I Am Not Ashamed of The Gospel
I have uncountable reasons as to why I am not ashamed of the Gospel. But my core reasons are mainly encapsulated in a nutshell in the following Biblical principles of salvation, which as the building blocks of true faith is indeed the message, which carries the power of salvation:
1. There is only one true God:
Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord."
2. This one true God revealed Himself in three Persons:
1 John 5:7-8 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one."
3. This one true God is the Creator of the heaven and earth:
Genesis 1:1-3 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
4. God is a Spirit Being and as a Spirit Being, He made man in the likeness of His Image to be His living souls sons and, partakers of His everlasting Kingship dominion:
Genesis 1:26-28 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
5. He made them male and female to be one flesh and called them both Adam:
Genesis 5:1-2 "This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created."
6. He forbade man from eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil:
Genesis 2:16-17 "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
7. This tree represents Satan the spirit of death, and chief gang leader of the fallen angels God banished from heaven due to their rebellion against Him:
Revelation 12:7-9 "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
8. The tree of life in the Garden represents Christ. Christ as the light of life and anchor of our salvation is also the first light manifested in (Genesis 1:3).
9. Satan the evil fallen angel through the body of a serpent deceived man in the Garden to disobey God:
Genesis 3:1-5 "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
10. Man fell for Satan's lies, disobeyed God and died spiritually. The spirit is the main being so, the death of the spirit is indeed the death of man. Adam of course physically lived for a total of 930 years after his fall into sin. He had male and female children descendants but, his descendants from, which all human beings came from were all spiritually dead. Also, a thousand years equals one day in God's spiritual calendar. And neither Adam nor any of his descendants lived for a 1000 years after the fall into sin. Therefore, literarily, man indeed died both spiritually and physically on the day he sinned:
Romans 5:12-15 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many."
11. But God has preplanned for man to have deliverance from sins and redemption from death through His very own flesh and blood, which He has preordained to be our gift of salvation. This gift is Christ:
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
12. Sin is transgression against God. The penalty for sin under God's law is death of the soul, and once the soul dies the spirit becomes basically lifeless and will be occupied by dead treacherous demonic spirits. Death separated man from God and rendered man vulnerable to the control of evil spirits fallen angels headed by Satan. God hates sin but loves the sinner and does not wish for man's soul to perish forever. Therefore, to save man from the devastating effect of sin, God had to give us a life gift in the form of Christ. Christ came to fulfil the remission spiritual law, that is needed for the perfect atonement of our sins.
The remission law, which requires the shedding of the blood of a sinless holy Lamb is a law that must be fulfilled before sin can be placed in remission. God is a God of all nations. And sin had to go into remission before God can pour His Holy Spirit on the earth and enable both Jews and Gentiles to have a sinless relationship with Him:
Hebrews 9:22 "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission"
13. The true prophets of God notably the prophet Isaiah prophesied about Christ:
. His virgin birth
Isaiah 7:14-15 "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good."
. His Divine nature as the Godhead revealed in Person
Isaiah 9:6 . "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
. His suffering as propitiation for our sins and His crucifixion on the cross as a necessary action for the remission of sins:
Isaiah 53:1-5 . "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant,- and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
14. These Old Testament prophecy about Christ was indeed fulfilled as prophesied:
Matthew 1:22-23- "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
15. God as Creator of all is Word of life and eternal dominion authority. To deliver us from sins and restore us back again into perfect relationship with His Holy Spirit, He manifested Himself in the Person of Christ:
John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
-John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
16. The Word was made flesh in form of Person of Christ to deliver us from the unrighteous nature of sin and redeem our souls permanently from death.
Christ as the Word came from heaven to earth as God's portal of reconciliation manifested in the flesh for the sake of bridging the gap of relationship between the visible man and the Invisible one true God. In essence, He came to the earth to reveal to us that at the heart of God's eternal royal kingdom mandate is God's divine Will to restore mankind back to the sonship dominion man lost in the fall of the first man Adam into sin. Man needed to have sonship dominion in order to have eternal life and inherit God's eternal life kingdom as His living souls sons. In order for man to be restored back to sonship dominion, man needed to be sinless through a new sinless birth. And the only way this can happen is if man experiences a new sinless birth through a heavenly Adam, that is born of a virgin and, representative of both God and Man in the flesh. Christ fulfilled God's heavenly restoration to sonship mandate for man in the following context:
As the Word: He is the incarnate God in the flesh (John 1:1-14).
. As New Adam Man: He is representative of the perfect sinless heavenly Adam Man that, God intended for us to be in order to have sonship status in His kingdom, and rest and abide with Him everlastingly as His royal blood seeds. As the new perfect Adam, He is the one and only heavenly Adam by which we can be born again in newness of nature and become adopted sons of God (John 3:3-7, 1 Corinthians 15:45-49, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
. As the only begotten Son of God: He is the only means by, which we can acquire sonship of God and avoid perishing forever in the slavery of sins (John 3:16-17).
. As Lamb of God: He is the perfect once and for all atonement remission Lamb sacrifice for our sins. And only if we are covered by His atonement blood can we acquire the right of access to God's presence and reconciliation with God's Holy Spirit. We can only become covered by the atonement blood of Christ when we genuinely repent from sins and accept Him as our personal LORD and Saviour (John 1:29, Romans 10:9-13).
. As Resurrection and life itself: He is man's only means of having redemption and resurrection from death and, through resurrection right to the tree of life and, eternal life in the everlasting kingdom of God (John 11:25-26)
17. Through Christ as God's Word of creation made flesh, we are able to become transformed from our sinful nature into the righteousness nature of God, by Christ as righteousness itself (Jeremiah 23:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
Romans 3:21-31 "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
18. Christ as the fulfiller of the remission law is the activator of dispensation of grace and the end to the dispensation of the law (Romans 10:1-4). Grace came through Christ and, by grace alone can we become totally redeemed and saved from the first Adamic man curse of death, that mankind acquiesced in due to the fall of the first man Adam into sin.
John 1:17 "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."
19. Man in sin became slaves of sins and as slaves of sin, entered into a deadly covenant relationship with the fallen angels. Christ as the mediator of God's new covenant is a sinless mediator (Hebrews Chapter 8). And only through Christ can man attain permanent redemption from the deadly covenant relationship man became locked into following the sinful fall of the first man Adam. Christ as the Son is also man's only means of acquiring sonship of God. -
John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
20. Unless a spirit experiences a new birth in Christ who is the Living Water, the blood of atonement and the Spirit of God manifested as flesh, he or she cannot enter or see the kingdom of God.
John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
John 3:5-6 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
21. Those that are born again in Christ are living souls sons of God. And, as living souls sons of God, they are through Christ restored back to Godly dominion authority and able to operate in God's dominion authority power, and manifest His kingdom glory on earth.
John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name"
22. Through Christ Sonship dominion we are able to acquire Godly sonship reconcile to the Holy Spirit of God, and become in line to inherit His everlasting kingdom of eternal life:
Romans 8:14-17 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
23. Christ as God's grace manifested to mankind is evidence of God's divine love for mankind.
John 15:13-14 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."
1 John 3:16 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
John 15:17-20 "These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also."
24. The world of flesh is pro sin and anti righteousness of God, which is Christ revealed. The world is basically an antichrist world. And as an antichrist world desperately persecutes the believers of Christ in order to deter them from spreading the Good News of Christ as the only Messiah of mankind (Acts 4:12). Christ is not only Saviour or Messiah for Jews but the Saviour and Messiah of the whole of mankind. Whosoever repents from sins, confesses Christ as LORD and Saviour and believes in who He truly is will be saved regardless of whether he or she is male or female or Jew or Gentile.
Romans 10:9-13 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
25. As believers of Christ we face persecutions in this fallen world of sin because the world hates Light, which is Christ but loves darkness, which is the devil (John 8:12). But through Christ we overcome all to the glory of God our heavenly Father.
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
26. Our focus as the redeemed in Christ is not meant to be of this world but of the eternal kingdom of God of His New Heaven and Earth, which shall be revealed to the saints after time has server its entire purpose.
2 Peter 3:8-13 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
27. The old earth and heavens, and all the evil at the heart of it shall pass away. But the Word God, and His Word of truth and life endures forever:
Isaiah 40:8- "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
28. Indeed great is the mystery of our God, who as Word created the universe and by His Word perfected is through His gift of grace in the Person of Christ:
1 Timothy 3:16 "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
29. Many souls across the world in the generation of mankind have had to sacrifice their lives for the course of the Gospel so, that someone like me can come out of bondage of sin into the marvellous light of Christ. As a person that was born naturally into a Gentile nation, if not for the finished work of Christ, I had no means of knowing, that the covenant making and covenant keeping God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is also my Maker and God, let alone become in line to inherit His eternal life kingdom. Today, thanks to Jesus, I am a citizen of the spiritual holy Jerusalem city of God. My natural nation or gender makes no difference because in Christ, I am a born again new creature, and have become Abraham's seed, and heir of God's eternal life promises through the finished work of Christ Jesus:
Galatians 3:26-29 "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
30. God is worthy of all praises and thanksgiving.
Colossians 1:12-18 "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."
Thank You LORD Jesus. I give thanks and glory to You always for all that you have done to save me from consequences of sins and reconcile me back to the Holy Spirit of life.
Romans 1:16-17 "For 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. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."
31. As mysterious as all of these things might sound to an unbeliever, it is indeed the truth. And we need to keep preaching this truth in simplicity and it's rawness so, that lost souls of the world can see the need for repentance and also the need for giving their lives to Christ.
Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Galatians 1:8-10 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."
32. Jesus Christ remains now and forever the only truth and, only way to eternal life.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
33. Who then is a liar?
1 John 2:22-25 "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life."
34. The unavoidable end of the chief liar Satan and his entourage of rebels as it is written in the Bible, the holy Scripture of God:
Revelation 20:12-15 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
35. JESUS CHRIST IS LORD
Revelation 22:10-17 "And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
Pastor Olabisi
Pastor Olabisi was a mother, Senior Pastor, Evangelist, Prophet,Teacher, Psalmist, Author, Writer, Publisher and a Housing Practitioner.
She set up Encouraged by God as a means of encouraging and strengthening the faith of Christians everywhere.
Lived and died in Christ, 06 October 2016, aged 49 years old.