Welcome back to spirituality and mental health. I'm your host, Don Mackintosh and we've been talking about shame. And on our first look at same together, we looked at the, you know, the physiological effects, the scientific effects, or the scientific documentation of the effects of shame on our body. And then we looked at what spiritual response would be that is God pursues those who have been shamed. And secondly, then he begins to expose those who are doing the shameful things. But whether or not you've saved someone else and done something that's painful to someone else, or you've been shamed.

God loves each person he reaches out to both sides of the equation he came to seek and save those who are lost those who shame others are lost, in the sense of they've lost their way. And he also tries to reach those who have been shamed, even though they feel worthless. He says they are worthy. And this is God's radical pursuit. Let's look now more closely at how he radically pursues. This is what he does, he actually enters into the, the sin, this nakedness and the shame itself.

The Bible says that he became sin, He actually becomes shame not that he did sinful things, and did shameful things. But he actually entered into the central things or the shameful things. And that's what it says in the New Testament. Second Corinthians 521. He became sin. He was actually seen on the cross, as forsaken, Matthew 2746 says and the reason he was forsaken was because he was was seen as being the one had done the simple things for the shameful things.

He was cursing It says in Galatians 313, and hang down a tree. Now being hung on a tree was the most despicable, shameful way to die in the Roman world. And so he enters into the most shameful penalty for someone who has done shameful things. I gave my back to the spiders, my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spinning. Isaiah 50 verse six 750 years before Christ did this on the cross, it was prophesied that he would enter into the shame.

So he enters into the shame that is he, if you've done something shameful he enters into that he bears the burden of that he's borne the burden of that, if you've been shamed he enters in next to you is the whole idea. And this this graphic kind of summarizes it, you have these two circles here, and in the middle, you have the cross on one side, you see that infinite justice is paid on the cross. He Become sin, He becomes guilt. He becomes shame and he takes the penalty for that which is death on the cross. That's judgment. This is what happens when we've done sinful things to others.

Secondly, he not only enters into that he also provides infinite mercy. He reaches out in salvations. Just like we saw when he looked for Adam and Eve in the garden to hide them. He gives them assurance of His love and of His glory. I like how this author summarizes this. He suffered shame for us that we might not suffer everlasting shame and contempt.

He suffered on the cross that mercy might be granted to fallen man. God's justice is preserved and guilty man is pardoned. Jesus dies, that the center my live shame is borne by the son of the highest for the sake of poor centers, that they might be ransomed and crowned. with eternal glory, look at that shame is borne by the son of the highest for the sake of who you and me whether or not I've shamed other people or been shamed. That shame is borne by the son of the highest, that we might be ransom brought back and crowned with eternal glory. Through the payment of the just penalty, Christ could with no shame, reach out in mercy to both those who abused others and those who have been abused.

And that probably includes everybody here includes You, me, everyone, and some way perhaps we've been abused. In some way we Pat perhaps abused others. It became him, for whom are all things and by whom are things in bringing many sons and the glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering. For both he that sanctify us and they who are being sanctified or have one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren, so he enters into the sufferings that we have, let's say, you're suffering from something today. I don't know what it is something that you've done or something that has been done to you and your suffering. He entered into that.

Now, not only did he enter into that, he actually enters into it to the extent that he went to the end of that suffering and died. So that's the message of the Bible, the message of the Bible is that he enters into the suffering and shame and he actually dies. And that can give us freedom because he paid the penalty. Let's say we save someone else, or that can give us a sense of worth because he did that for us if we were shamed. Does that make sense? So probably one of the biggest abusers in the Bible would be the Apostle Paul.

He also wrote most of the New Testament which means even though he was a very shameful person, he actually came out of it and this is the whole purpose of Acts nine he realizes he's been abusing Christ and the body of Christ the church. He then explicitly names his abusive behaviors in a most public fashion. And he doesn't many times, you find that an X 22 426 11 one, First Corinthians 15, nine and Galatians 113. He's basically able to talk about the sample things he did. By the way, that's one of the victories to shame as well. Being able to talk about it the first time if they want 15 he says this, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.

Like Christ Jesus came in the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. But then he can say, even though he's the chief of sinners, done many shameful things, you know, he's killing Christians and, and hunting them down and taking false witnesses against them very shameful things. Even though that he realizes then what Christ has done for him and he can say this, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Where does the power of God unto salvation who everyone believes So if you believe, then you believe that God paid the debt for your sinful acts, then you can actually be used in talking about what you did that shameful how it was forgiven. And how it is that now you're able to share the good news with other people. And this is what happened.

Remember, in that case study in First Corinthians five where the person was doing something that shouldn't with a family member a case of incest, and second Corinthians seven, that perpetrator of incest was able to repent and come through it and then move forward with their life. So there's an assignment I want to give you and I'm gonna work through it here, but I'm gonna give it to you and and this is perhaps one of the most important assignments for someone who's dealing with shame. And that is to take the chapter of Isaiah 53 750 years before Christ, and it tells about Christ's suffering, his shame and all those different things. And as you go through that, As you read through Isaiah 53, as you read through Isaiah 53 kind of summarize the things that happened to Christ. Also think about maybe the New Testament stories. What happened to him?

And was he ever alone? Have you ever felt alone? Was he left alone? Was he? Did his disciples deserve him? Was he abandoned by those who should have taken care of him?

Was he betrayed? Have you ever been betrayed? Was he stripped naked? Maybe that's happened to you. Was he physically violated? Again, maybe this has happened to you?

Was he shamed and humiliated? Yes, he was and has this happened to you? Was he verbally and mentally abused? Where he was mocked and derided and, and terrible things were said about him and has that ever happened to you? Was he tempted to numb the pain? Someone tried to give him alcohol Have you ever tried to self medicate?

Are things that you've tried to do to numb the pain? Maybe prescription drugs, maybe alcohol, maybe marijuana, maybe something else? Have you ever been tempted to numb the pain? And was he rejected and forsaken? Those who have been abused or abused others in Isaiah 53 can see not only their actions, but also what Christ suffered. So that will basically so that he could build a bridge to wherever you are.

Because no one understands like Jesus or you're alone. He understands if you've been abandoned hander stance if you've been betrayed, he understands it. So what I'd like you to do on your sheet is put down what happened to him, and then what happened to you and see where those touch points are. Now, let me just say this. When you see those touch points when you see how it is that your story is connected with that story, Then you also see kind of the bridge where it is that he can help you. That's an old hymn written in 1875 by Philip bliss.

Man of sorrows. What a name for the Son of God who came ruin centers to reclaim hallelujah. What a savior, burying, shame and scoffing, rude in my place condemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood. Hallelujah. What a Seder. Can you see how this him is showing how he identifies?

Guilty, vile and helpless, we spotless Lamb of God, was he full atonement mean at one is what it meant atonement can it be? Hallelujah, which means Praise the Lord. What a savior, lifted up was he to die? It is finished. What's his cry, now in heaven? exalted Hi, hallelujah what a Savior.

When he comes our glorious King all his ransom home to bring this knew this song will sing. Hallelujah. What the Savior. So not only did he enter into what was happening not only was he alone abandoned, betrayed, stripped naked, physically violated, etc, it doesn't just end there. He died and then was resurrected. So this is why in that very chapter says, By his stripes, we can become healed.

We can die to our, our shame and our suffering and our sin by looking at what he did and we can have we can live with resurrection power, would you like to get out of that locked experience you're having because you've saved others or been saved. This is the key you can be healed by his stripes were healed, and you can actually be resurrected, and can become, begin despising the shame like it says in Hebrews 12, one and two, look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith who for the day joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame. So through looking to Jesus, from the start of his life to the end of his life, then we can learn to understand and despise the shame. Proverbs 11 to one pride cometh income with same but with the lowly is wisdom.

So then they're all the joyful result if we follow Christ by faith in Isaiah 53. It says here in First Corinthians six, nine through 11 no you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor feminine, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor violence, nor extortion, or shall inherit the kingdom of God, nonetheless, maybe you find yourself maybe I find myself maybe the things we've done that are shameful, but let's look at this really great person. Promise, verse 11, and such were some of you past tense were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, and the name of Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. So, a great weight should be lifted off our shoulders when we see not only what we've done and what others may have done to us, but how Christ entered into it and experienced it to its very end.

And this is a message of great hope, that we can we can be watched, we can be sanctified, we can be purify, we can be justified, and we can we can go forward with freedom. Now when we come back. In our part three of this, I want to just look at some practical steps in dealing with same join us when we come back. Okay, now let's look okay. Welcome back to spirituality and mental health. I'm your host Don Mackintosh, and we've been looking Looking at shame.

And this is our third part and looking at shame. And we want to look at some practical steps based on what we've learned so far. Number one, focus on how God lovingly pursues you. He loves you and longs to be with you, even though you send in done shameful things. And there's something powerful about that truth. If it's focused on it brings freedom from shame.

He doesn't give up on you even though you may have given up on yourself. He's pursuing you like we learn. Number two, focus on how he specifically goes about demonstrating in his own identity, with your sin and shame, both in the early part of his life, as the author of the faith we need and at the end of his life, where he becomes our sin and our shame. I gave you that assignment Isaiah chapter 53, to do that, and when we do that, we see He overcomes arson, and also our shame. And he actually comes out of it with resurrection power. One of the biggest things talked about throughout the new section of the Bible called the New Testament is resurrection power, you're dead, but then you live again.

And you might feel like you've dead because of what's happened to you or what you've done to someone else. But the whole idea here is if you can focus on how he entered into that and died for that, then and then was resurrected, then you enter into His resurrection. That's why sometimes people get baptized, they go down in to the water, like they're going down, dying to the old then they come up and resurrection power. So that's number two. So focus on how God lovingly pursued you. Focus on how he specifically goes about demonstrating and identifying with our sin and shame and then eradicating it.

When we see and consider what he's done. We must make a conscious decision like Paul did, to accept that this was done for us. I am done, I myself done or whatever your name, I am crucified with Christ, therefore I no longer live. In other words dead to my sin and shame Christ now lives in me. So in other words, we enter into His death. Not literally, you know, we're not asking someone to kill themselves, but symbolically I am crucified with Christ, therefore I no longer live.

So we kind of Die, die to the past. Sometimes people walk around as victims, they're victimized by what's happened in their whole life. And they're always avoiding stuff and they're doing this and they're doing that because in that dead, and so this is saying, hey, die to yourself, die to yourself and enter into Christ life and what he did and is doing for you. So, that's number two, number three. As a result, if you do this, you'll begin to fear God, not your past. Bible says fear God and give him glory.

Give Him glory, not your shame, not what happened to me in the past, the more you think about all the things that happen in your past and focus on them, the more glory you're giving them, but don't give them any more glory, give him glory, fear God and give him glory. I love this text. In Proverbs 1923, the fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction. He will not be visited with evil that's not in the note. So you might want to write it down proverbs 1923, the fear of the Lord leads to life and he who has it will abide in satisfaction. He will not be visited with evil.

I mean, this is the point. We're constantly being visited with evil if we keep reliving the shameful things we've done or been done to us don't do that. The fear Lord leads to life and who has it will abide in satisfaction. So, live more in the fear of God not in your past focus on how he gloriously dealt the death knell to my senate shame how he despised it, how he Did it so that I can rejoice. And I can rejoice not in me and what's been happening to me, but I can rejoice in him. And this then increasingly becomes my focus.

Even when I tell my story about what happened in my past or what I did to others in my past, it's with the intent of saying how he took care of it. And it's with the antenna and saying, how I can rejoice in him. Rejoice becoming filled with joy again, and again. That's what it means to read Joy, joy, joy, joy. And I rejoice not only my pain, my suffering, my shame, but in his promises. And then number four, I become a part of a new family, new parents in a new family.

Don't let your family of origin if it's been the one that has saved and be a little Jew, define who you are. Join a new family. Matthew 1246 to 50 Jesus one day was talking to his mother and brothers who are outside they tried to interrupt him from doing what his purpose was and and they said, you know your mother and brother Outside, he said, Who is my mother? And who are my brothers save those who do the will of my Father in heaven. So in other words, he was saying, look, yeah, I have my biological family. And if they're following God's will in this way, then I can rejoice and live with them, but maybe they're not.

And then I develop a new family, one that wants to do the will of God. And I have a new parent, I have new family. And then this verse that I just love Isaiah 50, verse seven, perhaps when you should memorize, for the Lord God will help me. Therefore I will not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like Flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. What a great first now let's say you've been physically violated, maybe last year, purity lost any semblance.

When you look at yourself in the mirror, say, Look, I'm used to remember all the terrible things don't do that. Look at yourself, like God does in Revelation 14 for these are they Which are not defiled with women for they are virgins. And they would follow the lamb they follow man wherever he goes, see, they might have done terrible things in the past they might have not seen as virtuous just like in his eco 16. When God looks at them, he sees them in him as virgins, because now they're falling the lamb wherever he goes. They're not impure, they're not unclean. they're seen as sanctified, purified, justified, look at yourself, like he looks at you.

These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits under God and to the land. So in other words, they're redeemed. This means, look, they did bad things, but they are redeemed. Why? How could they be redeemed because he entered into their shame he entered into the suffering they caused or whatever it is, and he lived and died for that so they could go free from it. They are redeemed from among men, and they're the first fruits on to God in other words, you know, he wants to wait and see So people you know what's happening.

And he wants to show what's going on and having these are the first fruits unto God and to the land, he waves them and said, Look, they've overcome sin. they've overcome shame. they've overcome suffering, not because of what they did, but because of what I did, and then what I did in them. And then Romans 116 can become your text and my text to it was Paul's text. For I'm not ashamed of the gospel. This is Godspell, not the devil spell.

You know, talking about your your abuse in a negative way. And looking down yourself is what the devil wants to do. That's the devil spell. But this is God's spell. But God, Godspell, that's the angle, the English word but God's spell for I'm not ashamed of the gospel, because it's the power of God that bring salvation to everyone who believes. Romans 1011 and everyone who believes in him will not be put Shame.

For I know the Lord will help me there for sale I'm not be confounded. Therefore I have set my face like Flint and I know that I shall not be the same, same, you are the same fool. You have no voice or power now in my life you have threatened, but I will not change my course. need to be disgraced, for you will not be put the same for you will forget the shame and will not remember the reproach anymore. You're washed, your sanctified you're justified