“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony (gospel) of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner.” | 2 Timothy 1: 8

I am confident that all who know and love the Lord Jesus are determined in their heart that they shall never be ashamed of Christ or His gospel.

Peter was.

When the Lord Jesus told them that all would be offended in Him that very night, Peter proclaimed that though others might, he never would, adding that he would die before denying the Lord, yet, he did both that very night. (Matthew 26: 31-35; Matthew 26: 69-75) Sadly, this was not the only occurrence. Years later he did it again at Antioch, compelling Paul to publicly rebuke and correct him. (Galatians 2: 11-18)

Oh, how frail we are, the best of men are but men at best. We must continually come to the throne of grace seeking mercy and grace to help in time of need.

Paul, knowing the danger, instructs and exhorts Timothy against this evil. The old Serpent is very subtle and crafty. When the gospel of God’s sovereign, free grace in Christ is preached according to the word and in the power of the Holy Spirit, It cannot be made in-effectual. However, Satan knows that the weak link is not the gospel of Christ and Him crucified, but those who preach it. For, the best of preachers (our Lord excepted) are compassed about with frailty, faults, and infirmity.

We are not ignorant of the enemy’s devices. His strategy is to divide and conquer. He uses men of the world (in religion or not) to draw attention to the preacher’s shortcomings or personality traits and thereby drive a wedge between the people and the preacher. Having gained an opening, it is now a simple matter to introduce error and corrupt the gospel of God’s grace.

Study the Scriptures and see if this is not played out over and over. Paul himself was accused of being a pestilent fellow, a mover of sedition, a heretic, a mad man, a false apostle, of being weak in bodily presence and a terrible speaker. (2 Corinthians 10: 10) He was now in prison, (for preaching the gospel) if he were an apostle of Christ would this be happening to him?

God’s preachers have been accused of all these and more. Their personality, manner of preaching, the doctrine of the gospel, their direction and leadership of the church have all been brought into the fray. In my experience, most all who have been ashamed of their pastor/preacher, soon became ashamed of the gospel and have left the assembly of God’s people.

Don’t be ashamed of the gospel and don’t be ashamed of gospel preachers.

~ Pastor Charles Pennington

Click here to listen to the message “The Righteousness Which is of Faith”

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Central Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 10 October, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia