No Shame?

I pulled onto Highway 72 from the street beside Lowes. I was going west. Just before I got to Walmart, a lady talking on her cell phone whipped over in the front of me, hit her brakes, and almost immediately turned right into the Walmart parking lot—no signal. I was lucky I didn’t cream her or get creamed by the car right on my rear bumper. It made me so mad! I followed her into the Walmart parking lot. When she finally parked I pulled right up behind her. I told her, “You need to learn how to drive that @#$% car and get off the @$#% cellphone.”

You look at me with your mouth dropped open. “You said what?” “I should have told her a lot more than that. She deserved everything she got and more.” “You ought to be ashamed,” you finally say. “Why, I hear words like that at the office every day. Furthermore, I hear lots more Christian use similar four letter words than you might think. Ashamed, why should I be ashamed?” Fortunately, this is not a true story, although it could well have been. Think with me for just a minute.

After Adam and Eve had eaten from the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3, God spoke to them—

Genesis 3:9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." 11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked?

I have no doubt they hid partly because of fear, not knowing how God was going to react to their disobedience. However, just as much, I believe they were ashamed. God had placed them in this beautiful garden, a paradise on earth, and they wouldn’t honor Him but they listened to a liar and believed his deception. They truly should be ashamed!

It doesn’t have to be sin with our tongue or eating forbidden fruit. ANY sin should, yea even MUST bring us to shame before our God.

Ezra 9:5 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God. 6 And I said: "O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.

Ezra was “too ashamed and humiliated” to even look toward God because of the sins of God’s own chosen people. Sin, any sin, brings shame and is a reproach to any people.

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.

But what if I don’t feel shame for sin? What if I’d rather boast and brag about my conquest or my activities? After all, everyone else is doing the same thing? They all talk about what they did last night, who they were with, and how “we had a great time.”

The first statement to address is “everyone else is doing the same thing.” WRONG, no they are not. All those in your circle may be, but I strongly suggest you are in the wrong circle. If you don’t think so, then I’d suggest you have been blinded by a gradual association with those who are failing to practice righteousness because they have lost the sting of sin (1 Timothy 4:2).

Now for the first two questions—I don’t feel shame and I want to boast or brag about my activities. First, evaluate the activities. Are they righteous? Really?? Would you mind making a video and sending it home to mom? (Jesus already has His ‘video.’)

I have lived seventy years on God’s earth, yep, just a tired old man. I wrote everything above this last night, then this morning I saw a picture of a young lady sitting with a foot propped up on the sofa with lots of bare leg showing (obviously wearing shorts). I certainly won’t say such wouldn’t be done “in my day,” but neither would it have been plastered all over social media. Where is the shame for immodesty? It was very apparent there was none.

Have you and I become too proud to be ashamed? Jeremiah 8:12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed, Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; In the time of their punishment They shall be cast down," says the LORD.

There is another choice. Psalms 31:1 In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. We could stop the sinning and the boasting and turn to the Lord then we would have no need for shame.

Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

Oh, that we would be pierced with our sins as was David. When he kept silent (did not confess his sins) he hurt and groaned like a tired old man. But, when he confessed his sins to God he found forgiveness. How long since you have groaned (hurt inside and wept) because of sin?

Psalms 32:3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.

4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.

5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Wayne M Holt

May 2, 2016