I Am Not Ashamed

February 2, 2026

The definition of shame is a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. We remember those times when we experience shame, like trying to go in the out door, slipping and falling in front of a big crowd with the grace of a cat that has misjudged that big jump, an awkward glance, stomach growling in a quiet crowded room, or falling off the back of a treadmill machine at high speed. If you throw in an excessive amount of alcohol the shameful escapades can haunt you the rest of your life.

When the Bible talks about shame it is something completely different. It is being ashamed of God, faith, or those things having to do with God’s Kingdom. Jesus convicts his followers with these words from Mark 8:38, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” Paul boldly declares in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”

In today’s internet age, Christians face shaming attacks regularly from a disdainful atheist elite. In the early 2000’s authors like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins didn’t just want to prove their brand of atheism was academically superior, they wanted to shame any Christian that would dare to debate them. Defended by a weak-minded, but large media apparatus, there are plenty of examples of scientists, academics, and pastors who defended the gospel victoriously, but the angry atheists would ignore every defeat, and move on hoping to find less qualified apologists that they might humiliate in public. The weak-minded press slavishly trumpeting their victories, and ignoring their defeats.

I have come to a point in my ministry where I am not afraid to face skeptics head on, and debate the truth of scripture, and that science and faith are not at odds. I invite you to not only consider these reasons for yourself, but look for opportunities to equip the children and youth in your life. They are high-priority targets, and we need to prepare them for people who will celebrate the ability to notch another confused young person in their belt of atheistic victories.

First, we do not have to have all the answers to hold on to our faith. The atheist certainly doesn’t. For example, you can’t get something out of nothing, and yet, that is what the atheist does when they try to argue for the Big Bang. The sheer complexity of the cell makes evolution statistically impossible. I could go on and on. Young people would do well to have faithful adults they can turn to when they encounter a guerilla atheist, desiring to sabotage their faith. For that matter, adults should have someone to turn to as well, when it seems like the wisdom of man is far wiser than it actually is.

Second, make Bible study a lifelong ambition. As your knowledge grows you become more valuable to God to help shatter the darkness of atheistic diatribes with the light of Christ. Fewer than one in ten Christian families study the Bible together weekly. How can we expect young people to defend themselves against the arguments of a cynic when we don’t equip them, and worse, aren’t equipped ourselves?

Third, when studying the Bible, include the tough parts. This will force deeper study, and sharpen one’s faith for the hardest discussion. Non-believers struggle with the hard parts the most. They cite verses seeming to promote slavery, rape, and child sacrifice, and they want real answers. If we are unfamiliar with these texts we will be unable to defend our faith. We don’t want our youth to encounter these texts for the first time from an atheist, and be completely unprepared.

There have been times when other ministers have had their faith in the authority of scripture shaken by some seemingly wise professor, or overbearing ruling body. In conversations with these peers, I have been able to present a scientifically and historically sound defense of the scripture, and my unwavering faith in the truth of the Bible has put their feet on solid ground again. We can make a difference in the lives of others through preparation and strong faith in God’s word.

Have you ever been ashamed to defend the Gospel? Has online or cultural hostility ever caused you to keep your mouth shut? Can you find a way to integrate training the young people in your life with the tools to hold onto, and even defend their faith in the face of attack? Seek to glorify God with the amazing mind He has given you, by learning the truth of God’s word. (To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional. Check out my podcast on YouTube, called “My Faith Journey”).