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.

What was being opposed, what the apostles and early Christians were being persecuted for, was speaking of Christ, talking about the saving power of Jesus Christ, who died and then rose again from the dead.  They were merely proclaiming that good news that Jesus had instructed them to tell, but though it was a life-transforming message, it was not always a popular one.  Multitudes had flocked to see the miracles, to experience something out of the ordinary, to marvel at great things that were done.  But somehow, when it came down to that simple truth, people scoffed and turned away.

But there is an amazing power in that truth and an amazing outcome for those who believe it.  And Paul was not afraid to preach and proclaim that message no matter how unpopular it was.  He knew it was the answer, the whole key to life, and so he could not keep silent.  It is truly our only source of hope, the source of our salvation, the source of life.  And all we have to do is accept it by faith.

The Gospel message in itself is uncomplicated and nonthreatening.  So why are nonbelievers so afraid of it and believers sometimes ashamed of it?  The world is good at overcomplicating things.  Human reasoning applied to many situations leads not to reasonable solutions, but more problems and issues.  In looking at creation, it is obvious there is a Creator who made it all, but man tries to complicate that and concoct his theories for how it all came about instead of just accepting what is apparent.  In looking at the human condition, it is obvious we are sinners in need of a Savior.  But instead of admitting that and being willing to accept it, man tries to do it himself, to no avail.

May we never be ashamed of the Gospel, and may we never be afraid to talk about Jesus and tell people that He alone is our source of hope.  What an amazing and special thing He has done in giving us salvation.  And He offers it to us as a simple gift that we can either receive or reject.  So if we have experienced the Gospel’s life-changing power for ourselves, may we be willing to proclaim that message to everyone around us so that they, too, can be saved and experience the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.