Non Pudibundus Sum (I am not ashamed)
By Gene Helsel
Preamble
"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous
and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes
in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38)
In this verse, Jesus draws the line between the eternally saved and the
eternally damned. But note that he does not distinguish between those two
classes of people on the basis good works versus evil deeds, or even a
profession of faith versus no-profession of faith. Jesus makes the distinction
on the basis of embarrassment regarding His person, and His words. Put
another way, it is not enough to mouth the right creeds or give mere assent to
the historicity of Christ and His teachings. We must love and embrace without
embarrassment the Crucified One, along with every word that proceeds
from Him.
It is possible to study and understand what the Bible teaches us about Christ’s
person: His pre-existence as God, and His origin as man. His character and
attributes are clearly enough displayed in the Gospel accounts. And according to
Jesus, all that the Bible teaches us about Him, must be believed without
embarrassment; including the virgin birth, the clearing of the temple, His
manifold miracles, His uninhibited associations with whores and tax-collectors,
His less than docile interaction with the Pharisees, His crucifixion, bodily
resurrection, and every other shred of biographical information given to us in
the four Gospels.
But what about Christ’s words? Jesus also said that those who were
ashamed of His words would be rejected by Him at the judgment. So what
exactly are Christ’s words? Well, we could start (if you have the infernally
ubiquitous ‘Red Letter Edition’ of the New Testament) with all those words
in your Bible that appear in red ink. Those words obviously belonged to Christ.
But we can’t stop there. Consider Jesus’ promise to the Apostles in John 16:
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into
all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me:
for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the
Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and
shall shew it unto you."
Modern Christians are quick to apply these verses to themselves personally
and individually, and just as quick to ignore the primary importance of
Christ’s declaration, which was assurance of the divine inspiration requisite
for the completion of the Holy Scriptures. And therefore does Paul correctly
state that he received the words he wrote "from the Lord" (1
Corinthians 11:23.) Peter too, puts Paul’s writings on par with "the
rest of the Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:14-16.) Luke declares that his
Gospel is an account of "all that Jesus began to do and teach"
(Acts 1:1.) The author of Hebrews begins his letter by positing that God, who in
former times spoke by His prophets, has now spoken by means of His Son.
Having said that, the author of Hebrews launches into 13 chapters of the glory
of Jesus Christ in the New Covenant. In the book of Revelation, John is
commanded by Christ to write down all that Christ shows him (Revelation 1:19.)
Suffice it to say that New Testament uniformly declares its true inspiration and
author to be the Lord Jesus Christ. But what about the Old Testament?
Here is Peter’s inspired testimony regarding the Old Testament. "Of
this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied
of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the
Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To
them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering
the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached
the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels
desire to look into." (1 Peter 1:10-12)
From this verse it is clear that the Old Testament prophets wrote under the
inspiration of the Spirit of Christ. In other words, Jesus is the
author of the Old Testament. Deuteronomy, Esther and Malachi are the words of
Christ. And therefore, the Old Testament is to be considered and received as
the words of Christ no less than the "red letter" words of the
Gospels. And there lies the deception of the "red letter" editions of
the Bible. If you are truly going to print with red ink all of the words of
Christ, you need to start with the first verse in Genesis, and not stop until
you’ve printed the last verse in Revelation.
So here are a few questions for your consideration: Are you in any way
ashamed of Christ? Are you in any way embarrassed by His words? When talking to
your unbelieving friends about God, are there certain passages that you secretly
hope they won’t bring up? Can you say regarding the following verses, "Non
Pudibundus Sum" (I am not ashamed)?
Creation
(Exodus 20:11) For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the
LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
(Genesis 2:7) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living
soul.
(Genesis 2:21-22) And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam,
and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead
thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman,
and brought her unto the man.
God’s Exhaustive Sovereignty
(Genesis 50:19-20) And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the
place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it
unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
(Exodus 10:1-2) And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I
have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might
shew these my signs before him: 2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy
son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs
which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.
(1 Samuel 2:6-10) The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down
to the grave, and bringeth up. 7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he
bringeth low, and lifteth up. 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and
lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make
them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S,
and he hath set the world upon them. 9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and
the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 10
The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he
thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give
strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
(Proverbs 21:1) The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the
rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
(Daniel 4:35) And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing:
and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the
inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What
doest thou?
(Amos 3:6) Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be
afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
(Acts 17:26) And [God] hath made of one blood all nations of men
for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times
before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
(Romans 9:13-23) As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I
hated.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I
will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of
him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For
the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee
up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why
doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who
art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that
formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the
clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto
dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power
known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to
destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the
vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
(Ephesians 1:11) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will:
The Wickedness of Man
(Genesis 6:5-6) And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the
earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
(Psalm 51:5) Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother
conceive me.
(Isaiah 64:6) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our
iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
(Jeremiah 13:23) Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his
spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
(Romans 3:10-12) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not
one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
(Romans 5:12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and
death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
(Ephesians 2:1-3) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of
this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others.
The Fierce Wrath and Judgment of God
(Genesis 6:5-7) And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and
it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I
have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the
creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made
them.
(Leviticus 10:1-2) And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of
them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered
strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2 And there went
out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
(Leviticus 21:9) And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by
playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
(Deuteronomy 2:32-34; 3:6) Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his
people, to fight at Jahaz. 33 And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and
we smote him, and his sons, and all his people. 34 And we took all his cities at
that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones,
of every city, we left none to remain:…. 6 And we utterly destroyed them, as
we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and
children, of every city.
(1 Samuel 2:25) If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him:
but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding
they [Phinehas and Hophni] hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because
the LORD would slay them.
(1 Samuel 15:2-3) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that
which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up
from Egypt. 3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they
have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling,
ox and sheep, camel and ass.
(1 Samuel 15:33) And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless,
so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces
before the LORD in Gilgal.
(2 Kings 2:23-24) And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was
going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and
mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 24 And
he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And
there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children
of them.
(Psalm 5:4-5) For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness:
neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou
hatest all workers of iniquity.
(Psalm 137:7-9) Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of
Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. 8 O
daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth
thee as thou hast served us. 9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy
little ones against the stones.
(Matthew 3:11-12) I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he
[Jesus] that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy
to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan
is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat
into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
(Matthew 13:41-42) The Son of man [Jesus] shall send forth his
angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and
them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there
shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
(Matthew 25:41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart
from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels:
(Mark 9:43-44) And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for
thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into
the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and
the fire is not quenched.
(John 5:28-29) Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all
that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they
that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done
evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
(Revelation 6:15-17) And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and
the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and
every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of
him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great
day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Men’s and Women’s Roles
(1 Corinthians 11:3-9) But I would have you know, that the head of every
man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of
Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered,
dishonoureth his head. 5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her
head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were
shaven. 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a
shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. 7 For a man
indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of
God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 8 For the man is not of the woman;
but the woman of the man. 9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the
woman for the man.
(Ephesians 5:22-25) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as
unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as
Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore
as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands
in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave himself for it;
(1 Timothy 2:11-13) Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but
to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
(Titus 2:1-5) But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: 2
That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in
patience. 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh
holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to
love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient
to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
(1 Peter 3:1-2) Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own
husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the
word be won by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold your chaste
conversation coupled with fear.
Childrearing
(Proverbs 13:24) He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but
he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
(Proverbs 23:13-14) Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou
beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod,
and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
(Matthew 15:3-4) But he [Jesus] answered and said unto them, Why do
ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God
commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or
mother, let him die the death.
Slavery
(Numbers 31:13-18) And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes
of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp. 14 And Moses was
wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and
captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. 15 And Moses said unto them,
Have ye saved all the women alive? 16 Behold, these caused the children of
Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in
the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman
that hath known man by lying with him. 18 But all the women children, that have
not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
(Deuteronomy 15:16-17) And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go
away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with
thee; 17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the
door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou
shalt do likewise.
(Ephesians 6:5-9) Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters
according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as
unto Christ; 6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the
servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7 With good will doing
service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing
any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or
free. 9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening:
knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons
with him.
Earthly Delights
(Deuteronomy 14:24-26) And if the way be too long for thee, so that
thou art not able to carry it [the tithe]; or if the place be too far
from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the
LORD thy God hath blessed thee: 25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind
up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God
shall choose: 26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul
lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for
whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God,
and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
(Ecclesiastes 9:7-9) Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy
wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. 8 Let thy garments
be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. 9 Live joyfully with the
wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath
given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy
portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
(Song of Solomon 4:10-11) How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how
much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all
spices! 11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and
milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of
Lebanon.
Concluding Remarks
"Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your
mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed."
(1 Samuel 2:3)
What say you Christian? Are any of the above words of Christ an
embarrassment to you? Do you yet sit in judgment of God, or would you agree with
Hannah that God (and not man) is the only rightful judge of all actions? Can you
say with faithful Abraham: "Shall not the judge of all the earth do
right?" Can you declare with Moses: "[God] is the Rock, his
work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without
iniquity, just and right is he."?
If you are embarrassed by a single word of Christ’s, then know that you
have a threefold problem: Firstly, regardless of what you claim, the God
of scripture is not your god. If you can sit in judgment of His words; if
you are the final arbiter of truth and goodness, then you are by
definition your own god.
Secondly, you have no reason to believe that you are saved through the
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches many things that are
difficult for us to understand and/or accept, not the least of which is God’s
promise to pardon, cleanse and save all those who trust in the execution of a
Jewish carpenter 2000 years ago in Palestine. If the world was not created in
six days; if Samuel didn’t hack Agag to pieces; if God does not hate all
workers of iniquity; if wives are not to submit to their husbands as to the
Lord; then there is simply no good reason for you to believe that God loves the
world, that Christ is God incarnate, and that men are saved simply by believing
in His bodily death, burial and resurrection. You see, either the Bible is the
authoritative Word of God, or it is not. There is no third option.
Thirdly, according to the Lord Jesus, if you are ashamed of, and
reject His words, then on the day of judgment, He will likewise be ashamed of,
and reject you.
Remember Christian, that it is your duty to delight in the law of the
Lord, to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, and regarding
the words of His Christ to say, "I am not ashamed."
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