“NOT ASHAMED”

A. B. Parker

Romans 1: 16, 17; Hebrews 11: 13–16

I feel hesitant about speaking because I know there must be a number of brethren here who would appreciate the privilege of saying a word at this time. Our brother has been so well known and so much appreciated that it would be a joy to many to take part. But I feel pressed to call attention to these two passages of Scripture, the first being the statement of the apostle Paul, that he was not ashamed of the glad tidings.

That, I feel, is a very appropriate thing to mention at this time, for our brother was not ashamed of the glad tidings and he spoke about the Lord Jesus to those with whom he worked, to those whom he met, and to those whom he knew well. He ever was ready to speak a word in the power which the Holy Spirit afforded, so that his speaking had an effect upon those to whom he spoke. He had concern regarding his household, too, desiring for them the greatest blessing. May the desires which were in our brother’s heart for them be answered in the grace and wisdom of God! And so I say again, our brother was not ashamed to speak a word in season, and now God is not ashamed to be called his God.

I refer now to the passage in Hebrews. It is very interesting that often it was after persons died that God said that He was their God. When He appeared to Moses in the burning bush, in Exodus 3, He said, “I am ... the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3: 6). They all had died, but God was their God—not simply in memory, but in actuality, for though they had died, they still lived to God! The Lord Jesus tells us that, when He was challenged by the Sadducees as to the resurrection. They tried to prove that resurrection is not workable. Many in the world today resort to such tactics to ease their consciences, but the Lord Jesus said to them, “Ye err, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God ... But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not God of the dead, but of the living”, Matthew 22: 29–33. These are the words of Jesus; they give us assurance, so we know that, as Paul said, to depart and be with Christ is “very much better”. Our brother was not ashamed to speak of the glad tidings, to speak well of the Lord Jesus, to speak of the rights of God; and now God is not ashamed to be identified as his God. This should be an encouragement to us to be more faithful and devotedly committed to the path of the will of God. May it indeed be so.