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by Barbara Latta
For God
knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be
like God, knowing good and evil. (Genesis
3:5 NKJV)
But the temptation
to know everything sucked Adam and Eve into the trap.
They became
acquainted with evil.
God brought the
skins of a slain animal to cover the guilt. The couple was forgiven.
But the shame
continued Their minds probably ran away with the accusations that came from the
mouth of their tempter. “You are bad.” “Look at what you did.” “The human race
is doomed because of you.”
This is what
the devil does. He tempts and then when we give in, he accuses and condemns us.
Even since the
Garden humans have dealt with guilt and shame.
Guilt is tied
to what we do. Guilt says, “I did
bad.”
Shame is tied
to who we perceive we are. Shame says, “I am
bad.”
God gave us a
conscience so we would know right from wrong. But once we repent, He doesn’t
want us to live in guilt and shame.
Guilt pricks us due to a wrong behavior. Our conscience tells us something is wrong, and we need to repent.
But after we receive
forgiveness shame can remain if we don’t live in our righteous identity in
Christ.
Shame can lock
onto the mind and condemn us for the behavior that has been forgiven. Shame can
cause addictions because the person is seeking to medicate the pain of past sins.
The Lord gives us 3 keys that unlock the
prison of guilt and shame.
1. Realize we have
been forgiven. We admit we are guilty sinners, but because of the blood of
Jesus, we don’t stay that way. If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
2. Dwell in the
presence of Christ to stay focused on the redemption we have been given. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine neither can you,
unless you abide in Me (John 15:4 NKJV).
3. Renew our minds
to agree with who God says we are. And do
not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God
(Romans 12:1-2).
Our identity is
not tied to our behavior. A born-again person’s identity is tied to Jesus.
Despite our sinful actions, we are a new creation in Christ in our spirit (2 Corinthians
5:17). Our soul (mind and emotions) must remain focused on the Word to cleanse
us from wrong beliefs.
We are not
shame. We are righteous.
Living in a
sense of shame is not the same thing as being referred to as shameless.
“Have you no
shame?” is directed toward those who continually commit evil acts.
What they
really are is conscience-less. God
gave us a conscience to direct us from right and wrong. Even a person who is
not born again has a sense of good and evil unless they continue to ignore the
nudge and their heart becomes hardened. The conscience no longer directs. Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own
conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:2).
Jesus left the Holy Spirit on the earth when he ascended to heaven. He is called the Comforter for a reason. He comforts, He does not condemn. He shows us the way, He does not shame us.
A victorious life depends on knowing who we are in Christ. There is no room for shame or guilt because it has been dealt with at the cross. Our place is to receive that truth and become free. If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32).
Only the truth
that is known sets us free.
Join the
conversation and share your thoughts.
TWEETABLES
3 Keys That Unlock the Prison of Guilt and Shame (click to tweet)
Beautiful reminders that God's love brings grace, forgiveness, and freedom.
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful for His love and forgiveness. Thanks for sharing, Nancy. Blessings!
DeleteThank you for breaking down guilt and shame for us. I like how you stress that God does not want us to live in guilt and shame after we repent. A great reason to let it go!
ReplyDeleteYes, Candyce, if we could only agree with what God says about us we could avoid so much pain. Thanks so much for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteBarbara, I am so happy to have found your blogspot! You never told me about it! Found it quite by accident! Thank you for the beautiful words in Jesus Christ you write! Blessings! 🙏
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm not sure why your name doesn't post, but I appreciate your reading and commenting. Blessings!
DeleteWhat a beautiful message of God's love and the assurance of His forgiveness. Many of us carry around the guilt of past mistakes and it robs our life of joy. Your post gives hope to the hurting. Thank you, Barbara.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, I think forgiving ourselves is sometimes harder than forgiving others. We tend to beat ourselves up for what God has already washed away. Thank you for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteOne of the best posts I think you've ever written Ms. Barb; and you've written a great many fantastic ones ma'am. Surely enjoyed your wisdom and encouragement here ma'am. Understanding how shame can live with us long after the guilt has been removed is an important part of learning to give ourselves grace.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, J.D. I have enjoyed much wisdom from your posts as well. Those cows of yours can sure teach us a lot. We do need to learn to give ourselves the grace that Christ has extended to us. Blessings!
DeleteVery good analysis, Barbara. I especially like how you differentiate between shameless and conscience-less. And the verses you chose are spot-on. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Annie, for your insights and for stopping by. Blessings!
DeleteI had to learn to forgive myself. I could accept Gods forgiveness but not my own. Until I realized I was denying everything Jesus had done for me through my unforgiveness. Beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I had to learn to forgive myself also. You are right, when we withhold forgiveness from ourselves, we deny what Christ did for us. Thank for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteBarbara, I appreciate the truths you shared, especially this: “A victorious life depends on knowing who we are in Christ. There is no room for shame or guilt because it has been dealt with at the cross.” Amen!
ReplyDeleteOur battle is in focusing on the identity Christ gave us. I think that's why we are attacked with this truth more than any other. Thanks so much for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteI love the keys to overcome these feelings of shame and guilt. I pray lots of people learn the truth in Christ. Thanks for sharing Barbara
ReplyDeleteYvonne, I also pray for eyes to be opened. When we accept the truth that God forgives and accepts us, we are set free. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!
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