Have They No Shame?

Particularly within the most recent election cycle, a thought popular among pundits on both sides of the spectrum sounded something like this: “Have they no shame”? or, “These people just have no shame.” If the fruit of an absence of shame is foolishness, dissension, and maliciousness, then there would seem to be nothing wrong with the thought. However, the Bible does not quite depict the shame of man this way. “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (Phil. 3:18-19). The Christian can easily act on the notion that an unrepentant, unregenerate person is in some sense seeking the light, but because he has not quite obtained it, the reality of sinful habits and desires is still present. The Bible here, describes this unregenerate person, however, as striving for rebellion. They celebrate and affirm the things God hates. “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” (Rom. 1:32). Their end apart, from reconciliation through Christ, is secure in destruction. Rather than a guiltless conscience free from the effect of sin, this “enemy of the cross of Christ” bears a conscience enslaved to the reality of sin (Rom. 2:15). Shame is not absent, it is celebrated. Not innocent ignorance, but glorified depravity. In the human legal mind, we see the outward “levels” of sin to conclude the measure of goodness of man. “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7b). But as men condemned by the law, the Bible says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace…”(Rom. 3:23-24a).

            Now for those who have been reconciled to God through his Son (Eph. 2:16, Rom. 5:10), Philippians gives the contrast earlier in the chapter. “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3). When the “great exchange,” as Martin Luther puts it, was performed on the cross and executed in the life of the Christian, the shame I once gloried in was taken by Jesus himself so that my source of glory is now founded in the Son. I was never truly seeking the light (Rom. 3:11, Ps. 53:2-3), but Jesus sought me out (Luke 19:10). With a radical change in the source of glory comes a change in the goal to obtain. Paul summarizes the thought in verse 14 of Philippians 3, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The transformation God performs now results in slavery to Christ, not slavery to sin. “Innocent” not by ignorance, but innocent by the atoning blood of holy Jesus. As with the guaranteed end for the rebellious, the end is secure for the adopted. “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Phil. 3:20-21). As if there was a need to further stamp the contrast of our “glory source,” Paul provides it by giving some detail of our final destination - a vast chasm described in Luke 16 that separates Lazarus and the rich man. Our source of glory founded in Christ should result in resolute, servant devotion to Christ meant to permeate our words, deeds, and thoughts (Col. 3:17). Our source of glory founded in Christ is meant by His nature to draw us in ever deeper to the glorious Christ Himself. Therefore, while the world is content to glory in its self-seeking, natural shame, may we glory in the one Who is Himself glorious, and let the work that this glorious Christ is performing in us be on full display for a world in need to see.

Follow us on Social Media!