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. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” – Romans 1:16-17
Are you ashamed of Jesus? Jesus taught that if anyone is ashamed of Him or His words, then He would be ashamed of them when He comes (Luke 9:26). Thus, it is spiritually vital that Christians are not ashamed of Christ. But what does it mean to be ashamed? The word ashamed simply means to be embarrassed of something or someone for fear of shame or humiliation. So, if someone is ashamed of Christ, they are embarrassed to associate with Him or His teachings for fear of what others may think or do.
Though many may intellectually believe that Jesus is their Lord and Savior, they live a life ashamed of Him. Instead of proclaiming His word and obeying His precepts many are silent and refuse to share Jesus with others because of their laziness and cowardice. Just because you attend church on a Sunday morning, read your Bible, or call yourself a Christian, does not mean that you are honoring Christ with your life. Many in the church have accepted the lie that the Christian faith should be a timid and private affair solely between you and God. This could not be further from the truth. The Christian faith is a public faith where believers are commanded to go out and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Evangelism and discipleship are fundamental responsibilities for the believer. Dr. David Wheeler adds, “If you are a disciple, but you do not make disciples, then you are not a disciple.” Additionally, Christians are called to be contenders for the faith (Jude 3). Christians must be bold and stand up for truth even when it is unpopular. I find it interesting that everyone loves Jesus until they find out what He actually taught. They welcome the Jesus who loves everyone; however, they quickly discard Him when they encounter His teachings on sin, repentance, and hell. Christians must resist the urge to follow the world and affirm all of Christ’s teachings, not just what is uncontroversial. We cannot separate Christ from His word. If we forsake His commands, then we abandon the one who gave them.
Lastly, we should live boldly for Christ because He lived and died boldly for us. When I think about the God of the universe coming to the earth to serve, suffer, and die on a cross for me, I am overwhelmed by His mercy and grace. This is the greatest thing imaginable. I find that people regularly share the things they are the most passionate about with others. Well, I cannot think of anything that I am more passionate about than my Lord and Savior. The one who loves me unconditionally and gave Himself for me. Thus, Christians should exude Christ and His teachings not to force them on others, but because they cannot help expressing the joy they have found in His loving-kindness.
I am not ashamed of Jesus Christ. Are you?
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