Manifestations of Shame   

Manifestations of Shame   

We might successfully hide shame from people, even from our immediate family, but we cannot hide the contents of our hearts from God. Many don’t consider shame detrimental to their walk with God and don’t put too much weight on the impact of shame on the human soul. After all, it is not murder, adultery, theft, or idolatry, or among the seven deadly sins. Yet shame is the very first sin manifested immediately after the Fall. Scripture reports the story of shame in Genesis 3:8-21, depicting two distinct manifestations. 

Concealment—Adam and Eve hid from God. They wanted to conceal their disobedience, but contrary to their efforts, their shame was quickly exposed; it has been paraded before humanity since the Scripture recorded it. 

Defensiveness—Adam and Eve had identical reactions to exposure to sin. Instead of taking full responsibility for their actions, they blamed others for their choices. They became defensive.

The story of Adam and Eve is a shared story of all humanity. As we point at the speck of Adam and Eve, can we see the log in our own eyes (Matthew 5:7)? Yes, we are also guilty and plagued by the same kind of shame. When confronted with our sins of disobedience we become defensive, covering our tracks, deflecting the truth, and rejecting accountability. Justifying one’s actions does not secure justification in the eyes of God. It only becomes a display of reckless trespassing. Have you ever wondered whether the course of human history differed had Adam and Eve confessed and repented instead of blaming others for their failure? We might still be in the Garden of Eden.  

Celebration of Shame 

Today, in post-modern society, the freedom of expression asserts the eradication of shame. Religious morality is cast away as old-fashioned biblical ethos. This is the old Garden of EDEN rebellion, repudiating sinful behaviors as shameful. The removal of biblical laws removes the societal moral compass: Everyone is doing what is right in their eyes (Judges 17:6). From this perspective, sin is not only tolerated but highly celebrated. Thus, these behaviors grant the person a great status and acknowledgment instead of shame. Shameful and secretive behaviors are now proudly flaunted to the world. People who practice them are exemplified as role models.

The contemptible twisting of the spiritual reality to fit one’s own “truths” doesn’t change God’s reality and His eternal Truth. It is a blunt naiveté to believe that our spout of rebellion will ever affect the Almighty God who was, is, and will be for all Eternity. Denial of God is a blindness of the soul. Psalm 139 is a testament to this deception, coming down to us from King David. It reveals God, who is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. 

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.  (Psalm 139)

And also,

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. (Psalm 33:13-15)

God, through the Prophet Isaiah, condemned the state of today’s abominable celebration of shameful practices. 

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (Isaiah 5:20)

We are called to love what is good and hate what is evil (Romans 12:9). Practices inconsistent with the Kingdom of God are evil. When sin becomes accepted and widely practiced in a society, it loses its appeal for judgment. This was valid for the people from the Prophet Jeremiah’s time, and it is valid for our own time today. 

Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them, says the Lord. (Jeremiah 6:15)

In the Prophet Jeremiah’s time, God’s people had gotten so accustomed to sin that they no longer felt guilty for engaging in those practices. So are we today. Shame is evidence of a working conscience. Shame is the “godly sorrow” that encourages repentance and leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:8-10). Ignoring the sense of shame and continuing in sinful practices will eventually lead one to be “seared in their conscience” and no longer be ashamed (1 Timothy 4:2). It is a deafness to the call of the Holy Spirit to run away from danger and death. It becomes one’s self-warranted destruction.