"I'm Not Ashamed"

I have failed and will fail again! That's just me, trying hard to be pleasing to the Lord and end up failing. Sometimes we in the church fail miserably. Some try to act so high and mighty while others take an attitude toward the church it is a failure. Let's listen carefully to Jesus: "For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren." (Heb. 2:11) Did we hear that? He is not ashamed to call them (us) brethren. Those in Christ with all our failures, our weaknesses, our impulses, our horrible reactions from time to time, our ignorance, our childish displays, our lack of understanding, our arrogance, our selfishness, our lack of love for one another, our bad attitudes, our condescending mind set, our uncaring displays and we see the Lord's attitude toward us.

Take the church at Corinth. They were fighting over which was the best preacher. (Don't we see that in some places today.) They were a divided congregation. The were using the world's wisdom. They were arguing among each other being fleshly. They had immorality among them and tolerating it. They had law suits with each other and misapplied teaching about marriage. They were running over one another in regard to eating. They abused one another in the Lord's Supper. Their assemblies were voicing spiritual gifts, putting some down and lifting others up. What a great big mess! But if we would only pause and listen carefully to the voice of the Lord: "He is not ashamed to call them brethren." Paul heard the voice of Jesus and approached the church at Corinth: "To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling..." (I Cor. 1:2) He saw the church, those baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of sins, as the sanctified and saints because of Jesus Christ. With all their fleshly and weak ways, they were still the sanctified! When are we going to learn? The church, the redeemed under the sanctifying work of Jesus.

Sometimes I have strayed far off and you might never know but my Lord does. There were times I was ashamed of myself that I couldn't stand me! My mind asks, "Who is this One not ashamed of me when I am ashamed of me?" He is the Holy One, the sinless in His holy righteousness. He steps forward and identifies me as one of His and is not ashamed. The Majestic One who sits enthroned above all, who commands all things and they are done and the angels bow down in worship. He calls me His brother! When people are shaking their heads at me in my weakness and failure, He pushes His way through the crowd, puts His arm around me and says we are brothers and He is not ashamed to call me such. THAT'S HIM, MY LORD!

If you only knew how bad I have failed...but I'm not ashamed to call you brother or sister!

If you only knew my repeat offenses in my weakness...but I'm not ashamed to call you brother or sister!

If you only knew how uncaring or cold my heart has been toward others sometimes...but I'm not ashamed to call you my brother or sister!

Maybe we need to taste this for a while to soften our attitudes and heart.