Being bold and being unashamed go hand in hand. If we are ashamed of Christ how would we be able to boldly talk about Him? We won’t. Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, To the Jews first and then to the Greeks.”

How can I not be ashamed? Is it by making sure I please everyone so they stop shaming me? NO. As we see in 2 Corinthians, Paul's way of not being ashamed of the gospel was not that he could keep himself in the best light with other people or that people always liked him and approved what he did. 2 Corinthians 11:23-26 Instead he was unashamed because of the power that salvation brings. If we avoid sin by pleasing other people, which we often do, we will inevitably be a slave to that. In order to know how to become unashamed we must look at the greatest example of all time-Jesus.

At the cross Jesus was made to look like a fool. He had all the shame of the world upon Him. How did He handle that shame? Hebrews 12:2 gives us our answer: "For the joy set before Him [he] endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus despised the shame. When shame had begun to threaten Him, He looked at shame in the face and said I DESPISE YOU. He said, "Shame, I despise you. I will not yield to you. I will not give to you any satisfaction. You may do with me whatever you please – in the short run – but I will not obey you or follow you or give in to you. I despise you, shame, and will not let you rule me.”(John Piper)

Shame threatens us and tries to rule us. Jesus did not give shame space in His heart or place in his life. He said I WILL NOT BE ASHAMED OF MY FATHER. He walked the calvary road to the cross and nothing shamed Him, NOT BEATINGS, NOT SPIT,  NOT NAKEDNESS, And NOT TORTURE. Nothing deterred Him. When your soul gives way, what will you lean on? Lean on the Joy of the Lord and the Power of the Gospel. Jesus looked over the shame on His father and to salvation.

We will be shamed for believing in the Gospel but we do not have to be ashamed of the Gospel.

"Be shamed but not ashamed"

There's a difference from being shamed for the Gospel and being ashamed of the Gospel. If you are a faithful Christian you will be shamed for what you believe, but that does not mean you have to be a-shamed. We can not let the shame that comes upon us by others and by the world come into us and make us become ashamed. Look to Jesus, because shame doesn't get any worse than what He experienced. Jesus looked over His shame that was underserved and instead looked at The Joy set before Him. What's that Joy? Salvation.