The next entry for my Blog is Unashamed, which was written by Matthew West and A.J. Pruis. It was first released October 4, 2024. A link to Matthew West singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.
Three brothers in a fire
Willing to die for their faith
But You were with them in the fire
And they walked out the next day
And Daniel met a lion
Because he chose to pray
But You shut the mouth of that lion
And he walked out the next day
So what’s gonna be said of me when it’s all said and done?
Will I stand for my beliefs, or will I turn around and run?
Well, let the whole world hear me say
I’m unashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
And the truth that changed my life
For the name above all names
I’m unashamed
And I will live my faith out loud
Take a stand and stand my ground
For the One who took my shame
I’m unashamed
I don’t answer to the crowd
I answer to a king
So the louder they shout
Oh, the louder I sing, yeah
What’s gonna be said of me when it’s all said and done?
Will I stand for my beliefs, or will I turn around and run?
Well, let the whole world hear me say
I’m unashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
And the truth that changed my life
For the name above all names
I’m unashamed
And I will live my faith out loud
Take a stand and stand my ground
For the One who took my shame
I’m unashamed
At the name of Jesus
Every knee will bow
And every tongue confess
So let it start right now
Before you come back, Lord
Before the rocks cry out
I will lift my praise
Let it start right now
I’m unashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
And the truth that changed my life
For the name above all names
I’m unashamed, yeah
And I will live my faith out loud
Take a stand and stand my ground
For the One who took my shame
I’m unashamed
oh, I’m unashamed
(I’m unashamed) I want the world to hear me say
I’m unashamed (I’m unashamed)
Oh, I’m unashamed
For the One who took my shame
I’m unashamed
Lord, I will stand for You
I tell the world about You, yeah
I’m unashamed
Do you ever take time to look around the inside your home, your office, or place of work and perhaps admire some of your accomplishments? Maybe you received special awards while you were in school or perhaps some special recognition you earned at work. In your home, do you have some certificates, awards, or maybe even trophies that reflect achievements you are so proud of? I know that I still have things that remind me of some of my accomplishments in my earlier years. If you are a Christian, can people see any evidence of your faith in addition to the things I referenced above? Can they tell you are a Christian by just the way you act? True Christians are identified by their actions and their words, not by dust collection items on a wall or a desktop. Please note that I believe you should be proud of all of your accomplishments in life, big or small; but the most important thing you can do in life is to secure eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior. The accomplishments in your life and the things in your life will not give you eternal life, they will only provide you with personal satisfaction during your life on earth.
This song points out the importance of what God has done in our lives, not what we have accomplished seemingly on our own. In the bible, in the book of Daniel, chapter 3, we find the story of three men who were thrown into a burning furnace because they refused to bow down to a ninety-foot-tall golden statue created by mandate of King Nebuchadnezzar. As the flames got higher, their prayers became stronger and they saw an angel appear in their midst and they were shielded from the flames. As the furnace cooled down and the captors raced to peer into the furnace, they saw the three men walking out with no damage from the fire. They were men of courage who loved their God and knew that he would either wrap his arms around them or take them to be with him for eternity. They were not ashamed of their beliefs nor did they let their fear of the fire or the king change the love and allegiance they had to their God. The king honored Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for their faith and their God.
Again, in the book of Daniel, chapter 6, we learn about how Daniel was thrown into a den of lions. He was one of the three lead administrators who supported King Darius. He was strong in his faith in God and he was a good administrator for the king. The other administrators were jealous of Daniel and reported to the king that Daniel refused to bow down and worship the king, he would only bow down to his God. The king had him thrown into the lions’ den. When the king and the administrator came back to the den the next morning, Daniel was unharmed, God had protected him. The king threw the other administrators into the lion’s den and they were immediately killed and eaten by the lions. Daniel stood by his faith and was willing to die for his God. He was not ashamed of his beliefs. The king honored Daniel for his faith and his God.
The two examples I gave above came from the bible, the word of God. If you are a Christian, do others know you worship, adore, and love God and his son Jesus Christ? After all, we are told in the book of Romans, 1:16-17, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile (non-Jew). For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Do you take the time to tell others how God changed your life, how he has been there for you in your deepest darkest hours, how he has promised you eternal life? If you don’t let others know about your God and your faith, aren’t you really being ashamed of what you believe and what others think? I understand it is not always easy to share your beliefs, but let’s look at it from a different perspective. What if God told you that he was going to turn his back on you since you essentially are ashamed of him due to your lack of visible support and thankfulness of his gift of eternal life? Wow, I know this seems like a harsh statement, but take some time and let it sink in. The examples I gave from the book of Daniel show people who have true faith and a willingness to die for their beliefs. I think all of us need to openly profess our love and our faith in God, let the whole world know where we stand. You are either all in with God and have accepted Christ as your personal savior or you are ashamed, you cannot stand in the middle of the road, you must make a choice.
Is your love of God stronger than your fear of the fiery furnace or the den of lions? When your time on earth comes to an end, how do you want to be remembered, for your earthly accomplishments or for your faith in God? Let people know you are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
