Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, (9) who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, (10) but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

The second letter to Timothy was written by the apostle Paul to his beloved companion and son in Christ. Paul wrote this letter while imprisoned in the Mamertine prison in Rome awaiting execution. Paul was treated like a despised criminal in disgrace all for preaching the gospel and he writes this final letter to Timothy to warn him (and us) against being ashamed of the gospel or ashamed of Paul. The testimony of our Lord is a testimony of a crucified Savior.

The salvation of men was completed in the “shameful” death of Christ and cannot be sought anywhere but in Christ. Death on a cross was considered a curse by the Jews and ignominious to the Romans – so terrible that Roman citizens were legally not to suffer this death. Whoever shall revolt or shrink from the cross will always be afraid of the gospel – some have a crisis of faith, some run at criticism, ridicule, conflict, slander, false accusations. The Christian lives in enemy territory but God will give us strength and power so that we might turn away from present weakness or shame while the unbeliever remains in hardness of heart. The battle is between this world and our holy calling.

The subject of shame is a big one but our verses are confined to shame of testimony of the gospel. The Christian believes this world is passing away and the only shame that matters is from denial of Christ. C.s. Lewis writes in my favorite, ‘The Weight of Glory’ – “in the end that Face which is the delight or terror of the universe must be turned upon each of us with one expression or the other, either conferring glory inexpressible or inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised. I read in a periodical the other day that the fundamental thing is how we think of God. By God Himself it is not! How God thinks of us is not only more important but infinitely more important.”