Personal Challenge #6 Shame

Facts about Shame:

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 Him(1)

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 God (2). The devil wants us to have an unholy fear and certainly not a holy fear of God. But let’s be like Job and fear the Lord and turn away from (shun) evil(3)!

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 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) is to cause 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 big 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, No date
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!!! (1 John 3:8b)

５．God never uses shame (condemnation) to motivate a change in behaviour. It’s not His voice nor His character.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:20b-24)

If there is ever a moment you feel unworthy to sit at the table because of your past, remember what the Father did when His prodigal son came home.

“Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love.” (Song of Solomon 2:4)

６．Where the devil deals harshly with us as an accuser; 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). (4)

What Jesus does to shame, the devil tries to use shame to do to us! My friends, 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 (Ephesians 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.”

7. Condemnation is related to judgement and whose fruit is death. It is the opposite of conviction which is related to love and discipline(5) and whose fruit is holiness.

Condemnation takes the shame caused by our sin and pronounces a damnatory sentence (6) and pushes us into hiding and darkness. Jesus took the penalty of sin upon Himself (7) and did not come to judge (8) but to save! He came to convict, not to condemn. This free gift of grace brought justification in place of condemnation (Ephesians 2:8-9). If you are in Christ, condemnation is not for you! Don’t believe the liar if he tells you it is!“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

“The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation , but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. […] So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. (Romans 5:16; 18)

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:17-18).

8. The enemy can use shame and condemnation and judgment as a tool to cause us to want to keep things hidden.

Everything will be exposed one day (Luke 12:2)(10), but I want everything in my life to be exposed to the light TODAY so I can live in the freedom that is available to me TODAY. 

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23,24)

9. Conviction takes the shame caused by our sin and exposes it, brings it to the light, corrects, rebukes, chastens (11).

“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8).

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:19-21).

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Eph 5:8-14).

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land” (Isaiah 1:18,19).

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother” (Matthew 18:15).

“For whom the LORD loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12)

10. Conviction will bring honor in place of shame.

“Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, But he who regards convict will be honored.” (Proverbs 13:18)

11. We, who are being made holy, have been made perfect forever by Jesus’ sacrifice (where He took the penalty upon Himself). God disciplines us so we may share in His holiness.

“God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:10-11).

“For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Heb 10:14).

12. God no longer remembers our shameful acts; His love covered our sins. Furthermore, our consciences are cleansed from these acts!

What does “cleanse” mean according to (13):

  • to free from defilement of sin and from faults
  • to purify from wickedness
  • to free from guilt of sin, to purify
  • to consecrate by cleansing or purifying
  • to consecrate, dedicate
“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more” (Heb 10:17b).

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)

“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Hebrews 9:14)

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25b-26).

“…and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.” (Acts 15:9)

“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:15)

“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” (2 Cor 7:1)

13. We were cleansed at the cross once and for all.

What does this mean? 

At the moment of revelation, receiving Jesus’ sacrifice for yourself and knowing you are cleansed. From that point on, fleeing from anything that defiles the body and spirit (2 Cor. 7:1). Living as one who is sensitive to the gift of conviction, and who allows the training of discipline to produce a harvest of righteousness and peace in your life (Heb 12:11).

14. The enemy can use shame to tempt us to keep our face down; be downcast, lie down and accept defeat. What if we refuse his lies and believe truth? What would we find if we look up instead?

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God.” (Psalm 42:11)

“No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame,” (Psalm 25:3a)

“In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.” (Psalm 25:1-2)

“The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.” (Psalm 34: 22)

“Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you;” (Psalm 31:16-17a)

“Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” (Psalm 34:5)

(1) Genesis 3:8

(2) https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/yare.html

(3) Job 1:8

(4) https://biblehub.com/greek/2706.htm; https://biblehub.com/interlinear/hebrews/12-2.htm

(5) https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/paideuo.html; https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/paideia.html; https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/muwcar.html

(6) https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/katakrima.html

(7) Isaiah 53:4-6

(8) https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/krino.html

(9) John 8:44b “… there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

(10) See also Mark 4:22; Romans 2:16; 1 Corinthians 4:5

(11) https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/elegcho.html; https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/yakach.html; https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/towkechah.html

(12) Similar verses: Revelation 3:19; Job 5:17; Hebrews 12:1-11

(13) https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/katharizo.html