When a repentant sinner is converted to Christ, he is never ashamed of Him again, as he was prior to his conversion. “Hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Rom 5:5). Shame is removed in conversion forever, replaced with love for God by His indwelling Spirit, referred to in Mk 8:38, like Lk 9:26, where Jesus declares:
“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.”
Those that are ashamed are unsaved. Period. Ashamed means to not confess him publicly especially under inconvenient circumstances and to be offended because of His Name or Word, like the stony soil which is unsaved (Matt 13). It also refers to not obeying Scripture. Mk 8:34-38 (like Matt 10:32-39; 16:24-26 and Lk 9:23-26) notes that being ashamed of Jesus Christ and His words (v 38) is categorically connected to refusing to become Christ’s disciple (vv. 34-37) — by refusing to exchange masters, from this world to the Lord (vv 36-37), refusing to deny self and losing one’s life for Christ and the gospels sake (vv 34-35), refusing to take up the cross and denying self and following Christ (v 34) — whose end will be an eternity in the unquenchable fires of hell.
Those who rather than being ashamed of their sins (Rom 6:21; cf. Rom 1:16; 2 Tim 1:8, 12, 16) are ashamed to confess and follow Jesus and His Words in this evil and adulterous world, will have Christ ashamed of them at His return and be denied by Him (Lk 12:8-9; 2 Tim 2:11-13) and eternally damned in hell—for Christ is “not ashamed to call [true believers] brethren (Heb 2:11), “God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Heb 11:16). A remnant “concerning the house of Jacob” has always been converted and unashamed before God, and one day “Jacob [Israel] shall now not be ashamed” and will “sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.” (Is 29:22-24).
No text in Scripture indicates that God will be “ashamed” of His people born again — He is not and will not be ashamed of them (Heb 11:16) and no true believer will ever be ashamed of Christ. The repentant sinner that was truly converted is never again ashamed of Christ again (Rom 10:11; 9:33; Heb 2:11; 11:16; Rom 1:16; 5:5).
We know this because the very act of supernatural salvation fulfills the prophecy of never being ashamed again: Rom 10:11; 9:33; Heb 2:11; 11:16; Rom 1:16; 5:5; ref. Is 28:16; 54:4; 45:15-17.
The popular passage of Rom 10:9-10 explains how salvation comes about and then the verse that follows is one of the effects of true conversion: “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (v 11). “For” could be interchanged with “because,” both of which connect to the previous passage that the one who wills to be truly converted makes confession with his mouth of the gospel of Christ unto salvation (v 10) based upon repentant faith in the heart. This person will no longer be ashamed of Christ, not by word or deed.
Where does the scripture prophecy that him who gets saved will no longer be ashamed? Isaiah 45:15-17 and 54:4.
Is 45:15-17 reads:
“Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.”
Personal salvation doesn’t change one iota between Jew or Gentile, so the same truth is applicable to both. Salvation brings about an end of being ashamed of Christ or confounded, that is, a shameful life that denies Jesus Christ in both confession and manner of life.
Rom 9:33 declares similarly:
“As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone, is “a stumblingstone and rock of offence” to the unconverted but those truly redeemed are not ashamed of Him. This is referenced by Paul from Is 28:16, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” Not making “haste” here has the same connotation as not being confounded or ashamed. The truly converted are unashamed for they fell on this Stone and were broken, while the ashamed will have the Stone fall on them and be ground to powder (Matt 21:42-44).
Is 54:4a states:
“Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth.”
1 Pet 2:6 reflects this: “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” Confounded means to be made ashamed, to be falsified or discredited, to fall away. The truly saved will not be. As “haste,” it also carries the idea of not being confused or discombobulated over doctrine, which is shameful.
Shame for Jesus Christ and our shameful and ungodly lifestyle pre-conversion is wiped away permanently. Obliterated forever. “What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” (Rom 6:21-22). Once the lost made haste to sin and ungodliness, but now he makes haste from that life unto righteousness.
What does being no more ashamed look like?
1. Unashamed pictures the faithful and obedient wise servant waiting for Christ’s return, unlike the evil servant (mostly religious but lost) who knows of Christ’s return but doesn’t take care of his soul and thus does not glorify Christ and magnify Christ by his life, since he falsely believes “My lord delayeth his coming,” therefore “The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 24:45-51).
But the truly saved wise servant of Christ is of they that “shall not be ashamed that wait for [Christ]." (Is 49:23b). He shall not be ashamed of his hope in Christ (Rom 5:5) nor disappointed of his end. It is our duty that we must not and it is our privilege that we shall not be ashamed of our faith in Christ. The truly saved shall never have cause to repent of his confidence in reposing such a trust in the Lord Jesus.
2. The unashamed of Christ will not make haste (Is 28:16) to run away from the sufferings he meets with in the way of his duty, and not be ashamed of the despised true religion of Christ. He understands that persecution and suffering is the way of life for the redeemed, since “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” (Jn 15:20). The following texts reflect the truth that saints will receive and endure persecution for their faith and not make haste or shame: Jer 20:11-13; Matt 5:10-12; Jn 15:18-20; 16:1-4,33; 17:14-18; 1 Th 3:2-4; 2 Tim 3:10-12; I Pet 2:18-25; 3:13-17; 4:12-19; 5:10; Rev 12:17.
The ones that make haste do not like the trials and offence that comes with professing the name of Christ. They become offended at Jesus Christ and His Word, being ashamed of Him and proving to be of the stony ground, professors of Christ but not possessors (Matt 13:20-21). They never counted the cost (Lk 14:25-35), and believed in “another Jesus” and “another gospel” (2 Cor 11:4), one that they yoked with the love of the world and self. The ashamed “believer” will also get offended when questioned about his “salvation” testimony, while the truly saved will declare: “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul" (Ps 66:16).
3. “Ashamed” in Rom 10:11 is translated from the Greek verb “kataischuno” which carries the idea to be disgraced and dishonoured to the point of blushing. What is to be expected as a natural reaction of the natural man (2 Cor 2:14; 1:17-31) who lives a chameleon-like life, imitating, conforming to the dogmas of Christianity without supernatural regeneration. He is as the leopard attempting to change his spots. An actor. A pretender. Yea the very definition of a hypocrite (Rom 2; Matt 7:1-5). He doesn’t really like to speak of Christ and His Word, but merely uses Him for personal benefit.
I know people like this. They have no issue talking about themselves, work, weather, TV, sports, entertainment, a house, cars, hobbies, music, recreation, trips, or jokes but rare to no mention of Jesus Christ or His Word. This person doesn’t love Jesus Christ but is ashamed of Him, their faces, their noses, their lips, their fingers, and their minds in the world. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” (Pr 23:7). The Lord Jesus gives this warning to such: “by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” (Matt 12:37). And this in Matt 23:17, “Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?”
Their lifestyle also compounds the shame, but now days with the corrupted Christianity everywhere in professing “evangelical” and “Baptist” churches, gathering hand in hand as if majority suddenly reflects truth — many have seared some of that shame. They are “confounded” and find Jesus “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence,” and “stumble at the word, being disobedient” (1 Pet 2:4-8). Their “Jesus” is yoked with their world and church, living perpetually in spiritual adultery. They are in fact enemies of Christ. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (Jam 4:4).
How is it with you friend? Are you shamed of Christ? Are you His enemy? Flee for refuge to the cross of Christ, where your shame can be cleansed and removed forever.
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Is 55:1-3, 6-7).
And when you do find Jesus Christ and truly and repentantly believe on Him, you will live for Him and bring glory to Him through godly and righteous living and will unashamedly confess Him and His gospel before the unsaved,
“For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Rom 10:11).