let's go to our God together in prayer. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for having mercy upon us, making us your children. We thank you for the privilege it is to declare your glories, to declare your gospel, to declare your son, to declare the good news to fellow sinners that you have made the way, whereby our sins are forgiven and we are reconciled to you in Christ. Lord, we joyfully agree with what our Savior has told us that without Him we can do nothing. I ask for your help as I preach, because Lord, without you I can't preach. We ask for your help as we listen, because without you we can't learn. We are completely dependent upon you. And for every good thing that's accomplished, we will give you praise and thanks for you alone are the explanation for it. And we ask for this in Jesus' name. Amen. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. That's a strange kind of eagerness, isn't it? from a human point of view. Eager to preach the gospel. Paul is enthused about something that he knew would make his life difficult. He's enthused about engaging in something that he knew had already proven to be personally costly to him. Yet he's eager. As I listened to Andrew preach, I was thinking, what Paul announces in Romans 1 is sealed in 2 Timothy 1. When he writes this, he doesn't envision yet how he's going to eventually preach the gospel in Rome. In prison is how he'll arrive there. He didn't see that. And yet in 2 Timothy 1, his attitude hasn't changed. It's the same. The question comes, what explains this eagerness? Eagerness to engage in something that is costly. Eagerness to engage in something that means pain and in some cases imprisonment and beatings and loss of reputation. Paul's not naive. He knows it will eventually cost him his life. But he's eager. Where does that eagerness come from? Where does the eagerness come from to preach the gospel at any time, in any place, but especially in difficult times and in difficult places? Thankfully, Paul doesn't just tell us he's eager, he explains why. He tells us why he's eager. And this has been recorded for us and preserved for us, not just to instruct us, but to test us. Do we know an eagerness that matches Paul's? Do our beliefs about the gospel match Paul's? Do our beliefs about the gospel fuel eagerness to declare it? And so today in my time, what I want to talk to you about is the attitude and the convictions that fuel faithfulness with the gospel. The attitude and the convictions that fuel, we could say, gospel courage. I want to begin with what he begins with in verse 16. I want to begin with Paul's attitude. You have a logical connective at the beginning of verse 16, the word for. It takes us right back to what he's just declared in verse 15. I'm eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome for, because I'm not ashamed of the gospel. What is that? What is the attitude that he has just declared? I'm not ashamed of the gospel. We want to recognize this is the declaration of a determination that takes suffering into account. Where you find this language of being ashamed, it's always in the context of suffering. So Paul is envisioning, he's looking into the face of the potential for suffering, and he's saying that he is determined to declare the gospel in the face of that potential suffering. Thomas Schreiner commenting on this says this, those who are ashamed of Jesus in Mark chapter eight, verses 34 through 38, fail to confess him because they fear for their lives. So too in 2 Timothy, the call to be unashamed occurs in a context in which suffering is expected. The hesitancy to bear witness to the gospel was rooted in fear of suffering harm. Paul's boldness here points to his willingness to confess the gospel in public despite the response from opponents. And of course we know that's true. When he says, I'm not ashamed, he's saying, I am going to, by the grace of God, be faithful with the gospel message. That's true, but I want to ask the question, is there something more in this statement than just a declaration of a willingness to preach the gospel. In this statement, I'm not ashamed, is Paul telling us just what he's willing to do, or is he also telling us how he regards the gospel? How he feels about it, how he thinks about it, what his mindset is regarding the gospel? And I think the statements that follow make absolutely clear that this is not just a confession about what he's going to do with the gospel. This is an explanation of how he regards the gospel. So for just a moment, think about what it means to be ashamed. To be ashamed of anything. What's going on when you and I are ashamed of something? And there are two things that are always wrapped up in that kind of shame. First of all, to be ashamed has to do with what we treasure. What we treasure. We're not ashamed of what we really glory in. I mean, what we really think to be valuable, what we really think to be treasure, If we could say this is what we're proud of. You can't be ashamed of something and proud of something at the same time. What we're ashamed of is what we count to be of true, or what we're not ashamed of is what we count to be of true value. To not be ashamed has to do with treasuring in one of two ways. Either I treasure the thing itself, and therefore I'm not ashamed, or I'm not afraid of the fact that you don't treasure it, and therefore I'm not ashamed. Let me turn that around. If I'm ashamed of something, it's either because I don't treasure the thing itself, or I know that you don't treasure it. in which case I treasure your approval of me more than I treasure what I'm ashamed of. Either way, it has to do with treasure. When being ashamed becomes shameful, it's when I'm ashamed of what should be treasured. When I take something that's really glorious, really of great value, and I don't want to be associated with it, That's shameful. There are certain things we ought to be ashamed of, things that aren't to be treasured, things that aren't valuable, but when we take what is valuable and then we're ashamed of it, that speaks about our condition. I've now had the privilege to serve as a pastor for about 36 years, and I've seen this. You've seen it, I'm sure. For example, men who are ashamed of their wives. I mean a godly wife. I mean a wife who loves the Lord, loves their husband, loves their children. A wife who is a homemaker, who has given her life for the spiritual well-being of her family. But there you have this man who is perhaps already successful, or he longs to be successful in some business realm, and he's very concerned about how the people around him view him. And here is this woman who may not be very well-educated, she may not be very well-spoken, she may be very common from the world's point of view, and this man is ashamed of her. It says nothing about her, it says a lot about him. He takes what is truly valuable, what is really treasure, and he doesn't appreciate it. He's ashamed of what he should glory in, and that's a shame. So when Paul says that he's not ashamed of the gospel, he is telling us something about how he views the gospel. He sees it for the treasure that it is. He glories in the gospel. This is really just a way of saying that. He glories in it, counts it to be glorious, of supreme value. But the second thing wrapped up in being ashamed of something, not only is our treasure being revealed, But wherever we're ashamed, we're concerned about approval. In fact, the Greek word translated ashamed here in the Greek lexicon, it speaks of a pain that's associated with a loss of status. Being ashamed has to do with status. We're talking about the fear of man. How do we want others to see us? How do we want others to treat us? So when Paul says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel, not only is he saying I treasure the gospel, he says this, I treasure it more than any man's approval. I treasure it more than I fear your mistreatment of me. I treasure it more than anything you could ever say about me or do to me. I won't be ashamed of it because it's worth more to me than anything else or anyone else. except God. Andrew said it well when he spoke earlier about overcoming fear, about not being ashamed, and he said it's wrapped up in our view of Christ. That's exactly right. When Paul talks about his view of the gospel, what he's really talking about is his view of the message that tells us of Christ. It's the gospel of God. It's the gospel of God's Son. In the gospel is declared to us, as we'll see in a moment, the very righteousness of God Himself. It's Paul's treasuring of Christ that explains his treasuring of the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 5-9, Paul talks about what should be our singular ambition. Therefore, we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. What concerns Paul is not how men view him, but how God views him. So this is a declaration of a willingness to preach the gospel, but it's also Paul's evaluation of the gospel itself that's being explained. He's not ashamed of it because he treasures it. He's not ashamed of it because he treasures it more than man's approval. This is not a naive confession. Sometimes a young man will say, you know, if I was pastoring this church, here's how I would do things. Never pastored a church in his life. But he already knows everything he's going to do. And let that young man begin to pastor a church, then talk to him a year later. And his entire attitude usually has changed. And that's for the good, as Paul talked about earlier, how God humbles us, how the hammer is hard, and not just in a corrective way, but just in a way that prepares us to serve God better. We need to be humbled. When Paul says he's not ashamed of the gospel, this is not a naive statement on his part. He's already lived this out. By the time he writes this, he's already suffered for the sake of the gospel. He knows how non-Christians view the gospel. He knows that to the Jews, it's a stumbling block. He knows that to the pagans, it's foolishness. So when he says, I'm not ashamed, he's saying, I'm willing to be viewed as an offense for preaching the gospel. I'm willing to be viewed as a fool as I strive to be faithful with the gospel. There was a church very concerned about status, the Corinthian church. And in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, Paul contrasts his life, how men have treated him as he has preached the gospel, with what the Corinthians longed for and desired. The church was concerned about status, so he said, let me just remind you of what my status is. First Corinthians four verse one says, let a man regard us in this manner. Here's how I want to be thought of. As servants of Christ, blood-bought slaves, and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me, it's a very small thing. that I may be examined by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted, but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore, do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts, and then each man's praise will come to him from God. Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written. so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other." As you know, Paul addresses it earlier. Some say, I'm of Paul, I'm of Apollos, I'm of Cephas. You even had a Christ party in the church. I'm of Christ. But in reality, it wasn't really about any of those personalities. It was about self. The name of Paul was used to exalt self. The name of Apollos was used to exalt self. Even the name of Christ was being used to exalt self. And so Paul asks in verse 7, "...for who regards you as superior?" Who holds this exalted view of you that you hold? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did not receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? You're already filled. You've already become rich. You've become kings without us. This is what theologians sometimes refer to as an over-realized eschatology. They had come to think that the Christian life would mean exaltation as if we're already in the kingdom. He says, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. If you're in the kingdom, we would be too. That'd be nice. But here's our present reality, verse 9, for I think God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death, because we've become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you're prudent in Christ. We're weak, but you're strong. You're distinguished, but we're without honor. To this present hour, we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless, and we toil, working with our own hands. When we're reviled, we bless. When we're persecuted, we endure. When we're slandered, we try to conciliate. We have become, as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the gospel. Therefore, I exhort you, be imitators of me." Stop listening to these so-called super apostles who are promising you kingdom now. and imitate me." And what is Paul calling upon them to imitate? But the very attitude toward the gospel that had led him to being treated like he was. Imitate me in the sense of honoring Christ and honoring his word. A clear allegiance to the unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ. That will bring you suffering in this world. Imitate that, is what he's saying. So when you think about being ashamed, you think about treasure. What is really valuable to me? And you think about approval. Whose approval do I really want? Whose applause and acceptance am I really after? And for Paul, the gospel was treasured more than man's approval. The approval he was interested in was God's. But finally, we have to admit that to be ashamed has to do with behavior. When we're ashamed, we behave differently. To say, I'm not ashamed of the gospel is not just about attitude, it's about what you do with the gospel. How do you behave with the gospel? When Paul says, I'm not ashamed, he's saying, I will not distance myself from the gospel. I will not remain silent with the gospel. By the grace of God, I will not compromise the gospel. I wanna challenge us with that thought. What are we doing with it? If I ask you today, my brothers and sisters, are you ashamed of the gospel? One of the ways you ought to examine yourself is not just how do you feel about it, what do you say about it, but what do we do with it? And not just within the friendly confines of the church, but are we ashamed of the gospel in the public square? Are we ashamed of the gospel at our family gatherings around Christmas? Are we ashamed of the gospel when there really is a threat of mistreatment? Do you realize this is a battle for the church in every generation? What do I want? Do I want gospel faithfulness or do I want worldly acceptance and ease? You know what's grieving me right now? I see some men who are very famous for their faithfulness to the gospel that I believe are ashamed of the gospel right now, when it comes not to the gospel viewed theologically, but when it comes to that which accords with the gospel. A book that I shared with our men when I first went to Founders 21 years ago, one of the first things we began to do as the church was being reformed, is I would have these lunches and we would have book studies, and one of the first books that we read together with our men was John MacArthur's book, Ashamed of the Gospel. I think the subtitle of that book, if I remember rightly, is When the Church Becomes Like the World, or something along those lines. Do you realize you can be faithful to the gospel in the sense that you still preach Christ crucified, but unfaithful to the gospel when you won't tell the rest of the story? Christ came to the world to save a people, yes, and He has changed that people, and He's given us an entire book to teach us now how we are to live. And you can stand with the Gospel theologically and claim to be a man who is not ashamed of the Gospel because you declare Christ crucified, but then when the Bible declares on the practical level how God's people are to live, you shy away from it because you know it is culturally unacceptable. That's to be ashamed of the Gospel too. You won't preach the rest of the message. For just a moment, look at Titus chapter 2. Titus chapter 2. And I want you to notice how our fidelity to the gospel is wrapped up in some very ordinary things. Titus 2 verse 1, but as for you, Teach what accords with sound doctrine." Sound doctrine. And yet, notice how ordinary these things are. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They're to teach what is good. And so trained the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands. Now, as you walk through this passage, notice all of the purpose statements. Why is this important? So that the Word of God may not be reviled. You know what happens when Professing Christian men don't live like this. When professing Christian women don't live like this, what happens is the Word of God is dishonored. Read on. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works. And in your teaching, show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned. Why? So that an opponent may be put to shame. An opponent of what? An opponent of Christ? An opponent of the gospel? An opponent of Christianity? May be put to shame. Having nothing evil to say about us. Our living can undercut our message. Read on. Bond servants. are to be submissive to their own masters in everything, they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith." Why? So that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior. When you live in obedience to the Word of God, you're putting on display the changed life that salvation produces. Verse 11, "...for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us..." Don't forget this. You know this. Don't forget this. The grace of God is a teacher. If you have the grace of God right, you'll get grace's lessons right. What does grace teach? Training us to renounce ungodliness. and worldly passions, and to live. You don't just renounce, you live. Self-controlled, upright, and godly lives, when? Now, in the present age. And what you're revealing when you do that is what you're waiting for. Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, To redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works. Jesus did not die just to take us to heaven. He died to produce a different people now. Declare these things, exhort and rebuke with all authority, let no one disregard you. When the clear cultural implications of the gospel are softened because we know they are culturally unacceptable, we are ashamed of the gospel. And so, when the biblical roles of men and women is, the teaching of God's word about that is diminished because we're afraid of how we might be perceived, if we stand for the kind of complementarianism that you find in scripture, that's being ashamed of the gospel. Are women being taught today to be homemakers? Are they being taught today to love their husbands, love their children, to be pure, to be keepers at home? Do you hear that being taught clearly in the Lord's church? I pray so in the churches you belong to. I pray so. Can I tell you something? Vagueness is the language of shame. The man who served as the pastor search chairman when the Lord took us to Founders, I remember him saying that in the Baptist church, the recipe, according to most Baptists, the recipe for unity is vagueness. Just keep it vague. But in truth, as you know, the recipe for unity is clarity. Teach the Word of God clearly, and as people believe it and submit their hearts to it, that's where true unity is found in the church. It's not found in vagueness, it's found in clarity. Whatever God says, we will believe. Whatever God says, we will obey. Whatever God says, that's the authority. That our consciences might be bound by truth, that's where unity is found. So we We shuffle about on the subject of men and women. We shuffle about, for example, today, you see this a lot, in the whole social justice nonsense, the whole concept of race, which by the way is, just our concept of race is not biblical. There are various ethnicities and languages and people groups, yes, but we live in a culture obsessed with the color of skin. And the answer in the Lord's Church is about the doctrine of creation and the doctrine of new creation. Doctrine of creation, we all have one father and mother. We all belong to the same human race. Doctrine of new creation, you're either my brother or you need Christ. How do you see humanity? According to the flesh, one human race, descending from Adam and Eve. According to the gospel, a new human race with Jesus Christ as its head and the need to proclaim the gospel so that men and women would be gathered into his family and kingdom. Now there are convictions that undergird what Paul was saying here. Before we get to those though, let's ask ourselves a question. Why does he say it like this? I'm not ashamed of the gospel?" Some have said this is just a declaration of his determination to preach the gospel. If that's true, he could have just said, I glory in the gospel or I boast in the gospel. Why does he put it negatively? And why does he see the need to tell us this at all? I'm eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. And he could have gone right on to say, for it's the power of God for salvation, etc. But he says, for I'm not ashamed. Why does he say it to us? Well, isn't it because this is the battle that we all face? I could ask you this, do you think yourself, do I think myself exempt from this? Do we think that we're beyond being ashamed? I don't mean that that would be our character, I mean in a certain situation, in given circumstances, is it possible for you and for me to be ashamed of the gospel? Are we like Peter? Lord, even if everybody else denies you, I won't. I won't. Paul says this to the believers in Rome because he knows that even though right now their faith is being spoken of throughout the world, there would come a time when they might be tempted to be ashamed of the very good news that brought them salvation. I've said it many times to our congregation, the Bible doesn't address imaginary struggles. Whenever God says, beware of this, you had better beware of it because it's real. And Paul says, I'm not ashamed. You can bet on the fact that we can be ashamed. We must not be, but we will be tempted to be at times. When are people tempted to be ashamed? When the gospel means that you're threatened. When the gospel means that you feel the reality that you're in the minority. When the gospel may mean that you're disliked. When the gospel means that you'll be thought foolish. When the gospel means that you're going to be associated with someone who is hated for the truth. I mean, it's possible for us to be ashamed of the gospel one step removed. You don't hate me, you just hate my brother who preaches the gospel. Andrew read it to us earlier, "...therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God." 2 Timothy 1.16, "...may the Lord grant mercy to the household of Anyssa Forrest, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains." That's a faithful man, not ashamed, not only of the Lord, but not ashamed of his messengers. So I'll just put it to you straight away. Are you ashamed of the gospel? Have you been ashamed of the gospel? And I know that the people who are here would affirm with Paul, At the very least, we would say, oh Lord, help me not to be ashamed. I'm not ashamed of the gospel. All right, well then, I have one more question for you, and this one is as important as the first one. Are you ashamed of the gospel? You say no. Well, now here's the follow-up, why? Why are you not ashamed? That word why is a powerful word, isn't it? gets to the root, not only of our motivations, gets to the root of our understanding. Why are you not ashamed? And here's something very instructive in this particular context. When Paul gives us his reason, it is not tied to something subjective. It is not tied to his experience. The reason he says he's not ashamed has to do with the Gospel itself. What he understands about the Gospel, what he knows about the Gospel, what he believes about the Gospel, these are the convictions that undergird his attitude. Do you see it in verse 16? For I'm not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith." That's not about Paul's experience. That's not about Paul's feelings. That's about what Paul knows. Your experience, my experience, We can share that as an affirmation of the truth of the gospel, but it's a very poor apologetic. This is a great mistake we make sometimes. We talk about the gospel based upon what we have experienced, and as I said, there's a place for that, but there's also a danger in that. Martin Lloyd-Jones put it, I think, very well. Let's know what he writes. If you get up and say, I've believed in Christ now for a certain length of time, I'm not ashamed of it, I've never regretted it, and I'll tell you why. I've been so much happier since I believed it. I sleep much better than I used to. I do not quarrel as I used to. People tell me that I'm brighter and happier. I don't do certain things now which I used to do before. That's my reason why I'm not ashamed of the gospel. It has done all that for me. What response will you get? Very well. I listen as an unbeliever and I say, that's very interesting. Tomorrow night I'll go to the first Church of Christ scientist because I hear that people there are also able to give marvelous testimonies. So I go to the Christian science meetings. I was worried and troubled. Everything got me down. My health was suffering. I'd been to the doctors. Nothing could put me right. But since I believed this and began to practice it, I've been absolutely different. My friends say they can scarcely recognize me. I'm walking with a lighter step. I'm happy. Nothing troubles me at all. Even when I'm taken ill, it's nothing. Lloyd-Jones says this, the same thing. And so I go around of all the cults, and I find they say the same thing. I even go and listen to a lecture by a psychologist, and he says the same thing. And he can put his cases forward, and they'll give the same testimony. And so, Lloyd-Jones says this, you see, my friends, how important it is that we should be able to give the right reason. It's not enough that you get up and say, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. The question is, what is your reason? And it's gotta be something beyond you. As we give the reason for our hope, there's a sense in which we ought to be able to give a reason that would exist if we had never existed. The reason for my hope is objective to me. It is outside of me. It is not based upon me. It doesn't rely upon me. The reason for my hope is something God has given, God has revealed, God has done. It's like the Bible study class that's often so fruitless. What does this mean to you? Well, what would it mean if you had never lived? What does it mean? And so is there a reason to not be ashamed of the gospel that has nothing to do with you and me? It's outside of us altogether. And Paul gives us three reasons. Very briefly, notice the convictions that explain his attitude. It's based on knowledge, on the truth of what the gospel is. First of all he says, He's not ashamed because of what the gospel is. What is it? It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. It is the means by which God brings people to himself. Sovereign God has determined to save people through the proclamation of a message. He could do it any way He wants. But He's determined to save people through the proclamation of a message. And we have the privilege to declare the message by which people come face-to-face with God, by which His power is exerted, His power is on display. Lives are transformed. That's the message we preach when we preach the biblical gospel. When Peter gave testimony to the Jerusalem council about his encounter with Cornelius and what God did in the case of Cornelius, listen to what he said. Acts 11 verse 13, and he told us, Cornelius' testimony, he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter. He will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household. There's an angel standing right there. He says, go get Peter. And he's going to declare to you a message by which you will be saved. This is how God is saving sinners in our day, through the proclamation of the gospel. I'm not ashamed of the gospel because in it, the power of God is at work. If the message itself is powerful, then God works powerfully through the declaration of that message. Second, he's not ashamed, not only because of what the gospel is, but because of what the gospel reveals. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed, from faith for faith. The righteousness of God. And you get to chapter 3, verses 21 and following, and Paul explains exactly what he means here. There's a righteousness that is apart from the law, but the law and the prophets bear witness to it. The righteousness that God gives as a gift by His grace and is received by faith in Christ. An alien righteousness. A gifted righteousness. It's not righteousness infused, it's righteousness imputed. God gives it to the believing sinner, puts it to his account, The moment the gospel is heard and believed, someone trusts in Christ. At that moment, declared right with God. And you go further down in Romans 3 and you find out there's another aspect of God's righteousness that's on display in the gospel. And that's God's own righteous character because He is proven to be both just and the justifier of the ungodly. He doesn't just justify, He does it in a way that's completely just. He saved us in a way that did not diminish our sin an ounce. If you wonder whether God hates sin, whether God must punish sin, just look at the cross, where He was pleased to crush His own Son, who was our sin sacrifice. As our guilt was imputed to the Son of God for the purpose of payment, God crushed His Son in our stead. as sinless, as spotless on the cross as he was in his life, yet because he was serving as our sin sacrifice, he was crushed by the Father. The wrath of God poured out upon Jesus so that God's wrath might be turned away from us who have believed in his Son. I'm not ashamed of the gospel because it's the power of God unto salvation. I'm not ashamed of the gospel because the righteousness of God is revealed there. And then he says, because of where the gospel is anchored. What it is, the power of God unto salvation. What it reveals, the righteousness of God. And then these very important words, as it is written. The gospel of Jesus Christ completely accords with all the revelation of God. All the Old Testament revelation bore witness to it. The law and the prophets bear witness to it. So that when you go on through the book of Romans, what does Paul do in the rest of Romans 1 and Romans 2? There's an avalanche of Scripture, an avalanche of Old Testament Scripture, demonstrating again and again and again that what he's preaching is not out of step with the Old Testament revelation, it is the fulfillment of all Old Testament promise. It's true. Paul's courage was explained by the fact that he knew Christ Jesus. Ours will be found there as well. But it's also true that there's a courage that is known based upon the conviction of what the gospel is and what it reveals and where it is anchored. And that courage, in a sense, has nothing to do with me. It's outside of me. Thank God by His grace I've been brought into it and I can stand and testify that Jesus Christ saves. But if I had never lived, there's good reason for all of my brothers and sisters to be courageous when it comes to preaching the gospel. I'm not ashamed. I treasure it. I'm not ashamed. I treasure it more than I treasure your approval. I'm not ashamed. I will behave properly with it by the grace of God. I will not stand apart from it. I will continue to declare it. I will not compromise it. Why? Why? Because I know what the gospel is. I know what it reveals, and I know where it's anchored. May God help us, not to ask how do we feel, but what do we know? What do we know to be true? Amen? Let's pray. Father in heaven, thank you for your precious word. Thank you for the gospel. Strengthen us, Lord, to be faithful to the gospel. Even as we read a moment ago, we only suffer for the gospel rightly in the power of God. So strengthen your servants in these difficult days to be faithful with your gospel, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.