Category Archives: Unashamed

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Ashamed, Bible, Family, Hebrews, Sanctification, Scripture, Unashamed

ALL IN THE FAMILY

HEBREWS 2:11

“For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,”

In the 1970’s there was a sitcom that aired for nine seasons, ending in 1979. In this sitcom, Archie Bunker, a bigoted taxi driver, lives with his wife, daughter and son-in-law. We got to experience life in this family as they dealt with Archie’s ongoing antics toward just about anybody who disagreed with his worldview. Archie’s love for his family, however, was never in doubt. Family was important to him.

Don’t you just love this verse today? Look at it. We are told 1) we are all from one Father and 2) He is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. That is just a precious promise. The word “ashamed” is epaischunomai. It “describes the inner response of being embarrassed, disgraced, or reluctant to identify with someone or something.” (Topical Lexicon) Once you are adopted into the family of God through His sanctification, He will never be ashamed to call you “brothers and sisters.” The word sisters isn’t in the Greek text but is implied in the context. We are all in the family.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

The Promise to claim is clear to see, right? Because of His sanctification we are in the family. I just said that above, but it bears repeating. I can’t recall the number of people who think if they ever “mess up,” they have to earn their way back into the family. That is not how this works. It is clear that He will not be ashamed of us. Any parent can get disappointed at the action of a child, but none should ever be ashamed to call them their child. I know some of my actions displease the Father, but I am still His child – forever!

There’s an Application to make here, as well. If I am in the family, I need to live like it. I have a friend who was raised by his grandmother. She used to always tell him as he left the house, “Don’t forget your last name.” That meant he was not to do anything to bring shame on the family name. We represent God’s family. We need to remember that as we choose our words or before we do something that is perhaps questionable. Don’t shame the name of Christ!

I would never want to do anything that would bring shame on the family of God. One of my biggest heartaches is when I hear of another brother or sister in Christ who has yielded to temptation and brought ridicule on all believers by the world. If we all lived as worthy of our sanctification, we would see less and less of that. Agreed? Let’s all live like it. After all, we are all in the family.

I give You praise for adopting me into Your big, beautiful family.

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An angry woman shouting and pointing her finger at a sad young boy.
Bible, Isaiah, Romans, Scripture, Shame, Unashamed

NO SHAME

ROMANS 10:11

“For the Scripture says, ‘WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.’”

I was so fortunate as a child that my parents did not shame me. They laid a good bit of the ole hickory stick to a certain part of my anatomy, but they never shamed me. I was also blessed that I never had a teacher who thought shaming a student was a good idea. No, I was always encouraged. Shaming someone into a correct behavior never works long term. You may get an immediate reaction, but it won’t stick.

Paul goes back to Isaiah in today’s verse. In Isaiah 28:16 we read, “Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, A precious cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. The one who believes in it will not be disturbed.’” In the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, kataischuno is used to translate the Hebrew word for “disturbed,” which just so happens to be the same word Paul uses which is translated as “shame.” It seems Paul had this passage on his mind, as his mind was always on Christ.

APPLICATION

Some scholars think Paul had Psalm 25:3 in mind. “Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.” What a contrast – unashamed or shamed. Which do you prefer? Having spent almost forty years working with children, I can tell you some horror stories of shame heaped on them by adults in their lives. Nobody, much less a child, should be shamed. Held accountable? Yes, but not shamed.

God will never, ever shame you. If you are feeling shamed by some behavior you are in, that is not of God. God will confront you of your sins. That’s because He loves you. He does that to draw you close, not shame you away. Shame causes you to cower and shrink, not grow. And God is all about growth. Shameful behavior needs to be stopped. But know where that shame is coming from – the one who will do anything to keep you in his grip and under his thumb (the devil).

I love 1 Corinthians 1:27 where Paul writes, “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,…” God will take care of the “wise” and the “strong” of this world. He can put them in their place when they rebel against Him. But you, dear child of God, He wants to lift up and remove any shame. Come to Him today and feel His unashamedly, passionate love for you.

I know I can approach You, Lord, without any shame. You only want to help me grow and flourish in my walk with You.

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