From the Cross: Shame

by David Chadwick

Shame is the negative feeling of worthlessness. It fuels thoughts like, “I am of no value. I am worthless. I am a bad person. I will never amount to anything.”

First, let’s take note of the difference between guilt and shame. Guilt, yesterday’s topic, believes, “I have done something wrong.” Shame believes, “I AM wrong.” If guilt wants to plague you because of your actions, shame wants to destroy your entire identity. You could even think of it like this: guilt provides the building blocks with which shame can build the house.

Once you find yourself living in shame, you will find that depression, despair, anxiety and so many other strongholds can walk right through the door and reside in your heart!

Shame is one of the first negative emotions mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 3:7). It came right after Adam’s and Eve’s fall. They felt guilty, but that quickly turned to shame as they became aware of their nakedness and felt the urgent need to cover themselves with animal skins. Did you know that “covered up” is actually the Hebrew word for atonement? Before the concept of atonement was fully realized, they killed an animal and used its skin to cover themselves, foreshadowing the need for the shedding of blood for the remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). I find it absolutely fascinating that long before Jesus ever came into this world, Adam and Eve immediately felt the need for atonement following their act of sin.

Jesus came and shed his blood, not only to forgive your sins, but also to give you a new identity. His life, death and resurrection came to heal not only our actions and behaviors, but our entire personhood! His salvation covers both sins of omission and commission. The evil things that we do intentionally and the good things we fail to do.

Jesus can release you from all shame, making you a brand new person. He adopts you into his family, where you become an inheritor of all he owns. Upon salvation, his perfect blood now pulsates through your royal veins! Your inheritance is now to live in HIS house, his dwelling place, forever. He is preparing that place for you right now for eternity.

Shame wants you to forget this truth! Its purpose is to cripple your life. Satan uses shame to render you ineffective for ministry and to keep you shackled to your former life and ways.

Jesus came to set us free (Galatians 5:1). He wants to crush the enemy’s lies (John 8:44) so that we are fully able to give our lives away (Mark 10:45).

Dear friends, don’t live in shame. Walk in your new identity, new purpose, new hope! It’s the only way to live! It’s the only path to freedom.