The Shame of Sin

If I was asked to sum our culture up using only one word, I might choose "shameless." No one seems to be ashamed of anything. Let me provide an example. Recently a mother of twins, each of which had been conceived by a different father (see My Twins Have Different Dads, went on one of the national morning news shows to discuss her experience. Of course this story is sensational and I'm sure it grabbed ratings, but while I was watching it I just kept thinking, "Is any one ashamed of anything anymore?" Here was a woman who had had sex with two different men within a couple days time and, as a result, had ended up pregnant - one child with each man; but instead of feeling some shame for had taken place, she was on national television being celebrated as a wonder of human reproduction.

Puritan Thomas Watson, in his book The Doctrine of Repentance, lists the different elements of repentance, in which he includes shame. He writes that each of these are is a necessary element of repentance and argues that you cannot have true repentance without all of these. Here is Watson's list: the sight of sin, sorrow for sin, confession of sin, shame for sin, hatred for sin, and turning from sin.

If Watson is correct, and I think his assessment is quite biblical, then our culture is in deep trouble. We seem to have lost shame; in fact, we're often quite prideful about our own sin. Are you ashamed of anything in your past? If so,has that sense of shame lead you to your knees in repentance or led to guilt that further separated you from God.

Read a sermon on shame, The Shame of Repentance, by Pastor H. Leon Ben-EzraPastor of Faith Reformed Church, Erie, PA