Daily Devotional – Tuesday, August 13, 2024
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Romans 1:16 (NKJV)
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will forever bear the stain of having mocked Christianity during the opening ceremony. Millions watched in disbelief as non-believers parodied the Lord’s Supper. For a moment, it appeared as if there were no contemporary defenders of the faith.
Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Thankfully, in the midst of all the mockery, several athletes defied the blasphemers and demonstrated they were not ashamed of the gospel. Take the example of tennis superstar Novak Djokovic, who stated, “I thank God for giving me his mercy, for giving me this blessing and this opportunity.”
Another notable example is three-time Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who stated, “Whenever I step on the track, it’s always the prayer of, ‘God, let me be the vessel in which You’re glorified, whatever the result is.’ Similarly, Rayssa Leal, a teenage Brazilian skateboarder, testified in sign language, “Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
Contemporary Defenders of Faith
These three athletes and many others exemplified Paul’s timeless principle, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” (Romans 1:16). It is noteworthy that, at the time of writing this statement, such a confession would put one at risk of persecution or even death.
Are you a contemporary defender of Christianity? How confident are you in confessing that you are a Christian? Do you look around first to see whether there are people who know you before you confess to being a follower of Jesus? In a world that increasingly jokes about and ridicules Christ and Christians, choose to stand for the gospel.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, empower me to defend the gospel by word and deed in a world that, at times, chooses to discredit Christianity.
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