Feeling Ashamed
The Bible teaches that there are some things that we should be ashamed of and there are other things that we should not be ashamed of. Ezra was ashamed of the sin that Israel had committed against God. He said: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens” (Ezra 9:6). David was ashamed of the transgressor. He wrote: “Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause” (Psalm 25:3). Isaiah was ashamed of idolatry. He wrote, “They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods” (Isaiah 42:17). We should be ashamed of some things.
There are things for which we must feel shame.
However, there are other things of which we should not be ashamed. The Psalmist wrote: “Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.” (Psalm 119:6). Paul said: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). He wrote to Timothy: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
The world tries to deny the shame that God has placed within sin. It tries to live with sin and without shame. Such a distortion of God’s creation brings shame upon the sinner whether he realizes it or not. However, God does not want us to live in such shame. He gives us His word so that we can live without shame. When we love and obey God, accepting the forgiveness that He offers through Jesus, we have no reason to be ashamed.