Let the Light of Christ Shine Through

 

“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.”

—Romans 1:16

“I wish these religious nuts would just shut up!”

The female pundit on MSNBC shook with anger as she spewed forth these words during a discussion of the recent Hobby Lobby decision by the Supreme Court.

“Don’t they understand we’re sick of hearing about their so-called faith?”

My heart hurt at the anger she seemed to feel toward Christians. I wondered if someone had specifically and personally offended her, or if she was just repeating a mantra her side of the issue had devised.

My temptation, after sensing her annoyance, was to keep my mouth shut about my faith. Why go to the trouble of sharing the life-transforming power of the Lord Jesus Christ when it would only evoke such anger?

Then I remembered the words of the Apostle Paul. In writing to the “Christ-ones” gathered in Rome, Paul very methodically laid out for these believers, whom he had not yet been able to visit, the core of his theology.

Paul wrote, in 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.”

Let’s take hold of this lesson from Paul. No matter what others may tell us about keeping our faith to ourselves, let’s determine to allow the love of Christ to shine through our every word and deed. And, let’s humbly declare the salvation God offers to all He calls to Himself.

After all, we would not have faith if someone hadn’t helped plant the seed of the gospel in our own hearts. Right?

 

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