No Shame

Have you ever done something of which you were latter ashamed of?...I think most of us, if we  are honest will have to confess that this is true of ourselves…often we carry the guilt and shame  of past actions and or thoughts around with us as if it is some sort of “negative badge of honor”. Other times the shame of past words ,  actions and thoughts linger;  and we just wish we could jettison them from our lives once and for all.

Often, even after we have come to believe in Jesus Christ and are immersed in His grace, we still feel the sting of shame, we succumb to the flesh or have a momentary lapse of judgment, or whatever, and the next thing we know thoughts, words or actions are coming forth that we latter are ashamed of and we feel as if no one would want us or want to be near us….We feel ashamed.

Well, whatever we have done or whatever is in our past that hounds us, whatever we are ashamed of; whatever it is, for whatever reason we are ashamed of who and what we are, what we might, in the view and estimation of humanity be something for which we find ourselves withdrawing and cowering in our shame, whatever our limitation(s) whatever we are ashamed of….Let me tell you this, Jesus loves you and understands you!

At times we tend to think of Jesus’ sensibilities being offended by our brokenness.  Well, He is not.

 He knows and understands exactly who and what we are , yet loves us and accepts us in spite of our selves.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin”.Heb:4:15

This means that Jesus  “gets” our humanity. He understands us.  There is  nothing in our condition that He is unaware of,  or unfamiliar with. He knows what we are. He is not shocked by our behavior. That does not mean He approve of it, it just means that He understands what we go through and why we are as we are, and He can ,and is willing to help us.  After all,  it is while we still lived in a life style of sin that He died for us.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rm: 5:8

We did not have to become good enough to experience salvation, it came while we still lived our lives in ignorance of, or avoidance, of Jesus Christ. He has reached out to you and all of us and has, and is, and will include you into the love of God. 

But we might protest that “there are things that I am ashamed of in my life”…Well in spite of our shame in our ourselves, Jesus is not ashamed of you or me.  Nor is He ashamed of His relationship with or His association with us.

“Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

“He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises. And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me." Heb: 2:11-13

He declares that He is there with us and is  unashamed to be so. He is grateful to God the Father for us.

This for us is nothing to be ashamed of. 

Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor

Fountain of Life Church

Washington, Pa 

Fountain of Life Broadcast heard on RKP Radio 1710 & 1670 in Washington, Pa.

And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com