“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1
‘Shame’ is viewed by many in our postmodern, post-moral society as an archaic remnant of a puritanical past, thankfully left behind by educated, enlightened and psychologically sophisticated people. At worst, it is seen as an abusive, though effective, tool crafted by religious leaders to manipulate and dominate the weak. God’s revelation to us about the things really are, however, speaks repeatedly and unapologetically about true, and clearly deserved, shame. Our first parents hid in shame from God and each other. This pattern has continued in every culture since. It is a telltale indictment of our day that there is such a concerted effort to remove it from the human experience: if there actually is no good or evil, no right or wrong, then there is no legitimate basis for shame. But Jesus Christ, God himself, bore the shame of our true moral guilt so that those who are His should not be ashamed on the final day! We can know now the cleansing of our consciences to serve the Holy God with joy and confidence.