"I Am Not Ashamed"

“I Am Not Ashamed!”

 

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.       2 Timothy 1:11-12

 

The Good News, the most IMPORTANT message ever told.  No wonder Paul suffered for its cause.   This scripture was written to Timothy, to encourage him, in his ministry, to CONTINUE ON, even to the point of suffering.  

Paul was presently in a Roman prison at the time this letter was written.  He had SUFFERED MUCH because of his ministry. He knew the IMPORTANCE of the message of Jesus Christ, so much that he was WILLING to SUFFER, even to the point of death, if need be.  He had been called by God to PROCLAIM the GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST to the Gentiles, and so he did with TENACITY and through LONGSUFFERING, he SPREAD the Word of God EVERYWHERE, with NO REGARD to his own well-being.  

 

Yet the Apostle was NOT ASHAMED of the MESSAGE, the SAVIOR or his PRESENT SUFFERINGS, because he could PROCLAIM to the world that he KNEW whom he BELIEVED in and TRUSTED the Lord Jesus Christ to GUARD whatever was his destiny, because Christ Jesus had ENTRUSTED Paul with the GOOD NEWS of the Gospel.  And even though Paul suffered through humiliation and abuse, he BELIEVED that God would vindicate him in the end.

 

Are you willing to SUFFER for Christ, and NOT be ASHAMED of your calling to do so?  I pray that ALL TRUE BELIEVERS could have Paul’s BOLDNESS and WILLINGNESS to share the GOOD NEWS that JESUS SAVES to a LOST and DYING world, and NOT BE ASHAMED.  

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are part of that LOST and DYING world, with NO HOPE, unless you TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle.  Then TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and spread the GOOD NEWS, JESUS SAVES, and like Paul, proclaim, “I am NOT ASHAMED of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and spend your ETERNITY in Heaven.   Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!