Do you have a brother, or a sister? How about a cousin, a niece, or a nephew? Maybe you have a son or daughter of your own, and if you do, what would you say to someone if they asked you if you did or not? Would you immediately say, Yes I do! Or would it be a source of embarrassment to you if others found out? Hopefully your answer would be the former, as it is simply the truth, and the truth should not be something that is kept hidden, but known, just as our belief in Christ should be known to others.
Philippians 1:20-21 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
When we think of the word magnify, we usually think of the magnifying glass, which makes things appear larger, but when this passage of scripture was written, magnify means to extol, or glorify. To praise, bless, worship, or adore.
Paul wrote that he would not be ashamed of Christ and His gospel, and that he would boldly preach Christ so that He would be magnified by his life. However the Lord was magnified, whether it was through the life of Paul or through his death, he wasn’t ashamed of his faith in Christ.
If you are unashamed of something, or someone, you will not be embarrassed if other people find out. In fact, you will readily let this information be known if asked by others, and it will be shown in your life. To be unashamed of the Lord is something that each believer of Christ needs to be, as it is written throughout the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 6:20 – “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Romans 5:5 – “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
1 Peter 4:16 – “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”
Philippians 1:14 – “And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
Psalms 25:2 – “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.”
When the Lord of Heaven is your God it should be something that you are very proud to let others know, and your life should back it up in an evident way, whether it is through your speech with others or your actions for everyone to see. Even if others hate or dislike you for your belief in Christ, we need to never allow that to cause us to feel ashamed. Faith in Jesus is something to be proud of, and we need to continue to let our faith in Him show, so that others may believe as well, and give glory to Him.
The expression “wearing your heart on your sleeve” generally means that your emotions and feelings are well known, that they are not hidden, and this is exactly the way that every Christian should act/feel if they are truly someone who is unashamed to call Jesus their Lord and Savior.
So let your light shine, as Jesus taught. Don’t hide the fact that you believed in the Lord, let it be out there for all to see!
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 