2 Timothy 2:15
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth."
What do I mean "Shame," who's Shame, what kind of Shame? The shame I'm talking about is what we feel inside. Do we claim the name of Jesus as our Saviour? Are we afraid to say we believe in a man that History says He died for our sins, and we believe just by Faith.
We must remember that the Pastoral Epistles were written against a background of those Gnostic's who produced their long words and their fantastic theories, and tried to make Christianity into a philosophy instead of an adventure of faith. Let's take ourselves into God's Word in order to understand this word "Shame."
Our experience of shame is this: It is a feeling about self, but always conscious of the grace of others. It is the feeling that we not measure up and also the fear that others will see this within us. However, shame is not the final conclusion we make about ourselves. It is a painful awareness that keeps us from resting in our fallen state. we seek defense from accusations or refuge from the threat of judgment, or some shred of grace from a merciful Judge. "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf," (1 Peter 4:16).
Only by knowing and believing in God, and Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, will we find more than a shred of grace; but rooms of White Linen to Clothe us in His Grace. This my friends is the Christian gospel! One which we must proclaim to ourselves and to others as we live daily under the burden of the remaining darkness within us. God uses this to reverse Satan's use of shame. Satan wants our shame to drive us away from God and in to the bushes. God wants our shame to drive us to Himself to be clothe in White Linen. "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels," (Is. 61:10).
Amen!
Ref: (HG SB)
Our experience of shame is this: It is a feeling about self, but always conscious of the grace of others. It is the feeling that we not measure up and also the fear that others will see this within us. However, shame is not the final conclusion we make about ourselves. It is a painful awareness that keeps us from resting in our fallen state. we seek defense from accusations or refuge from the threat of judgment, or some shred of grace from a merciful Judge. "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf," (1 Peter 4:16).
Only by knowing and believing in God, and Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, will we find more than a shred of grace; but rooms of White Linen to Clothe us in His Grace. This my friends is the Christian gospel! One which we must proclaim to ourselves and to others as we live daily under the burden of the remaining darkness within us. God uses this to reverse Satan's use of shame. Satan wants our shame to drive us away from God and in to the bushes. God wants our shame to drive us to Himself to be clothe in White Linen. "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels," (Is. 61:10).
Amen!
Ref: (HG SB)
May God Bless You
And Your Family
Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.
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