Not Ashamed of the Gospel
A Sermon on Romans 1:16-17
Originally preached March 9, 1956
Scripture
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is …
Sermon Description
The Protestant Reformation erupted from Romans 1:16-17. In this sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines these vital and crucial verses that were the catalyst for Martin Luther. Some of the audience to whom Paul wrote may have been ashamed and discouraged in their faith but in boldness and inspiring confidence, Paul wrote “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” Though the world ridicules the teachings of Christ and calls those who believe foolish, our faith is a fact, not a philosophy. The world might see us as fools, but we are affirmed and protected by our Savior. The gospel is full of hope for the fallen world. As the Doctor explains, Paul’s teaching exposes the sin of humanity and that Christ’s death and resurrection were for all social statuses. Thus, every person can rest in the hope that there is joy of being loved by our Lord and in being considered foolish in the eyes of the world.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is ready to preach the gospel in Rome as he did to Greeks and barbarians.
- Paul says "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" to strengthen Roman Christians who may feel ashamed and to show how he overcame that temptation.
- The world ridicules the gospel, and people don't like being ridiculed, which can lead to feeling ashamed of the gospel.
- The gospel's message of a crucified Christ and salvation by faith alone contradicts worldly wisdom.
- The gospel is not a philosophy but proclaims facts about Christ's life, death, and resurrection.
- The gospel reverses worldly ideas, proclaiming that intellect, works, and moral effort cannot save us.
- The gospel is offensive to the natural man, who hates being told he cannot save himself.
- A good test of true gospel preaching is whether it exposes itself to ridicule and offends the natural man.
- Preaching that presents Christ only as an example or helper and not as a savior from sin will not offend or annoy the natural man.
- The offense of the cross tells us we are damned without Christ's death on our behalf.
- Paul gave the right reason for not being ashamed: the gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe.
- Personal, subjective reasons for not being ashamed, like happiness or life change, can apply to any belief and do not glorify God.
- The unique, God-glorifying reason for not being ashamed is that the gospel reveals God's righteousness and way of salvation.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers About Not Being Ashamed of the Gospel from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones's Sermon
What does Paul mean when he says "I am not ashamed of the gospel" in Romans 1:16?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Paul is using a figure of speech called litotes - an assertion made in the form of the negative of a contrary assertion. Instead of saying he's proud of the gospel, Paul says he's not ashamed of it. This is actually a way of saying he does really glory in it and boast in it. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul chose this semi-negative manner partly to help Christians in Rome who might have been feeling ashamed of the gospel in that imperial city where ridicule of Christianity was common.
Why might Christians be tempted to feel ashamed of the gospel?
Christians might feel ashamed of the gospel because the world ridicules it and regards it as folly. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains several reasons for this temptation: 1. The gospel proclaims a savior who was born in poverty, worked as a carpenter, and died on a cross 2. The gospel is not a philosophy but a statement of facts, which the intellectual world tends to look down upon 3. The gospel reverses the world's ideas and puts the intellectual on the same level as those lacking intellect 4. The gospel condemns all human self-effort and moral striving, which offends human pride 5. The natural human tendency to avoid being ridiculed or laughed at
How can the "offense of the gospel" be used as a test for true preaching?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests that the true gospel will always be offensive to the natural man. He states: "The gospel of Jesus Christ is always offensive to the natural man" and "You can rarely test what is being preached by this particular test." If preaching doesn't produce some opposition or offense, there's likely something wrong with it. When the gospel is truly preached, it will be a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others, just as Paul described. If natural, unregenerate people are praising a preacher or message, that preaching should be examined carefully.
What are some ways people present the gospel that avoid offense?
Lloyd-Jones identifies several approaches that avoid the offensive nature of the true gospel: 1. Presenting Christ merely as a great hero and example to follow 2. Portraying His teaching simply as beautiful moral philosophy 3. Presenting Christ as someone who merely helps with our problems (like a "super psychologist") 4. Depicting His teaching as a noble ethic or moral uplift 5. Preaching the cross in a sentimental way that doesn't confront sinfulness
What is the true reason Christians should not be ashamed of the gospel according to Lloyd-Jones?
The true reason not to be ashamed of the gospel must be objective, not subjective. It's insufficient to say "I'm not ashamed because it made me happier" or "I'm not ashamed because it improved my life," as these subjective benefits could be claimed by followers of cults or other religions. The proper reason, which Paul gives, is that "it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth" and "therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith." The reason must be unique, distinct, and God-glorifying—not centered on personal benefits but on the objective truth of what the gospel is: God's power for salvation and God's revealed righteousness.
What are the key verses that form the theme of Paul's epistle to the Romans?
Romans 1:16-17 form the theme of Paul's epistle: "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, that just shall live by faith." Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls these "crucial, vital verses" and notes that "there is a sense in which there are no two verses of greater importance in the whole of scripture than just these two verses." He points out that these verses were responsible for the Protestant Reformation and were the turning point in Martin Luther's life.
How does Romans 1:16-17 relate to the Protestant Reformation?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, these verses "were responsible for the Protestant Reformation from the standpoint of Protestantism and evangelicalism." They represent "the very rock bottom and foundation of Protestantism as over against Catholicism." The realization of what these verses meant "proved to be the turning point in the life of Martin Luther." The verses establish the basis of opposition to all attempts by people to justify themselves by their own works and efforts in God's sight, which is the heart of the Reformation's emphasis on salvation by faith alone.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.