Not Ashamed

I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “’But the righteous one will live by faith.’” Romans 1:16-17

It’s impossible to scroll Facebook, Instagram, or X this past week without seeing multiple comments or video clips about Charlie Kirk. To be honest, I did not know Charlie. I don’t follow a lot of public figures, and I had not even heard this man’s name until the day before his assassination. Now, after hearing his words, I wish I had met him. To have such a passion for Jesus Christ at such a young age is inspiring.

Since coming to faith in Jesus Christ as a child, I can’t recall being afraid to share my faith with family or friends. But I am not nearly as bold as Charlie was. Now…I want to be bolder. If God gives me the opportunities, I want to take them because I want everyone to know His grace, His forgiveness, His freedom, His gift of eternal life.

To Be Remembered

Charlie Kirk wanted to be remembered for his courage and his faith. Based on the wave of heartache and the outcry against the horrendous act of cowardice that took his life, he has far exceeded his wish. Charlie spoke the truth about Jesus. He wanted everyone to hear that they could know Him and live forever with the God who created them and loves them. He wanted heaven to be crowded, and from what I’ve heard since his death, he shared his faith with a sense of urgency. Unashamed of what Jesus had done for him.

Unashamed. It’s a new theme I’m seeing across social media. Charlie’s murder did not silence the gospel as some might have hoped. It only made more people willing to share it.

Faith in What?

Many people claim to have faith, but the question to ask them is, “faith in what or whom?” Only faith in Jesus Christ, His life, His death, and His resurrection is the kind of faith that has eternal value. Jesus promised eternal life to those who believed in Him. Placing our faith in anything else carries no such promise.

Without Jesus, there is no atonement for the brokenness of our world or the lostness of our souls. There is no eternal life without Jesus Christ.

Charlie Kirk knew this. This is why he wanted to be known for his faith.

To Be Like Him

There is a movement of people no longer afraid or ashamed to speak the truth and to stand up for what they believe about Jesus. At the moment, this movement is saying, “I am Charlie Kirk.”

I don’t believe they are actually claiming to be little clones of Charlie. But Charlie’s murder lit a flame that is spreading. It’s had its detractors, and it’s rather heartbreaking to see people celebrating his death. If we didn’t think the world was broken before this happened, these reactions should shout that it is loud and clear.

The world needs Jesus. The crowds that are gathering to honor Charlie’s life – and one happened this past week in my small town – are gathering peacefully. Many are worshiping the Lord, raising hands and singing to praise His Name. Churches are crowded. People are stopping to think about what this all means. One thing seems clear – people no longer want to hide their faith. They are unashamed.

I don’t want to be Charlie Kirk, but I do want to be like Jesus, the same Savior Charlie served at the cost of his life.

The Cost

Following Jesus Christ isn’t easy. Jesus never  promised that it would be. He promised the exact opposite. Anyone who wants to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. I’ll be honest – this is not one of my favorite promises. No one likes the idea of persecution and until last week, no one in this country expected that they could be martyred for their faith.

Now we know that we could be. Christians in other countries, particularly some Middle Eastern and African countries right now, understand martyrdom all too well.

It costs everything to follow Jesus. It cost Charlie his life.

But it also cost Jesus intense suffering and a brutal death to give us the eternal life and freedom He offers. That gift of eternal life is worth every drop of suffering we might experience on this earth.

I hope the outcome of Charlie Kirk’s senseless murder is one that draws a multitude of people to Jesus. I’ve prayed for a revival of God’s own people to draw closer to Him, to pray, to see the urgency of sharing the good news of Jesus Messiah. I’ve also been praying for another great awakening to touch the hearts of those who do not yet know Him. Perhaps they thought they once did. Perhaps they have never heard of Him. But it’s time to share the truth with them, and I pray that God will open blind eyes and soften hard hearts, and bring about a dramatic change in our world turning it from darkness to light. From hate to love. From self-serving lives to surrendered ones.

May this be the day you come to know Him.

~Selah