There’s a growing consensus (especially among ex-vangelicals) that God doesn't want us to feel ashamed about our sins. Instead of emphasizing the refreshment of confession and forgiveness, they teach that sin is no big deal because we're covered by God's grace.
This directly contradicts the message of Scripture.
When people treat sin as no big deal, they’re also treating Christ's death as no big deal. If our sins are simply understandable mistakes and committing them is “okay,” then why did Christ die such a terrible death for them?
There were similar heresies in the early church and Paul addressed them in Romans 6:
It's not "okay" to sin. It's shameful.
And that's why God's grace is incredible, wonderful, valuable, costly, and undeserved.
Our sins grieve our Lord. If we love Him, we'll be ashamed when we violate His loving commands (John 14:21; Ephesians 4:30; Titus 2:11-12).
Additional Notes:
↪ The book of James was written to believers and James 4:7-10 tells us that we should grieve, mourn, and wail when we are “double-minded”- having a worldly attitude toward our sins:
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
↪ The book of 1 Corinthians was also written to believers and it says in 15:34: “Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God--I say this to your shame.”
↪ Ephesians 4:17-19 describes non-Christians as lacking shame: “With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.”
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
↪ The book of 1 Corinthians was also written to believers and it says in 15:34: “Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God--I say this to your shame.”
↪ Ephesians 4:17-19 describes non-Christians as lacking shame: “With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.”
Types of shame:
Christians typically differentiate between "conviction" and "guilt," or "shame." Scripture doesn't make that distinction. However, there are healthy and unhealthy forms of shame.
Unhealthly shame: Feeling guilty for things we didn’t do, feeling unforgiven when we have sincerely repented, or letting Satan give us false shame. Satan doesn't convict us of specific sins. He gives us a general sense of shame and hopelessness.
Healthy shame: When God convicts us of specific sins, we respond with sorrow/shame, ask forgiveness, and repent (turn from the sin). And God forgives us!
Christians typically differentiate between "conviction" and "guilt," or "shame." Scripture doesn't make that distinction. However, there are healthy and unhealthy forms of shame.
Unhealthly shame: Feeling guilty for things we didn’t do, feeling unforgiven when we have sincerely repented, or letting Satan give us false shame. Satan doesn't convict us of specific sins. He gives us a general sense of shame and hopelessness.
Healthy shame: When God convicts us of specific sins, we respond with sorrow/shame, ask forgiveness, and repent (turn from the sin). And God forgives us!
Bible Love Notes
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