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Unashamed for Jesus
Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord. 2 Timothy 1:8
READ 2 Timothy 1:6-12
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Before he was martyred for his steadfast faith in Jesus, an African minister whose name has not been preserved penned “A Martyr’s Prayer.” This profound message from another era has become known as “The Fellowship of the Unashamed.”
This pastor’s words present a challenge to all believers in Jesus—a challenge that echoes the words of the apostle Paul, who wrote in his letter to his young friend Timothy: “Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8) because the Holy Spirit gives us “power, love and self-discipline” (v. 7).
Here, in part, is what that faithful African pastor wrote: “I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of [Jesus] and I won’t back up, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. . . . I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by the Holy Spirit’s power.”
Both Timothy and that pastor faced difficulties we may never experience, but their words challenge us to stand strong when our faith is tested. We can remain unashamed because God “is able to guard what [we] have entrusted to him” (v. 12)—our lives and our future.
By Dave Branon
REFLECT & PRAY
What gives you courage to be unashamed for Christ? How can you follow the examples of others who were unashamed of the gospel?
Dear God, You promised that the Holy Spirit gives us power. Please help me to stand up for You and be unashamed in all kinds of situations.
Dive deeper into the wisdom shared in 1 and 2 Timothy.

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