Would you turn back to Romans
chapter 10? While you're turning there, there
will be a middle school, which is grade six through eight, party,
May 16th, 4 p.m. through 10 p.m. at the Murphy's
house. Please sign up in the foyer and
see details regarding this. That'd be a good time for you
junior high kids. I've entitled this message, Not
ashamed, nor put to shame. Not ashamed, nor put to shame. If not the most, certainly one
of the most painful feelings in the world is shame, humiliation,
and embarrassment. It feels terrible. I've experienced
it. You've experienced it. It has
something to do with somebody seeing something about you that
causes you to be ashamed. There are several events in my
life that I think of that I still sting when I think of them. when I've been embarrassed and
ashamed. Being ashamed is stronger than
being embarrassed. We have several instances in
scripture where men chose death over public shame. Being ashamed of something, not
only put to shame, but being ashamed of something or someone
is a horrible feeling. But we have in this text a promise
of not being ashamed and not being put to shame. And that's
something that interests me very greatly. I don't want to be put
to shame. And I do not want to be ashamed. I find this so attractive. Now,
notice in our text in verse 11, Paul says, for the scripture
saith, Now here's the authority. Not some man said this. I've
been given advice by men many times and it doesn't come to
pass. If somebody said, let me tell
you, this is how you'll never be ashamed. Well, it may come to pass, it
may not, but this is the scripture saying this. You know, what I think of God
is seen by how I respond to his word, the scripture. The scripture,
sayeth. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God. Do you believe that? What so? All scripture is given by inspiration
of God. God wrote this book. And my attitude
toward God himself is seen in how I respond to this word. The scripture saith. Hence the authority. The scripture
saith. And that's all I want to hear.
I want to hear what the scripture says. I don't care what men say
or denominations say. I want to hear what the scripture
says. The scripture saith. Look what it says in verse 11. For the scripture saith, whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Now, who's this promise
made to? It won't be ashamed. What is its extent? Who's it
for? Well, whosoever. I love that word. Whosoever. I can fit myself into that group.
Whosoever believeth. Now, if I said I have this wonderful
promise for everybody who is over six foot six, well, probably
just about everybody in here would lose interest. Now, if
you're over six foot six, you'd be listening carefully. You'd
want to know what this is, but if you're under six foot six,
it wouldn't even apply to you. But here's who this verse applies
to, whosoever. Are you in that group? Now in
the context, the whosoever is them that have heard, look down
in verses 13 and 14. For whosoever, there the word
is again, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved. How then shall they call on him
in whom they've not believed? And how shall they believe in
him in whom they've not heard? Now this whosoever is someone
who's heard something. So, you know, everybody in this
room right now, you're hearing something. This means you. Whosoever. Whosoever. What if I'm not one of the elect?
Don't worry about that right now. Whosoever. Whosoever. You don't need to figure out
whether or not you're one of the elect. Listen up. Whosoever. Whosoever. What a precious word. I reckon
one of my favorite verses in the Bible is whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved because that's
something I take every day. I might not have anything else,
but I've got that. Whosoever. I'm one of them. Whosoever. What's he say next?
Believeth. Whosoever believeth on him shall
not be ashamed. Now that believeth has something
to do with trusting. Trusting. Whosoever trusts. You trust, you trust that what
he did is enough and you don't need anything else. When he said it is finished,
this is what you're relying on. When he said it is finished,
all that God requires of you was accomplished. Whosoever believeth. Listen to this scripture. Romans
chapter 4 verse 5 says, To him that worketh not, but believeth. Believeth. On him that justifies
the ungodly. His faith is counted for righteousness.
Do you believe on him that justifies the ungodly? John says in 1 John
5 verse 1, Whoso believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born
of God. Do you believe that Jesus is
God's Christ, God's prophet, God's priest, God's king? Do
you believe that? If you do, the Bible says you're
born of God. What hinders me from being baptized?
If you believe with all your heart, you may. He replied, I
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Whosoever believeth. Here's the promise. If you believe,
you will not be put to shame and you will not be ashamed.
Both of those are true. Now remember this thing of shame.
Have you ever experienced shame? It's such a horrible thing. You
know about the most cruel thing you can do to somebody is expose
them to public shame, make them ashamed publicly or embarrassed. I find this so attractive to
not be shamed, not be put to shame and have nothing to be
ashamed of. Now, does anyone remember where the word of shame
first appears in the Bible? Let me quote it to you from Genesis
chapter two. And they were both naked, the
man and his wife, and they were not ashamed. And this is before
the fall. They were both naked and they
were not ashamed. Now, they had nothing to be ashamed
of. Number one, they had no sin. They didn't have anything to
feel guilty about. They didn't have anything to feel ashamed of. Can you imagine
feeling that way? Nothing to feel guilty about. They were perfect. You know, everybody has, even
in your physical appearance, everybody has parts of them that
they're ashamed of, that they don't want anybody to see. They
were perfect. They were naked, and they were not ashamed. They
didn't have any sinful thoughts. Now, if somebody in here was
naked, all the sinful thoughts that would come through and pass
through people's mind, I mean, because we have fallen natures,
but they were naked. The scripture says they were
but naked and they had no sinful thoughts, no sinful propensities.
They were not ashamed. And what is the first thing they
did after the fall? They knew they were naked and
they went and hid and tried to provide themselves a covering,
a fig leaf. There is an inseparable connection
between shame and sin. If there were no sin, there would
be no shame, but where there is sin, there is shame. Now, after the fall of our first
parents for the next 4,000 years, every man and woman to ever live
has had abundant reason for shame. Shame. Shame on me for thinking
the things I think, for doing the things I do. Shame on you. Every human being to ever live
has abundant reason for shame. And you say, I feel no shame.
Well, your conscience is so hard, you're unable to. That's what
the problem is. You've been given over to hard heart. If your heart
wasn't as hard, you wouldn't talk like that. Everybody has
reason to be ashamed. Now, in the fullness of time,
God's time, some 2,000 years ago, a man was born without shame. The Lord Jesus Christ. Now, how
could he have been without shame? Because he had no sin. You see,
he was born of a virgin. He didn't have Adam's sinful
nature like you and I do. He was born of a virgin. He was
born without sin and he lived a perfectly sinless life where
he had no reason to be ashamed. He loved God perfectly. He never put anything before
God. He never concocted an idol, some false view of God. He was
always perfectly reverent. He never broke the Sabbath. He
honored his parents perfectly. He never murdered anyone's person
or character. He never committed sexual sin,
not even in his mind. He never lied. He never took
what did not belong to him. He never had a covetous thought. He had nothing to be ashamed
of. He lived a perfect life. I love to think about his perfect
life. He never sinned. This man, Christ
Jesus, never sinned. Now turn with me for a moment
to Hebrews chapter 12. Before I read this passage of
scripture, have you ever been falsely accused of something?
Sure you have. When you are falsely accused,
You weren't ashamed because you knew that accusation was false.
You did not do it. Therefore, you were not ashamed. The only time you're ashamed
is if the accusation is true, if the accusation is real. Every one of us have been shamed,
an accusation brought against us that was true, and how ashamed
we were. The only time you're ashamed
is if you really are guilty. Now isn't that so? The only time
you're truly ashamed is if you're really guilty of the accusation
brought against you. Now look here in Hebrews chapter
12, verse 2. Looking unto Jesus, the author
and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before him, the joy of obeying his father perfectly, the joy
of saving his people from their sins, who for the joy that was
set before him endured the cross, despising, counting as nothing,
the shame. Now, that's a remarkable thing
to think about. The Lord Jesus Christ experienced
shame. He was ashamed before His Father. Shamed. How could He be ashamed
if He never did anything wrong? He just said He always did that
which was right. That's true. But yet the sins
of God's elect so truly became his, who his own self bear our
sins in his own body on the tree, that he was ashamed before God. What about that scripture in
Isaiah 53 that says he opened not his mouth? Now, if you're
accused of something you didn't do, you gonna keep your mouth
closed when you're accused? No, you're going to protect yourself. You're going to defend yourself.
Our Lord was guilty of that which he was being accused of. My sin
became his sin so that his hand was, as it were, caught in the
cookie jar and he was exposed to the shame of being guilty
of what I have committed. All the shame and the humiliation
of my sin became His. He was exposed before His Father,
so that when He was on the cross, in shame, He couldn't even say,
My Father, My Father, why have you forsaken Me? But, My God,
My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Because my sin became His
sin. He bore our sins in His own body
on the tree. And He was ashamed. You know
what a horrible thing it is to be ashamed. All of us have experienced
it. As a matter of fact, I really think the worst things I've ever
experienced is public shame. When you've been exposed, when
you've been caught in something, and that's... Who knows? He was
much more acute because we're so hard-hearted. He was so sensitive toward this. And what
shame he experienced on Calvary Street. But you know what he
did with those sins? That he was ashamed of? Look
in Hebrews chapter one, you're already in Hebrews. Verse 3, Who being the brightness
of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding
all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself
purged our sins. He put them away. He purged them. He washed them away to where
they are no more. Look in Hebrews chapter nine. Verse 24, for Christ has not
entered into the holy place made with hands, which are figures
of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence
of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest enters into the holy place every
year with the blood of others, for then must he have often suffered
since the foundation of the world. But now, once in the end of the
world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself. Look in Hebrews chapter 10, verse
12. But this man, After he had offered one sacrifice
for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool for, by one
offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. That's
what he did about my sin. He put it away, he took it away,
and every believer is perfected forever. One other scripture
on this, turn to 1 John chapter 3. 1 John chapter 3, verse 4. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth
also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. And
you know that he was manifested to take away our sins. Not just sweep them under the
cover, not just forgive them, but take them away so that they
are no more. In Him is no sin. Beloved, that means if you're
in Him, you have no sin. Right now. You have nothing to
be ashamed of. Whosoever believeth in Him shall
not be put to shame. Here in 1 John, turn to chapter
4, verse 17. Herein is our love made perfect,
that we might have boldness in the day of judgment. Now that
is a concept that's boldness in the day of judgment? Yes,
sir. How? Because as he is, So are we in
this world right now? Does Jesus Christ have anything
to be ashamed of? No. Neither does anyone in him. Whosoever believeth on him. Not in yourself. I'm not asking
you to believe in yourself. Reject yourself. There's nothing
there to believe in. You believe on him. You will not be put to shame. I find that so attractive because
I got so much to be ashamed of. You do too. If you believe in
Him. All of that is negated. It's
gone. It's cancelled. It's put away. You really don't
have anything to be ashamed of. There will be nothing laid to
your charge. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
It's God that justifies. Who is he to condemn? It's Christ
that died. That's the only answer I need. I will not be ashamed. Romans 5.5 says, hope maketh
not ashamed. Hope is a confident expectation
with regard to the future. Now here's my hope. Here's my
hope. Because Christ is my righteousness. Here's my hope. As for me, I
will behold thy face in righteousness. I'll be satisfied when I awake
in thy likeness. And the only reason for that
is that Christ died for my sins and gave me his righteousness. And talking about this never
gets old. It never gets stale to me. You
come here next week. You come here next month. You
come here next year. By the grace of God, you're gonna
be hearing the same thing. All that thrills my soul is Jesus. He is more than life to me and
the fairest among 10,000. In my blessed Lord, I see the
glories of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I will not be put to shame. Don't you love the thought of
that? To stand in judgment before all the world, perfect, without
guilt, without sin. You know, when preachers talk
about believers' sins being judged and believers being judged for
their obedience on earth and given a higher reward or a lower
reward based upon how good they've been in heaven. If one thing
the Bible doesn't teach that, read Matthew chapter 20 and you'll
know that's not so. They're all giving the same thing,
but you know what? On a dread judgment day, I think,
what if this gets shown up? What if that gets shown up? What
if I'm exposed for this? What if I'm exposed for... I
mean... I remember when a preacher said, well, your sins will be
brought up and it won't bother you. I thought, it'll bother
me? I don't want anything like that to happen to me. Oh, I want
to be justified in Christ Jesus without guilt, without sin, nothing
to be ashamed of. That's the heritage of every
believer. Everyone that believeth in him shall not be put to shame. They won't be exposed. They'll
be justified. They'll be without guilt before
God. You know what else? Those who
believe are not ashamed of the gospel they believe. Paul said
in Romans 1, verse 16, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
For it, the gospel of Christ, is the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believeth. Not to everyone, but to everyone
that believeth. To the Jew first, and also to
the Greek. Turn with me for a moment to
Luke 9. Verse 26, these are the words
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he says, for whosoever shall
be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be
ashamed when he shall come in his glory and his father's and
of the holy angels. Now something that can't be separated
is Christ and his words. The Lord didn't merely say, whosoever
shall be ashamed of me, but whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my
words. The content of the gospel. Now turn with me to 2 Timothy
chapter one. How many times have you, I guess the way to put it would
be to be afraid to say what you really believed. You're afraid of the trouble
it would bring you. Everybody in here has experienced
that. Everybody in here has experienced that. Paul said to Timothy, In
verse 8, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our
Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel that come along with believing the gospel according
to the power of God. Now, Paul wouldn't have said
this to Timothy if Timothy didn't have a tendency to be ashamed.
to be afraid, and everybody in here knows what that means. Yet
Paul exhorts Timothy, you don't be ashamed of the gospel, of
the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but you
be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. Now he goes on
to state clearly what the testimony of the Lord is. And this is what
we're going to look at right now in closing is the actual
testimony of the Lord of which we're commanded to not be ashamed.
Now let's go on reading. who hath saved us and called
us with a holy calling. Now here's the testimony of our
Lord. He saved us. Did he do it all? Yes. He saved us and he called us. Now the order is very important.
The saving came before the calling. You know what that means? That means if you're saved, it
had absolutely nothing to do with you. Your works don't even
enter in. The saving came before the calling. He saved us and then He called
us. He called us with the invincible,
irresistible power of his gospel. How? Let's go on reading. This
holy calling, not according to our works. Thank God for that. What if salvation
was dependent upon something you did? There wouldn't be any
hope for you, not a bit. But thank God Oh, bless His holy
name. Salvation is not according to
our works. Well, how is it? According to
His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus,
when? Before the world began. Now, this is the testimony of
the Lord, of which we're not to be ashamed. He saved us, and
it didn't have anything to do with our works, but everything
we have was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Before there was ever a sinner,
there was a Savior, and He's the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. Now, this is the testimony of
the Lord. Somebody says, well, people don't believe that. That's all
right. We're going to preach it anyway. People don't like
that. I do. I do. Not ashamed of the gospel.
Verse 10, this salvation that was given us before the world
began is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior,
Jesus Christ. You know, people say, well, if
everything was given to you before the world began, nothing has
to happen in time. That's not so. Everything God decreed in
eternity will happen in time. It's made manifest by the appearing
of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death. and
hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
When to I'm appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher
of the Gentiles, for the which cause I also suffer these things.
You know, Paul knew everywhere he went, he was going to, after
he finished preaching, they were going to tie him to a post and
beat him. Can you imagine that? He knew this is what's going
to happen to him. For the which cause I also suffer these things.
Nevertheless, Paul says, I am not ashamed. For I know whom
I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that
which I've committed to him against that day." Have you committed? Paul said
he did. Have you committed the salvation
of your soul to him? Now, if you believe in works
in any way, if you've got a plan B, that's a failure to commit.
You commit when your hands are off and you're totally dependent
upon Him to do everything. And you commit to Him. Paul said,
I'm not ashamed. I'm persuaded that He is able
to keep that which I've committed to Him against that day. And
because of that, I am persuaded that he won't be ashamed of me. Both he that sanctifies and they
who are sanctified are all of one for the which cause he's
not ashamed to call them. brethren. He's not ashamed of
me. There's nothing in me to be ashamed
of if I'm united to him, if I've won, if I'm one with him, if
I've committed the salvation of my soul to him. Jesus, and shall it ever be,
a mortal man ashamed of thee, ashamed of thee whose angels
praise, whose glory shines through endless days. Ashamed of Jesus,
sooner far, let evening blush to own a star. He sheds the beams
of light divine, or this benighted soul of mine. Ashamed of Jesus,
that dear friend on whom my hopes of heaven depend, No, when I
blush, let this be my shame, that I no more revere his name. Ashamed of Jesus? Yes, I may,
when I've no guilt to wash away, no tear to wipe, no good to crave,
no fears to quell, no soul to save. Till then, nor is my boasting
vain, Till then I'll boast a Savior slain, and oh, may this my glory
be, that Christ is not ashamed of me. Now, whosoever, are you
in that group? Whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed. They won't be put to shame, and
they won't be ashamed. Let's pray together. Lord, how we thank you for the
gospel that enables us to come