Unashamed!

The Gospel’s Power to Banish Guilt and Shame

Text: Romans 1:16-17

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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 

• If Romans is the Mount Everest of the Bible, these verses reveal what Paul wants us to see about the gospel when we reach the top.
• Four Key texts from Paul which we need to know about the Gospel:

1. 1 Cor 15:3-4 – confirms the __________ __________ of the central events of the gospel.
2. Romans 1:3-4 –affirm the __________ __________ who accomplishes the work of the gospel.
3. Romans 1:16-17 – reveals the Gospel’s __________ __________ to defeat Satan, overcome sin, conquer death, and banish shame in our lives! 
4. Romans 3:23-26 –  establishes how this is  __________ __________

Five important questions we must ask Paul about these two verses:

1. Why isn’t the Gospel a cause for shame?
2. What is in the Gospel that removes guilt and banishes shame?
3. How does a person obtain this life-transforming benefit for themselves?
4. How does God do this through something so simple as the Gospel?
5. How can I be sure this is true and has truly happened to me? 

I. Why isn’t the Gospel a cause for _________________?

For I am not ashamed of the gospel

A. Understanding Shame – the  ___________ and _________________ of Shame

• _______________– situational, occasional.  
• _______________– moral, ethical, or judicial..
• _______________– something about me, my identity, or my reputation that others see as distasteful, disgraceful, or dishonorable.  

Definition: Shame is the deep sense of exposure, dishonor, or unworthiness in the eyes of God or others resulting from sin, failure, or perceived inadequacy done by me, to me, or associated with me.

B. Seeing Shame in the Gospel – a _______________ _______________.

• Why would the gospel make someone like Paul ashamed?
• How can Paul be unashamed of a gospel like the one that saves us?  What is the connection between the shame of Jesus and Paul’s lack of shame in the gospel?  Here is the connection: On the cross, God exchanged our shame for Christ’s honor!
•  What happened on that cross wiped away Paul’s guilt and banished his shame – and what happened to Paul can happen to you!” 

This leads us to the second question we need to ask Paul: What is it about the gospel that removes guilt and eliminates shame?

II. What is in the Gospel that removes ___________ and banishes ____________?

For it is the power of God for salvation 

A. The Gospel is _______________by the effectual _______________of God.

B. God uses this _______________to rescue and deliver __________ ______________.

Which brings us to the third and final question we need to ask Paul:  How can someone like me access the power and benefit from the deliverance Paul talks about in these verses?

III. How can someone _____________this _______________benefit for themselves?

To everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek

A. It is available to _______________, _______________, at _______________!

B. Who will _______________and keep _______________!

1. We have to believe the content of the gospel (which is why we need to remember 1 Corinthians 15:1-5).
2. We have to trust the Person who is at the heart of the gospel (which is why we need to remember Romans 1:3-4). 
3. We have to keep believing (present tense) which is why we need to remember Romans 1:16-17). 

• We don’t go to heaven on yesterday’s faith; we don’t get delivered from today’s guilt and tomorrow’s shame by yesterday’s faith.
• We are saved by our ongoing right now faith that started yesterday (at some point in the past) but that is alive and well and growing today (present in us now)!

Conclusion:  So how can I be delivered from the crushing weight of guilt and the horrific burden of shame I can’t seem to shake?

We have asked Paul three questions – here are three he would ask you:

1.  Have you truly _______________the gospel?  
2. Are you _______________in your belief?  
3. Are you regularly  _______________ the gospel to _______________?