The Shame we Need
Personal Matters
Until the last few days I have never really considered the positive role shame might play in renewing the Church. Ministries devoted to releasing people from shame are numberless, but rare is that teaching which upholds shame as an agency of God in bringing us to spiritual maturity. This imbalance needs urgent review for two pressing reasons. Firstly, our culture is transitioning from a rule-based guilt society to a peer-reviewed shame-based one. The influence of social media is a major factor here. Secondly, when our largest Church is forced to publically admit before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, “We are the focus because our history of child sexual abuse is shameful, corrosive and complicit.”, then the Body of Christ needs to pay attention to the Holy Spirit’s language of shame. The scriptures testify that God indeed has a redemptive use for shame.
Fathers Shame
The Corinthian Church was plagued with multiple moral and spiritual problems all rooted in arrogance (1 Cor 4:6, 18). To remedy their pride Paul consistently applies a recipe for shame. First he employs sarcasm to expose the pretentiousness of the Corinthians, “Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! ….We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honour, but we in disrepute…..” (4:8-13). Then he brings the point home; “I do not write these things to bring you into shame, but to admonish you as my beloved children.” (4:14). Shame is a God-given sign that we were created in his image and its presence a sense of the loss of his glory (Gen 2:25; 3:7f; Rom 3:23). Godly ministry does not want to hold us in shame but through the Spirit use shame as a catalyst for repentance (cf. 2 Cor 7:9-11). Paul’s boldness about shame is a part of his role as the Church’s “father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (1 Cor 4:15). As their spiritual father he will not enjoy causing shame but will not withhold stern words as a means of inducing embarrassment (cf. 2 Cor 10:10). Concerning two problems raised later in 1 Corinthians he openly states, “I am saying this to shame you.” (6:5; 15:34).
This redeeming use of shame will only surprise us if our own hearts are so fearful of being shamed that we cannot embrace the testimony of scripture. The Lord at times exposed Israel to shame in order to shock her into repentance (Ezek 16:59-63; 43:10; Zeph 2:1-3). The whole Christian community is to own the necessary shaming of a sinful member; “If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.” (2 Thess 3:14). John warns of judgement so that shame now will free us from shame later, “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.” (1 John 2:28). Only one matter is weighty enough to want to see the Church shamed into a change of thinking and behaviour; our shaming of the name of the Lord.
Shaming God
God’s own eternal glory cannot be reduced by shame but he can be treated most dishonourably. The pagans who do not know God could never disgrace his covenant name and reputation, but a dissolute adulterous and idolatrous Israel “brought shame on my holy name” (Ezek 36:20, 23). Paul prophesied of the religiously arrogant of his day; “You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonour God by breaking it. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”” (Rom 2:23-24). Peter warns of a time when because of sensual false Christian teachers “the way of truth will be slandered” (2 Pet 2:2). Living in an era of a devastating Royal Commission and so many moral lapses amongst Christian leaders that they no longer shock us we must confess that Peter’s devastating predictions have found their fulfilment amongst us. Yet the Lord has his own paradoxical plan to restore spiritual health to his shameful Bride.
Hope in Shame
When Israel sluttishly dishonours her Husband he purposes to reveal himself in such rich goodness as to provoke unrestricted self-condemnation; ““I will restore your own fortunes…that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all that you have done…. I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you…. Then you will remember your evil ways and you will loathe yourselves.” (Ezek 16:53-53; 36:26, 32 cf. 20:40-44). In turning everything upside down for the sake of his reputation the Lord teaches his Wife Israel that the due punishment for dishonouring his holy name is deep shame (20:9, 14, 22; 36:21ff.). This heaven sent shame always causes repentance. How much more must this be true of Christ and the Church through a deepened understanding of the cross!
Central to the anguish of the cross is that Jesus “made himself of no reputation” (Phil 2:7 KJV). This means that in dying alone and apparently abandoned by the one whom he always named “Father” the honour of his God is publicly destroyed. At the heart of his cry, “My God…why have you forsaken me?” is the sense that the reputation of Jesus’ God appears to be publicly and irreversibly shamed (Mark 15:34). This was certainly the impression left on both the gloating chief priests and dispirited disciples on account of Jesus’ death (Matt 27:41-43; Luke 24:21). It is only by the resurrection that the honour of Father and Son is restored (Matt 28:17-20). The death-and-resurrection of Jesus demonstrates that a willingness to endure public shame for God’s honour is always followed by elevation to glory (Mark 14:36; Luke 21:12ff; Heb 2:9; 12:2; 1 Pet 5:6). It is in her refusal to accept the gift of shame from the crucified Lord that the Church in our land is stuck in spiritual immaturity.
The Shame we Need
The shame bearers of the Royal Commission, and all other bearers of “bad-news” stories about the Church, are on a sovereign divine mission to bring us the sort of shame Paul knew would return spiritual health to the Corinthians. Whenever religious pride is broken by heaven-sent shame revival follows. Where however are the spiritual fathers/mothers proclaiming that we need a shame-inducing Holy Spirit visitation in our churches? In our mouths should be found the cry of Daniel “To us O Lord belongs open shame” (Dan 9:7-8). In our hearts should be the “pleas for mercy” of all who see the glory of the pierced Son of Man (Zech 12:10; Mark 14:63; John 19:37; Rev 1:7). The absence of such shame-induced wailing from heaven is a sure sign that our Western Christianity is still controlled by pride. (It is not gay pride that the Spirit’s primary concern but Christian pride.) Only a fresh revelation of the Beauty of Christ for us can provoke us to unrestricted self-condemnation (Rom 2:4-5). Only a deeper insight into the honour of God’s name can persuade us that the reputation of Jesus is something worthy of feeling personal shame for. All this sounds so strange, doesn’t it? Which means it is either false and unbiblical or a vital part of the rediscovery of the gospel we so desperately need in our day. What do you think? Do we really need the Corinthian recipe or are we better than them?