Have you ever felt ashamed of your lack of faith? Or do you find it difficult to live out your faith in the world we live in today?
Even though Romans 1:16 states, “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,” there are sometimes days we look more like the world instead of the person in Romans one. Do you wish this was true in your life? Do you want to know how to live unashamed of the gospel that saved your life?
The answer is in verse 17: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” We can live by faith because God has revealed the way of faith to us. Just as 1 John 4:19 says that we know how to love because he first loved us, we can live by faith because he imparts faith to us- he is faith. Romans 1 continues to detail how to live by faith by describing the lives of those who do not live by faith.
Basically, by watching what the world and what people do, we can learn how to truly follow God. These four ways will help you live out your faith in a faithless world.
- Follow the Word of God.
Verse 19 tells us that God’s will and plan has been made known to all of us. Since we have been given the Word of God (the Bible), then we know His plan and purpose both for our own lives and for the future. It is not something that is hidden. He shares who he is with those he loves, just as we do with those we love.
- Honor God and give him thanks for all he has done.
Verse 21 describes the unrighteous person who knows him, yet chooses not to honor him or thank him. They honor themselves, lift themselves up, and take credit for everything that happens. This leads to darkness in their hearts and lives. If we do the opposite, honor him in all we do and give the credit and thanks to him, then we will live in the light.
- Humble yourself.
The unrighteous person boasts in his or her own wisdom. They claim wisdom, like verse 22 says, but yet in reality are fools. 1 Corinthians 1:25 says that the wisdom of man is but foolishness to God. So if you can humble yourself and realize that God is the source of all wisdom, you will see that wisdom play out in your own life.
- Worship him only.
The people described in Romans 1:25 exchanged the truth of God for a lie as they worshiped idols and the creature rather than the Creator. So, as believers, we must do the opposite and worship the one and only God. The Creator and love of our lives. If we follow the Word, honor him and give him thanks, and humble ourselves before him, we will be able to truly worship him.
When we really focus on our walk with the Lord, how to follow him, honor him, humble ourselves, and worship him, we will find that living out our faith unashamed brings more peace and joy than living for ourselves. Then, we can live a life pleasing to him and who he is.