How does Jeremiah 8:12 highlight the importance of feeling shame for sin? Setting the Scene • Judah has persisted in idolatry, violence, and deceit. • Prophets and priests, who should have led repentance, instead whitewashed sin (Jeremiah 8:11). • God exposes the heart issue: a total loss of shame. Reading Jeremiah 8:12 “Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? They were not at all ashamed; they did not even know how to blush. Therefore they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse,” says the LORD. What God Points Out • “Not at all ashamed” – Sin no longer disturbs conscience. • “Did not even know how to blush” – Emotional callousness has set in. • “Therefore they will fall” – Judgment is linked directly to the absence of shame. Why Shame Is a Grace • It signals that conscience is still soft (Romans 2:14-15). • It presses the sinner toward confession and restoration (Psalm 51:3-4). • It safeguards the community from deeper corruption (Joshua 7:13). Consequences of No Shame • Hardened hearts invite harsher discipline (Hebrews 3:12-13). • Moral standards are inverted—evil becomes normal (Isaiah 5:20). • Leaders mislead, causing many to “fall among the fallen” (Jeremiah 8:12b). How to Cultivate Godly Shame Today • Stay close to God’s Word; it pierces and exposes (Hebrews 4:12). • Welcome the Spirit’s conviction instead of excusing sin (John 16:8). • Practice honest self-examination like David: “Search me, O God” (Psalm 139:23-24). • Acknowledge sin publicly when needed, following Ezra’s example (Ezra 9:5-6). • Embrace godly sorrow that leads to repentance, not worldly despair (2 Corinthians 7:10). Encouragement from Other Passages • Luke 18:13 – The tax collector’s shameful cry, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” ends in justification. • Jeremiah 31:19 – “After I returned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh. I was ashamed and even humiliated.” God welcomes such contrition. • Revelation 3:19 – “Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.” Shame under God’s rebuke is proof of His love. Feeling shame for sin is not humiliating defeat; it is a doorway God uses to bring His people back to holiness and joyful fellowship with Him. |
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