Of What are You Ashamed?

         I didn't come from a wealthy family. Dad provided for us, gave us a roof over our heads, a good car to drive and never refused to get us anything that we needed including 2 bassoons while I was under his roof. When the house burned, he almost single handed, built us a house on another part of the property. It was built in stages and we lived in the “finished” basement for six years. This was not a bad thing in northern Indiana as we were safe from the common tornadoes that hit us almost every summer. I once met a young lady whose father was an executive with Standard Oil and I went to her home. Then she insisted on coming to my home but I was ashamed of where I lived and tried the best I could to discourage her from coming, but she came anyway. She was quite cordial, but that was the last I saw of her. It wasn't even close to the luxury in which she lived. That was about the only time in my life where I felt ashamed of something and in the end, it didn't even matter anyway. Since then, I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior and my list of priorities eventually got turned upside down. Romans 1:16-17 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” 

        There may have been some early Christians who were ashamed of their relationship with Christ. Nicodemus was a follower in secret. Peter would sometimes duck out of a crowd when certain people would come into his presence. Paul, however, put it square when he plainly said through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “I am not ashamed of the gospel...” Here was a man who had been a very zealous persecutor of Christians and who now was a devoted follower himself. The personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus found him turning his life around, or rather, God turned his life around. He was not afraid of his former co-workers or the Pharisees or the leaders of the Sanhedrin nor even Kings and those in power in Israel at the time. He spoke the words of the Lord wherever he went and even though it would sometimes result in him being in jail, he still did it because he was not ashamed. He let everyone know where he stood on the issue of Christianity and was not afraid to tell them so regardless of their position in life. It reminds me of another man who I think is still living, Bob Porter who was well known in Alexandria, Virginia as he proclaimed the Gospel message on King Street in Alexandria. He even went into the court house and spoke to whomever he could including the judges. They all knew Bob and they knew he was not ashamed. How about you and me? I pray that we use every opportunity to spread the Gospel message to those we meet. Since God is in control of each and every life and encounter, there are no accidental meetings and perhaps your kindness or you act of charity or the words that you said will be a witness to a lost soul. I will not be ashamed of the Gospel because Christ was certainly not ashamed of me on His cross when He died for my sins. Praise God today because God is not ashamed of us.