Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
January 11, 1987
I Am Not Ashamed
2 Timothy 1:8-12, NIV
"So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner."
Shame - what does it bring to mind? - Being associated with something that makes you look bad. If you are a leading member of the community, you do not want to be caught red-handed with a "lady of the evening." You may like that kind of company but you would be ashamed to be associated with her in public. It does not fit the image we want to project about ourselves.
Believe it or not, I think the same principle is true for Christians. We want to be saved but we do not want to be associated with Christianity. Something about it shames us.
This is nothing new. It has always been a strong temptation for believers. If Timothy had not felt it, Paul would not have to warn him about it. I think Paul himself was tempted by shame. If he had never felt, it, he would not have had to state so strongly in Romans 1:16, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes
Shame is such a widespread temptation even Jesus had to warn about it. Turn to Mark 8:38, where Jesus says:
"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
There are three main ways Christians like Timothy are tempted to feel ashamed:
1. ASHAMED OF JESUS
They may feel ashamed about Jesus himself. In a country that worships Rambo, the man from Galilee seems like a wimp. Maybe it is those Sunday School pictures we grew up with which present Jesus as soft, effeminate and non-threatening. The reality is that Jesus was a very fiery prophet, much like John the Baptist. He attracted vast crowds - and deadly enemies - because of his power, not because of his "deep blue eyes." If you do not want to be associated with Jesus because you think he is a sissy, you do not know the real Jesus.
2. ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL
A second temptation is to feel ashamed of Jesus' message, the gospel. That is really what Paul is warning Timothy about. Why would we be ashamed of the gospel? There are several possibilities. For one thing, it is ancient history. Practices that Jesus calls sin are boasted about today. We have evolved beyond the old-fashioned morality of the Bible. Some Christmas solve the problem by eliminating the do's and don'ts. The gospel becomes whatever you want it to be.
I think most Christians have the opposite problem. They are not ashamed because the gospel is too old-fashioned - they are ashamed because it is too up-to-date. The morality of the Bible is true and they hate to admit they are not living up to it. Most non-Christians have a fair idea of what Jesus stands for. They know how believers are supposed to live. And they know how you live. Non-Christians know that the Bible is against foul language and dirty jokes. If you use that kind of language and those jokes because you like the attention they bring you, you will not do much witnessing to those people. You could of course - anyone can explain the points of salvation. But you will not because it will shame you. Even non-Christians expect consistency. If you cannot live the gospel you are not going to stand up for it.
Of course it does not have to go this way. You can be proud of the gospel, and give up sin. Don't deceive yourself into thinking that that is impossible. People are not expecting you to be perfect. They just expect you to be motivated by Jesus and his teachings, and not afraid to be different.
What is a real Christian like? There are the things you should not do: A Christian should not have a need for alcohol or illegal drugs. People take these to fit in with the crowd. A few may use them secretly, but very few. Genuine Christians get all the stimulation they need from God.
There is also a positive side to being a Christian. Instead of stabbing people in the back, they go the extra mile for them. Christians have control over their desires and attitudes. They act the same way no matter who they are with. Such Christians have no need to be ashamed. Non-believers will respect you for such consistency (as long as you do not push it too hard on them). Perhaps that is the main reason Christians do not witness - it is not a lack of knowledge of how to do it, but a fear of rejection. We prefer the praise of men to the praise of God.
3. ASHAMED OF HIS PEOPLE
We may be tempted to be ashamed of Jesus. Or ashamed of his message. The third temptation is to be ashamed of his people. It is possible to be proud of Christ but embarrassed to associate with his followers. Other Christians were doing this to Paul. Because he was a prisoner, all the other believers were pulling away from him.
We all have the temptation to hang around successful people, people who make us look good. And some Christians do not fit in this category. They may have lots of problems that require help and understand. They have nothing to offer you in return. Churches are filled with such people. Do you ignore them, or reach out to them? Being friendly to your friends does not make this a friendly church. It requires dealing with everyone as a brother or sister.
The Apostle Paul was not ashamed of Jesus, his gospel, or his people. He may have been tempted to do so, but he did not give in. The reason he did not give in to shame was because he knew the gospel.
Christians do not play fast and loose with sex. It is not just recreation. The consequences of sex bind you to the other person. If you are only using them, it will catch up with you. Many Christians have forfeited their testimony for Jesus because they let their hormones get the best of them. He knew what it really was about.
A great weakness among Christians is we have a wishy-washy view of salvation. It is often boiled down to this: We should accept Jesus as our Savior so we will go to heaven when we die. This is true, but you can go a whole lot deeper. This is exactly what Paul does in this passage.
Look at verse 10: "God...has saved us." God does it. Salvation is not a form of pop-psychology where you develop by believing in your own powers. Salvation is the working of a greater power: God in your life. And it works now. Notice the words, "has saved." If you are a Christian, you possess salvation right now. Heaven is just the icing.
Paul continues: God calls us to a holy life. God does his part but you will change as a result. Salvation is much more than forgiveness. There should be a difference in the way you live and it is something you must work at. But "doing good" does not save you. Good deeds follow salvation but does not cause it or earn it. As Paul says in verse 9, it is not because of anything we have done but because of God's own purpose and grace.
God alone can save. He does it out of his grace which is rooted in his love and accomplished through Jesus Christ before the beginning of time itself. Jesus on the cross was not a last minute plan. It was thought up before Eve bit her apple. Predestination raises lots of interesting questions but it is not meant for speculation. It is intended to make us humble and thankful before God. He saves us because he loves us, not because we are worthy. We can only come to God with empty hands.
Verse 10 brings us to the climax - Jesus Christ came and brought salvation to light. This is the gospel Paul was appointed to preach. It is the same gospel each of you is supposed to share with your family, friends and neighbors by witnessing. (Unless of course you are ashamed...)
Paul believed in the gospel so deeply he was willing to suffer for it, and preach it. He knew it was true because he was committed to the one who was behind it. God is able to keep his promises. He will keep them until "that day" - the Second Coming of Jesus in his glory.
Do you believe God can keep his promises to you? Do you belong to his eternal, divine plan? Do you personally know the one you have believed in? Are you living it and witnessing about it?
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
Created with the Freeware Edition of HelpNDoc: Easy CHM and documentation editor