Worship

Today, I want to talk about what Christ has done with our shame, and how we can respond to His gift. Shame, is defined by Google as : “a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.” For Christians, the emotion of shame often revolves around the things we do, or fail to do, that dishonor God. Big or small, when we dishonor God we are rightly ashamed of our sin. If we experience that kind of shame, that’s not all bad, because it means we are conscious of the fact that we have sinned. As Paul reminds the Roman church, we all are capable of wrong behavior “There is none righteous, no not one.”-Romans 3:10. But, in one of the most powerful passages in the Bible, the Apostle Paul reminds the Christians in the church in Colossae of the good news that Jesus has taken our wrong behavior and nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:14). Our shameful acts need not define us. Now I want to be very clear here – I’m speaking today primarily about the ordinary shame we may experience as a result of sin. There are many kinds of shame. Sadly, some shame has nothing to do with the sin of the person bearing that shame. Shame over acts about which we had no control or shame that others project onto us are a different kind of shame from the shame produced by sin. And some shame may be rooted in a serious psychological issue. Regardless of the cause, I want you to know that I believe that there are cases where we may need to address our shame with both Jesus and a qualified health professional who can help us sort out our thinking. As C.S Lewis said in Mere Christianity, “the bad psychological material is not a sin but a disease. It does not need to be repented of, but to be cured.” If you have any questions about that after out sermon today, I hope you’ll call me at the church office this week and I’ll be happy to discuss it with you

In Dallas Jenkins hit show The Chosen, the tone for the show is set in season 1 episode 1. The show tells the story of Mary of Magdala, who lived much of her life under the heavy shadow of shame. The scriptures tell us Jesus drove 7 demons out of her. The genius of the show is it tells the consequences of those demons in her life before she met Jesus. She was broken, haunted by her past, and tormented by forces of darkness she could not escape. Her torments were so awful, that people no longer even called her by her real name—they called her Lilith, as if her true identity had been erased by her shame. She tried everything to quiet the voices of guilt and despair: rituals, remedies, drinking, distractions, and even avoidance. But no matter what she tried, she was still trapped. Her shame defined her, and she felt there was no way out.Then one night, when Mary had reached her lowest point, Jesus came to her. She was asking for more to drink, and Jesus approached her, put his hand on hers as she reached for a drink and said “that is not for you!” He didn’t avoid her like others did, nor did He condemn her for her past. Instead, as she ran away trying to avoid him, He called her by name—Mary. In that moment, the power of her shame and darkness was broken. Jesus restored her identity and gave her back the dignity she thought was lost forever. From that day forward, Mary’s life was changed. The woman once crushed by guilt and rejection became one of Jesus’ most faithful followers. People who had known her before were shocked by her transformation, and they asked her how it was possible. Mary couldn’t explain it with human logic, so she simply spoke the truth of her experience: “I was one way, and now I am completely different… and the thing that happened in between was Him.” Let’s talk about what Jesus has done to our shame, and how we might respond to His gift.

Through His death on the cross, Jesus heals our shame : “Jesus himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed”- 1 Peter 2:24. We put a lot of stock in the forgiveness of sins through Christ on the cross, we don’t think much about His cross healing us. For Peter: the healing is spiritual. This is already good news: Jesus knew our shameful choices before you made them, and still died for us. Jesus died on the cross so shame won’t have the last word in your life! Healing from God can take on a variety of forms. Yet, Biblically, healing from God after a moment of shame is never done alone. “Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”-Isaiah 61:7. The Psalmist tells us that those who look to God “will be radiant, their faces never covered with shame”-Psalm 34:5. Did you catch that? Radiance, healings, and inheritance come from God alone. If you feel ashamed this morning, I have good news for you, you are not alone! God is with you. We, can rejoice: saying “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.”- Psalms 16:8-10. Bottom line, Scripture testifies that through Christ, God has given us a pathway to forgiveness of sins and moments of shame, and He will not leave us alone to work out life after those moments are long past.

Sometimes, God’s healing comes in the form of encouragement from others. Connie Nelson, a writer with The Gospel Coalition writes that 1 out of 5 college students consider leaving their degree program because of shame. The students may not use the word shame, but they point to a variety of issues that contribute to shame. The loss of a relationship, a job possibility not working out, a slip in grades, giving in to peer pressure, etc. Connie says : “For our college students, the fight against shame is ultimately a fight to believe truth over lies. It’s a fight to feel what’s true. We help our students by reminding them we’ve all fallen short of God’s standard. It’s a standard higher than any held by a parent, professor, or prospective spouse. But because Jesus met God’s standard in our place, we stand on his record. Those words are consistent with what I preached a few weeks ago. That we have a dual identity: we are all unworthy and undeserving, yet we are all loved and valued, and securely accepted by God in Jesus.

Through the cross, Jesus gives believers hope in moments of shame: “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”-1 John 3:20. There are two liberating truths to consider in this text. First, God defines who we are. We are not defined by our feelings of self-condemnation. What is the other liberating truth? Friends, hear the good news: Jesus reminds us that our moments of shame do not define us, God does. “God is greater than our hearts, and knows all things.” Think of it! John is telling us as believers to keep Jesus in mind in moments of condemnation. I would say it like this: In moments of shame, don’t lose sight of the big picture. We have hope! The Apostle Paul tells us “Hope does not disappoint, for the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit that was given to us.”-Romans 5:5.

Finally, we can respond in a positive way to the shame of sin in our lives. “If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.”- 1 John 3:21. John Newton grew up in 18th-century England and became deeply involved in the transatlantic slave trade. As a ship captain, he participated in one of the most shameful and destructive systems in history—profiting from the suffering of others through the slave trade. Newton later admitted that he had lived in open rebellion against God and carried deep guilt over his sins. But in 1748, during a violent storm at sea, Newton cried out to God for mercy. That desperate prayer marked the beginning of his conversion. Over time, he left the slave trade, devoted himself to studying Scripture, and eventually became a pastor. Though he could never erase the shame of his past, he learned to respond in faith to God’s grace. Newton poured his life into preaching Christ, mentoring leaders like William Wilberforce, and writing hymns that testified to God’s mercy. One of those hymns—Amazing Grace—was his confession of both shame and redemption: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me…I once was lost, but now I am found, I was blind, but now I see….” Newton didn’t hide his past; instead, he allowed Christ’s forgiveness to turn his story of sin into a testimony of God’s grace in His life. Near the end of his life, he famously said, “Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.”

Are you ashamed? Has someone in your life said shameful things to make you feel that way? Friends, be encouraged that the shame of sin does not define you. God defines you! May you leave today boldly and lovingly declaring Christ in all you do and say, leaving your shame at the foot of the cross of Jesus where it belongs. When shame and guilt rear their ugly heads in the future, I invite you to remember this prayer: “God of grace, thank you that when I was lost, you found me, and when I was ashamed you healed me, nailing the accusations against me to the cross.”

In the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.