Not Ashamed

by David Gibson

We need an encouraging word to stay faithful, no matter what suffering and opposition we face. We need someone to tell us to be strong and hold true, no matter what.

That’s what Paul was doing for Timothy, who evidently needed this exhortation. And so do we.

Paul was not ashamed.

“... I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. 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” (II Timothy 1:12 NASB).

Onesiphorus was not ashamed.

“This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day!—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus” (II Timothy 1:15-18 NKJV).

Timothy must not be ashamed.

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God ...” (II Timothy 1:7-8 NASB).

We must not be ashamed.

Nancy Ferguson writes:

“The teacher was leading the honors English class in a study of the Beatitudes and told them, ‘This is great literature, but we all know that it is just a myth. It is not true. Nevertheless, it is worth reading.’

“A teenage girl raised her hand. ‘You may think it is a myth, but I believe it is true, and I would stake my life on it!’

“After class, several students clustered around her and told her how glad they were for what she had said. ‘We wanted to say it too, but we were too timid!’” (Power for Today 12-13-20).

May the stirring words of Isaac Watts’ hymn strengthen our resolve to stand firm:

“I’m not ashamed to own my Lord,
Nor to defend His cause;
Maintain the honors of His Word,
The glory of His cross.”