Both the man and his wife were naked yet felt no shame. – Genesis 2:25
Adam and Eve were living in a Utopia. In this Utopia, they knew no shame. The definition of shame is a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. There had been no “foolish behavior.” Therefore, there was no reason to feel shame.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. – Genesis 3:7
Then, sin entered, and with their folly came shame. Suddenly, they noticed their nakedness and desperately tried to shield their nudity.
And [Adam] said, “I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” Then [God] asked, “Who told you that you were naked?” – Genesis 3:10-11
No one needed to tell Adam and Eve they were naked. It was something they just knew, and when God came around, even their fig leaves couldn’t cover their humiliation.
The Lord God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and he clothed them. – Genesis 3:21
God introduced redemption when He lovingly made them clothing. This was the first time in the Bible God erased shame, but it certainly wasn’t the last. Throughout His Word comes the forgiveness of sin and the removal of guilt.
“For I will forgive their wrong doing, and I will never again remember their sins.” – Hebrews 8:12
As believers in Jesus, why do we often struggle with the very thing God has removed?
[Satan] was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. – John 8:44
The enemy of this world loves to make us feel defeated. So, he whispers lies that tell us we are unworthy of the redemption God has already given. But, there is NO truth in him; all he tells us are fabrications. So, why do we choose to believe him? Why do we choose to accept his disparaging words as truth? Why do we think we are still clothed with fig leaves when God has given us better?
“What is impossible with man is possible with God.” – Luke 18:27
We cannot rid ourselves of shame; it’s impossible. “But what is impossible with man is possible with God.” Jesus bore our shame when He died on the cross. We have been set free from sin.
We do not need to accept satan’s lies as gospel truth. Instead, we need to accept the Gospel as our only truth.
And this is what He promises:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus…What the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh God did.” – Romans 8:1&3
God did it. He saved us. He eradicated our shame. We are His, and we are loved.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38
You are Loved!
Jennifer
