Topical Bible: Character of the Wicked: Glorying in Their Shame

Bible > Topical > Character of the Wicked

◄ Character of the Wicked: Glorying in Their Shame ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of the wicked glorying in their shame is a recurring theme in the Bible, illustrating the moral and spiritual depravity that characterizes those who turn away from God. This behavior is marked by a perverse pride in actions and attitudes that are contrary to God's commandments and moral order.

Biblical References:

1. Philippians 3:18-19 : "For as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things." This passage highlights the tragic state of those who reject the message of the cross. Instead of seeking the glory of God, they find pride in their sinful desires and pursuits, which ultimately lead to their destruction.

2. Isaiah 5:20 : "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter." This verse underscores the moral inversion that occurs when individuals glory in their shame. By celebrating what is evil and rejecting what is good, they demonstrate a profound distortion of moral values.

3. Hosea 4:7 : "The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; they exchanged their Glory for a thing of disgrace." Here, the prophet Hosea laments the spiritual decline of Israel, as the people exchanged the glory of God for disgraceful idols and practices. This exchange signifies a deliberate choice to revel in what is shameful rather than honoring God.

4. Romans 1:28-32 : This passage describes the depraved mind of those who have rejected God, listing a series of sinful behaviors and attitudes. It concludes with the acknowledgment that such individuals not only practice these things but also approve of others who do them. This approval and celebration of sin reflect a glorying in shame.

Theological Implications:

The glorying in shame by the wicked is a manifestation of a heart that is hardened against God. It reveals a deep-seated rebellion and a preference for self-indulgence over divine truth. This behavior is not merely a passive state but an active choice to embrace and celebrate what is contrary to God's will.

From a theological perspective, this condition is symptomatic of a fallen world where sin distorts human understanding and values. The wicked, in their pride, fail to recognize the true source of glory, which is found in God alone. Instead, they seek fulfillment in temporal and base desires, leading to spiritual blindness and eventual judgment.

Moral and Ethical Considerations:

The Bible warns against the dangers of glorying in shame, urging believers to remain vigilant and discerning. Christians are called to uphold God's standards and to avoid the influence of those who celebrate sin. The apostle Paul, in his letters, frequently exhorts the faithful to live in a manner worthy of the gospel, contrasting the life of the righteous with that of the wicked.

In practical terms, this means rejecting the cultural and societal norms that promote sinful behavior as acceptable or even desirable. Believers are encouraged to find their identity and worth in Christ, who transforms shame into glory through His redemptive work on the cross.

Conclusion:

The character of the wicked, as depicted in the Bible, serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. Glorying in their shame, they exemplify a life devoid of true purpose and meaning, ultimately leading to spiritual ruin. The call to Christians is to remain steadfast in their faith, seeking the glory that comes from God and living as lights in a darkened world.

Nave's Topical Index

Philippians 3:19
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Nave's Topical Index

Library

"Boast not Thyself of To-Morrow, for Thou Knowest not what a Day ...
... thou didst apprehend that thou received it, where then is glorying? ... 18:23,) as Solomon
gives the character of him. ... I am, that many boast of wicked designs, and ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon vi boast not thyself.htm

Second Sunday Before Lent
... The wicked and the frivolous do that." But the ... the false apostles are careful to
avoid glorying thus; for ... hand wherewith Paul portrays the character of false ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol ii/second sunday before lent.htm

section second.
... perverse," in which Paul describes this wicked generation, have ... the Messiah, who
in his true character was the ... a glorying in self-abasement; a glorying, to wit ...
/.../the epistle of paul to the philippians practically explained/section second.htm

The Lord's Day --The Worship of the Apostolic Church --Its ...
... true history reveals facts of a very different character. ... away from among
you.....Your glorying is not ... away" from among themselves "that wicked person." Had ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/chapter i the lords daythe.htm

1 Cor. xiii. 4
... but their doctrine: not the man, but the wicked conduct, the ... are not yet able to
receive my glorying; and I ... men from error, and to reform the character, and to ...
/.../homily xxxiii 1 cor xiii.htm

The Battle of the Books, 1749-1755.
... opinion, and still regarded them as wicked Antinomians ... abuse; and he gallantly defended
the character of Rimius ... rejoiced as alabaster doves; and, glorying in the ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter xiii the battle of.htm

2 Cor. Ii. 12, 13
... "For our glorying is this ... Hence we both easily fall into wicked doings, and even
if we do ... next, because thou asketh things at variance with the character of thy ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily v 2 cor ii.htm

For whom did Christ Die?
... impious, the godless"can Christ love these for their character? ... godly, the impious
pious, the wicked obedient, and ... believed in, and then all glorying is at ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 20 1874/for whom did christ die.htm

This HomilyWas Delivered on the Occasion of the Prefect Entering ...
... is of no diversified or difficult character, or such ... he happened to find a necessity
for glorying, he shews ... thy brethren precipitated into the wicked custom of ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xvi this homily was.htm

Washed to Greater Foulness
... is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can ... to see his own heart
and he ceases from all glorying. ... men; if, in a word, his character had not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/washed to greater foulness.htm