Titus 2 Men And Women

The Lie Of Shame
Or
I Am The Righteousness Of God In Christ
by Denise Lower

Shame is an emotion or a feeling that is not easy to deal with as Christian ladies.   We are taught that shame is a bad, bad thing, so if we have shame, we must be bad, bad women.

Over the years, as I have listened to the stories of many ladies who have experienced the pain of divorce or past abuse. I have heard shame in their voices, seen shame in their actions and upon reflection, see shame in much of how I lived my life for many years.

What is shame???   Webster’s Dictionary defines it as: 1. a painful feeling of guilt for improper behavior, 2. dishonor or disgrace, 3. something regrettable or outrageous.  

Strong’s has many definitions, some which are: dishonor, something vile, disgrace, that which is unseemly, one’s nakedness, reproach, and one I thought very interesting, confusion.   Which just happens to be one of Satan’s favorite tools in his box of weapons to try to defeat Christians.

When I do a word study like this, sometimes something just jumps out at me.   While looking up shame, an interesting fact did seem prevalent.

The word shame is used in the Old Testament 378 times.   And it is used almost exclusively in the terms of shame as in shameful behavior (Israelites behavior while Moses was on the Mount, (Ex. 32:35).

The word shame is only used 39 times in the New Testament.   Well, one of the root words is used 724 times, however it’s meaning is "unto, to, with, against, to the advantage of", which is NOT talking about shame, per se.

I would like to humbly submit that perhaps the reason the word shame is only used in the New Testament 39 times, is because with the advent of the New Testament, we have Jesus, WHO BORE ALL OUR SHAME ON THE CROSS.   Hebrews 12:2 states. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

If I am a born again believer, trusting only in the shed blood of Jesus to take me to heaven, I have NO RIGHT to still be carrying around shame due to anything that has occurred in my life.   Jesus has already paid for all my sins.   He suffered the shame, the agony, the terror and the pain FOR ME as he hung there on that cross.

His loving heavenly Father even had to turn his face from him, so great was the shame that Jesus bore for me.   If I continue to carry around guilt and shame, then I am in essence saying that the death Jesus suffered on the cross was not enough.   He did not suffer completely or enough to cover MY shame, so I have to suffer the rest of my life with this shame.

JESUS IS NOT ENOUGH????  

Let us return to the reason we are carrying shame.   If we look carefully again at Webster’s definition of shame, we see three meanings.   If we are carrying shame due to a divorce, or a past abuse, we are carrying false shame.   Remember the definition:   painful feeling of guilt for past behavior, dishonor, something outrageous.   If you have a painful feeling due to an action or situation YOU did not initiate or create, then you are carrying false shame.   If you are still carrying shame over some of your past behavior, then you are saying that Christ’s sufferings were not enough to cover YOUR feelings of guilt or shame.    Either way, you are carrying shame that is UNNECESSARY for you to carry, and more than likely compounding feelings of guilt.  

Many of our beliefs are defined by today’s society and NOT by the Bible.   I am told day after day, month after month, that I HAVE RIGHTS.   However, if we are true Christians, we know we have NO rights, except through Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

We are told in Philippians 2:3, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves".   Does that sound like the world today, the selfish, self-centered society in which we currently live?

NO,   and it is a sad situation when, by the world’s definition, people treat others in a way that makes them feel shame.

I was a single mother raising two children for several years.   We began attending the local Baptist church in the little town we settled in as soon as we arrived there.   After a brief period of transition and adjustment, I soon began to participate in some of the ministries the church offered.   My children became active in the youth group and other ministries offered to children of that age group.   We began to feel "at home" and "accepted".

Just occasionally, I noticed women drawing their husbands closer to their sides as I entered a room.   I thought I was imagining this.   There were only certain people who would have my children over for gatherings.   I thought about this for a while, and then I discovered I had a big D on my chest.   Just like Hester in the Scarlet Letter.   My only sin though, was a husband who had abandoned us and a life I was forced to live on my own.

This reaction from people who should have known better created a feeling of shame in me.   It wasn’t until just recently that I was able to overcome this feeling.   Let me share with you one of the things that helped.

A very wise older woman told me that when I was feeling that way about myself, I was to repeat this phrase: "I am the righteousness of God in Christ"........"I am the righteousness of God in Christ"......"I am the righteousness of God in Christ".   She told me I was to repeat that over and over to myself until I believed it.

Do you believe you are the righteousness of God in Christ?   It IS Biblical (I Cor. I:30, "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption").   We HAVE no righteousness of our own, it is only through Christ’s precious blood that we have any merit.   Are you a born again, washed in the blood, saved, going to heaven when you die believer?   Then suffer NO MORE shame, for Jesus has already taken care of that for you.

Do not let the traditions of this world try to convince you that YOU need to carry shame.   It will only make you less likely to serve God with all your heart.   If you are carrying shame, would anyone want the kind of Saviour you have?   Why would someone want an incomplete Saviour, one who could not even bear the burden of shame.   Ladies, Christ has already done that for you.   I can now accept Jesus’ death on the cross as enough to cover my shame.

I never thought I would be able to share the pain of my past, loaded with shame, with anyone else, let alone glorify God with it.   But God has gently led me to the place where I can glorify Him with my past divorce and my current "colorful", "challenging" marriage, because I have nothing to be ashamed of and everything to glorify God for.

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