I have a recurring dream that won’t go away.
It’s the last day of my senior year in High School. I show up for class eager to graduate that night. After the bell rings, the teacher asks for our final assignments. I panic because I suddenly realize I haven’t been to class in months –and I certainly don’t have the assignment she is asking for. The rug has been pulled out from under me –I’m exposed and I’m ashamed.
I don’t know what life events are behind my dream (I really did attend class in High School). But I know that I hate the feeling of being exposed and ashamed that I experience in the dream.
The first mention of being exposed and ashamed in Scripture occurs in Genesis 3:10 when Adam and Eve realize their nakedness and hide from God. (That brings up another embarrassing recurring ‘school dream’)
The root of shame is sin –not exposure. In fact, exposure wouldn’t be an issue if it wasn’t for the fact that we are sinners. We all have things that we are scared to let others discover about us. But can you imagine the confidence of knowing you have nothing to hide –nothing to be ashamed of?
You don’t have to imagine. Christ took our nakedness and shame to the cross. He bore our sin so that we might have his righteousness. In fact, Revelation 3:18 describes Christ’s gift of righteousness to us as white garments to cover our nakedness and shame. Consequently, Romans 10:11 explains that, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
The fact that we no longer have to be ashamed changes the way we live. Just look at Paul’s life.
Paul had plenty of sin that could be exposed. After all, he spent a significant portion of his life persecuting Christians. However, after his conversion, Paul never let the threat of shame alter his zeal for living out the gospel whole-heartedly –even in the midst of persecution.
So it’s not surprising when Paul writes “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me” (2 Timothy 1:12).
Paul starts by saying “I am not ashamed.” He had received Christ’s righteousness. There was no more fear of exposure because it would only point others to the cross of Christ.
This freedom from shame is so powerful that it enabled Paul to endure suffering and persecution. For instance, in Acts 13, Paul preached in the synagogue at Antioch Pisidian. His message was so popular that the entire city gathered to hear him preach the next week! But when some Jewish leaders (who were intimidated by his message) saw the crowds, they literally ran Paul out of town (Acts 13:45,50). Talk about being exposed –he had nowhere to hide.
So did he quit? No.
Paul set out to preach in another town. In the next chapter of Acts, Paul arrived in Iconium and began preaching in the synagogue. Just like at Antioch, his message stirred up a mob –only this time they threatened to stone him. So, Paul left (Acts 14:5). Was he running away from persecution? Hardly.
If Paul were like many of us, he would have determined that he had suffered enough for the kingdom of God and that retirement was in order. However, Paul just walked right back into the fire. This time, he traveled to Lystra. Same song, third verse. And this time they stoned him. In fact, the Bible says his opponents thought they had killed him (Acts 14:19).
So why did Paul seem to embrace this suffering? Because he was not ashamed of the gospel.
This bold confidence was not based upon a personal preference or opinion. Instead, Paul says it was based upon what he believed: “I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”
Paul knew that no matter what his opponents did to him, they could never take away what Christ had given him. Why? Because Christ –with the same power that defeated death and the grave- would guard his salvation.
So you and I have no reason to be ashamed. Our nakedness has been clothed by Christ’s righteousness –and nobody can take that away from us –And that’s not just a dream!