So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you. As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me—even Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains. When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me. May the Lord show him special kindness on the day of Christ’s return. And you know very well how helpful he was in Ephesus.
2 Timothy 1:8-18 NLT
Resisting social shame will always be part of the Christian life because the way of Jesus stands in stark contrast to the world. Shame is a major theme in these verses. People have deserted Paul, likely because of the shame of his imprisonment. Yet Paul remained unashamed of being a prisoner for Christ (v.12). A faithful brother, Onesiphorus, also stood by Paul without hesitation or shame (v.16). Timothy, too, was urged not to feel ashamed of Paul’s chains or to shy away from proclaiming Christ (v.8). Taking Paul’s words to heart, Timothy later demonstrated his own courage, eventually facing imprisonment himself (Hebrews 13:23). These examples challenge believers to stand boldly, unashamed of their faith, no matter the cost.
When we see others suffer and face shame for Jesus, our natural reaction is to give into the shame of the world. But we must not give into that temptation. We do not have to be ashamed of the One who carried our shame on the cross and lives with us today. You can stand up for Christ because He is stronger, and He makes you stronger. You can stand up for the truth even when people do not want to hear what God and the Bible have to say. You can tell people you are a follower of Jesus, share His hope, and invite them to church. Make a choice not to be ashamed of Jesus.
What does it mean for you to live unashamed of Jesus? How can Jesus help you overcome the shame of the world?
