Unashamed

I confessed to my discussion group at my church’s young adult fellowship that I felt timid, almost apologetic, to share my faith at work. When given opportunities to talk about what I do on the weekends, or how I spend my time outside of work, I sometimes stumble over my words before sharing that I went to church or did something church-related or that I hung out with church-related people.

Truth be told, I am afraid of what these people would think of me. I am afraid of how they would judge me. I did not want to offend my colleagues, some of whom are quite adverse to Christianity, or to cause any controversy. They’ve seen too many fickle, self-proclaimed followers of Jesus. Who am I to tell others what to believe, especially after they’ve been poorly treated by so-called “Christians?” They have their own comfortable lifestyles, their own way of life.

Or at least that’s how I would reason to myself.

But I know in my heart that I’m wrong. I know that when I choose to love myself more in that moment, when I fear man more than God, that I fail to remember how important and life-changing the gospel message really is.

The gospel message that Jesus Christ came to die for sinners, to save them so that those who believe and repent of their sins could be reconciled to the holy and living God is the most powerful message and gift anyone could hear and receive. Jesus suffered and bore God’s wrath on Calvary so that we could stand blameless before God. When he hung on the cross, Jesus became sin for us even though he lived a perfect life. He humbled himself and died on that wretched cross so that we could be freed to worship God. His sacrifice on the cross was not an accident. It was all planned. And Jesus, in His sovereignty, knew that he would be the ultimate lamb to be slaughtered. He came to fulfill what was spoken about him hundreds of years earlier, in Isaiah 53:3-6 (ESV).

He was despised and rejected by men;
    a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

When I preach the gospel to my own soul and remind myself of how it was sweet, undeserved grace that transformed my life, I can’t deny how powerful the gospel is. The gospel saves. The gospel brings hope and peace to the lost. The gospel transforms. The gospel frees me from seeking contentment and identity and approval in anything other than God. My pride is undone, tossed aside, because of what my Savior and King did for me on Calvary. While I cannot save my unbelieving friends, family, and coworkers, I am responsible for sharing my testimony and the message of redemption that is offered to all.

On this particular Good Friday leading up to Easter Sunday, my prayer for myself is to ask God for boldness to share the gospel. I desire to be unashamed of Jesus because he was unashamed of me when he went to die on my behalf. As I ask God to help me die to myself, I want to be able to echo Paul as he says in Galatians 6:14: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

And I know I’m weak
I know I’m unworthy
To call upon Your name
But because of grace
Because of Your mercy
I stand here unashamed

–“Unashamed” by Starfield