Facts about Shame, Part 1
Let’s discover what the Bible says about shame and condemnation so we can hold up Truth when the accuser (satan) comes with lies.
1. Shame is a product of sin.
Read Genesis 2:25-3:13 to read about the first sin and the first experience of shame.
2. The enemy can use shame to misrepresent God to us; to cause us to fear God (be afraid of Him) and run away/hide from Him1.
This is an unholy fear (based on a lie from the enemy regarding the character of God). Rather, we are to have a holy, reverent fear of God2. The devil wants us to have an unholy fear and certainly not a holy fear of God. But let’s be like Job and have a holy reverence of the Lord (Day 55 goes deeper into this) and turn away from (shun) evil (Job 1:8)!
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
3. The work of the devil (sin and its offspring: shame and condemnation, and its penalty: judgement and death) causes separation between God and people.
“You’re going to fail again. There’s no point in trying.”
“Do this... nothing will happen.”
“Ha ha! Look what you’ve done! You’re dirty. God won’t love you now! What you did/thought is too much to forgive.”
BUT we can resist the devil and he will flee from us, and we can draw near to God and He will draw near to us!! (James 4:7-8a)
Journal Entry, Age 25
If I stumble, may I always immediately look up into Jesus’ compassionate face and get up again, with my hand in His. Praise God, I am no longer enslaved. No longer does my captor sneer in victory!
4. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil!!!
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 1 John 3:8b
5. Where the devil deals harshly with us as an accuser, and wants us to embrace/internalize our shame and let it envelop us, Jesus deals harshly with the SHAME.
For the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame. Hebrews 12:2
What does it mean that Jesus ‘despised’ the shame?
- Scorn by active insult; view with a hostile outlook
- Treat with contempt or disregard; see as insignificant or detestable
- Devalue, depreciate
- The word ‘despise’ refers to holding someone in contempt, deeming them unworthy and hence despised (scorned).3
What Jesus does to shame, the devil tries to use shame to do to us! Jesus Himself is our peace. We are brought near through the blood of Christ. We are reconciled to God through the cross, brought near to God through the blood of Christ. Jesus came and preached peace to us, and through Him we have access to the Father (Eph 2:13-18). If shame says we aren’t worthy/are too dirty to stand before God, Jesus says, “I beg to differ!!! I made a way, once and for all.”
[1] Genesis 3:8
[2] https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/yare.html
[3] https://biblehub.com/greek/2706.htm; https://biblehub.com/interlinear/hebrews/12-2.htm