There is often a cold knot in the stomach when the conversation turns to Christ. A hesitation, a quick calculation of risk before speaking the name of Jesus. After the moment passes, condemnation can roll in like a thick fog. The verse echoes in the mind: “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). The question arises: Is this shame mine? Will He deny me?
This is precisely where the religious system, the voice of the accuser, loves to pounce. It takes a legitimate concern and twists it into a whip for the conscience. It uses Scripture’s very words to cut believers off from the enjoyment of Christ. Yet, it is crucial to see this clearly. The human fear, social caution, and worry about mockery are not what Paul means when he declares, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). This counterfeit condemnation must be rejected.
The Two Condemnations
Understanding Paul’s teaching on condemnation in Romans is essential. There are two kinds, and confusing them keeps believers in bondage.
First, there is objective condemnation before God—the verdict of the law against the sinner. This condemnation was dealt with once and for all at the cross. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The blood of Christ answered every accusation. God is not condemning believers. Their standing is as solid as Christ’s own righteousness because it is His righteousness.
Paul continues in the same verse: “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” This introduces the second kind: inward, subjective condemnation. This is the feeling of uncleanness, distance, and shame that grips believers even when they know the doctrine. It happens when they are “walking after the flesh”—living according to their own resources, looking at their own performance, trying to measure up. The flesh is a performance machine; it only understands transactions. So when reflecting on a silent moment at the store, it screams, “Failure! Unworthy! Ashamed!”
This inward condemnation does not change the believer’s position before God but utterly ruins the enjoyment of it. One can be fully justified and still be miserable, full of fear and shame, rather than living “in the atmosphere of the spirit of sonship.” The problem is not the standing before God; it is where the focus rests.
What Biblical Shame Really Is
Biblically, to be “ashamed of the gospel” or “ashamed of Christ” in the apostolic sense is not about social anxiety. In Mark 8, Jesus had just revealed to His disciples that He must suffer, be rejected, and be killed. Peter rebuked Him. Jesus then spoke to the crowd about taking up a cross—an instrument of Roman execution and shame. He presented Himself as a suffering, rejected Messiah.
To be ashamed of Him in that generation was to reject this path, to side with the religious system demanding a conquering king, to disassociate from the “foolishness” of the cross. It was to believe that God’s way of salvation—through a crucified Savior—was something to be embarrassed by. This is the shame Paul refused. He was not ashamed of the message, even though it was foolishness to Greeks and a stumbling block to Jews.
This is profoundly different from the internal struggle many experience. Worrying about honoring Christ and not having Him mocked shows a heart for Him, not against Him. The enemy takes this love and twists it into a rod for the back.
As explained in the transcript insight about Mark 8: “This is not talking about the gospel to strangers. This is talking about standing for the truth of the gospel in the midst of the perverted generation.” It is about holding fast to the truth of Christ crucified and risen when everyone—especially religious voices—is telling believers it is insufficient, that more is needed, that they must add their own cross-bearing or law-keeping. It is about not being ashamed of the sufficiency of His finished work.
From Bondage to Boldness: The Spirit of Sonship
How does one move from inward condemnation to confidence? Not by trying harder to speak up, which only keeps one in the flesh. The answer is found in the spirit of sonship.
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). The spirit of bondage focuses on self—failures, quiet moments, fear. It causes hiding, like Adam in the garden. But the Spirit received is the Spirit of the Son. He bears witness with the spirit that believers are children of God, and if children, then “an heir of God, and joint-heir with Christ” (Romans 8:17).
Boldness is not mustered from personality; it is inherited. It is Christ’s own confidence before the Father, given as the believer’s portion. “Whatever boldness and confidence and right He has to stand before the Father, I have because I’ve been presented.” Salvation is a Person. Christ is righteousness, sanctification, redemption, and boldness.
When fear and shrinking back arise, it signals a gaze shifted from the Heir to self. The remedy is not self-flagellation but a conscious turning back to the truth of union with Christ. Believers are in Christ. His relationship with the Father is theirs. They can cry “Abba” with the same confidence He does.
Handling the Moment of Fear
What does this look like in everyday life—in the grocery store, at work, with family? When fear comes, the first thought should not be, “I must say something or I’m ashamed.” Instead, turn inward to the truth. Remind the heart: “There is now no condemnation. I am a son. I am an heir. This person in front of me is someone Christ loves.” Bring weakness to Him in that moment. Pray silently, “Lord, I feel fear. I stand in Your sonship, not my courage.”
From this position of rest and identity, love flows. Sometimes love means speaking. Sometimes it means silent prayer and waiting for a more fitting moment. “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). The demand is not to manufacture opportunities to perform but to be so settled in hope that others see it and ask. The primary testimony is the peace and hope enjoyed in Christ, not the number of gospel tracts distributed.
The power is in the gospel itself—the message that Christ died for sins and rose again—not in the volume of one’s voice. God saves through the truth of that message, not flawless delivery. The calling is to abide in Him, letting His word dwell richly. As this happens, speaking of Him becomes less a dreaded duty and more an overflow of enjoyment. “Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (Romans 10:11).
The Heart That Matters
A person truly ashamed of the gospel—who believes Christ’s work is insufficient or embarrassing—is not troubled by these thoughts. They have moved on. The fact that one is wounded by the thought of being ashamed reveals a heart that loves Him. The enemy exploits that love to condemn.
Believers must stop accepting this condemnation. Assurance is based on God’s record concerning His Son, not on boldness. Justification is by faith, and peace with God includes peace from accusatory thoughts about witness. Believers are His children. Their place at the table is not earned by evangelistic zeal; it was given when they believed the gospel.
Therefore, come out of hiding. The Father is not waiting to shame for quiet moments. He draws believers to stand confidently in His presence, clothed in His Son, enjoying the full inheritance of boldness, access, and love already theirs. Christ is not ashamed to call believers brothers. They should not be ashamed to rest in that.
