One of the songs that comforted me greatly in my Christian past was the Brooklyn Tabernacle’s rendition of “I am Not Ashamed.”
Time, space, and context prohibits a detailed explanation of just why it ministered to me so many years ago but suffice to say it was a benchmark on my Christian journey as the Gospel took its rightful place in my life—not a church, or a ministry, or an expectation, just the Gospel.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, blatantly makes the point that regardless of what others think he was
“… 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.”
– Romans 1:16 NASB
Though his countrymen, the Jews, had rejected him as an apostate and the Gentiles had slandered him and made him “as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things” (1 Corinthians 4:13) he was not ashamed, and embraced the Good News that is Jesus Christ.
There is a positive reciprocal action with my choice of not being ashamed.
When I am not ashamed of Christ and faithfully seek Him:
• The Father is not ashamed of me: “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:16 NASB)
• Neither is the Son: “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” (Hebrews 2:11 NASB)
But there is also a very regrettable and equal action if I am ashamed of Christ, particularly on That Day:
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
– Mark 8:38 NASB
Thus, to not be ashamed, to not be disappointed in my hope, to not allow the sufferings of this present world deter me must be my foundation. And then to join in testimony with the Apostle Paul,
“For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”
– 2 Timothy 1:12 NASB (emphasis mine)
Amen!
