Day 10/8 – Guilt and Shame

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
Guilt and Shame
Day Two Hundred Eighty-one

“Come to your right mind, and sin no more. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.” 1 Corinthians 15:34

People can be guilty without feeling a sense of guilt and shame. Dietrich Bonhoffer, the German Lutheran pastor, was executed for plotting Hitler’s death. He freely admitted his guilt, but gave no indication that he felt guilty, and his death carried no shame for him. Many consider him a martyr.

You do not have to rebel to incur guilt. All violations of God’s commandments bring guilt in an objective sense. “But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating.”359 You need the blood of Christ to satisfy God’s wrath, not only for the sins you willfully commit, but also for those transgressions of which you are not aware.

Guilt is the consequence of sin, irrespective of the sinner’s attitude or feelings of guilt. You can rebel against the commandments of God and feel justified doing it. Consequently the sin carries no shame. For example, a person in an unhappy marriage divorces, knowing that Scripture prohibits such a course of action. But because of the circumstances, he feels God’s law ought to make an exception for him, and thus he feels no guilt or shame.

When you know you have broken the commandments of God, but have lost your sense of shame, your guilt is compounded. People hide “because their deeds are evil.”360 At least such people can identify their guilt, becoming candidates for the grace of God. But if you are guilty and feel no shame, what is your motive to repent?

359 Luke 12:48
360 John 3:19-20

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Isaiah 30-31 Philippians 4 (New King James Version)

Isaiah 30-31
Futile Confidence in Egypt
30
“Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord,
“Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who [a]devise plans, but not of My Spirit,
That they may add sin to sin;
2
Who walk to go down to Egypt,
And have not asked My advice,
To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh,
And to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
3
Therefore the strength of Pharaoh
Shall be your shame,
And trust in the shadow of Egypt
Shall be your humiliation.
4
For his princes were at Zoan,
And his ambassadors came to Hanes.
5
They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them,
Or be help or benefit,
But a shame and also a reproach.”
6 The [b]burden against the beasts of the South.
Through a land of trouble and anguish,
From which came the lioness and lion,
The viper and fiery flying serpent,
They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys,
And their treasures on the humps of camels,
To a people who shall not profit;
7
For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose.
Therefore I have called her
[c]Rahab-Hem-Shebeth.
A Rebellious People
8
Now go, write it before them on a tablet,
And note it on a scroll,
That it may be for time to come,
Forever and ever:
9
That this is a rebellious people,
Lying children,
Children who will not hear the law of the Lord;
10
Who say to the seers, “Do not see,”
And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things;
Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
11
Get out of the way,
Turn aside from the path,
Cause the Holy One of Israel
To cease from before us.”
12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel:
“Because you despise this word,
And trust in oppression and perversity,
And rely on them,
13
Therefore this iniquity shall be to you
Like a breach ready to fall,
A bulge in a high wall,
Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.
14
And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter’s vessel,
Which is broken in pieces;
He shall not spare.
So there shall not be found among its fragments
[d]A shard to take fire from the hearth,
Or to take water from the cistern.”
15 For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
But you would not,
16
And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”—
Therefore you shall flee!
And, “We will ride on swift horses”—
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!
17
One thousand shall flee at the threat of one,
At the threat of five you shall flee,
Till you are left as a [e]pole on top of a mountain
And as a banner on a hill.
God Will Be Gracious
18
Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
19
For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;
You shall weep no more.
He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
When He hears it, He will answer you.
20
And though the Lord gives you
The bread of adversity and the water of [f]affliction,
Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore,
But your eyes shall see your teachers.
21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.
22
You will also defile the covering of your images of silver,
And the ornament of your molded images of gold.
You will throw them away as an unclean thing;
You will say to them, “Get away!”
23
Then He will give the rain for your seed
With which you sow the ground,
And bread of the increase of the earth;
It will be [g]fat and plentiful.
In that day your cattle will feed
In large pastures.
24
Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground
Will eat cured fodder,
Which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan.
25
There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
26
Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.
Judgment on Assyria
27
Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar,
Burning with His anger,
And His burden is heavy;
His lips are full of indignation,
And His tongue like a devouring fire.
28
His breath is like an overflowing stream,
Which reaches up to the neck,
To sift the nations with the sieve of futility;
And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people,
Causing them to err.
29
You shall have a song
As in the night when a holy festival is kept,
And gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute,
To come into the mountain of the Lord,
To [h]the Mighty One of Israel.
30
The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard,
And show the descent of His arm,
With the indignation of His anger
And the flame of a devouring fire,
With scattering, tempest, and hailstones.
31
For through the voice of the Lord
Assyria will be [i]beaten down,
As He strikes with the rod.
32
And in every place where the staff of punishment passes,
Which the Lord lays on him,
It will be with tambourines and harps;
And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it.
33
For Tophet was established of old,
Yes, for the king it is prepared.
He has made it deep and large;
Its pyre is fire with much wood;
The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone,
Kindles it.
The Folly of Not Trusting God
31
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
And rely on horses,
Who trust in chariots because they are many,
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
Nor seek the Lord!
2
Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster,
And will not [j]call back His words,
But will arise against the house of evildoers,
And against the help of those who work iniquity.
3
Now the Egyptians are men, and not God;
And their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out His hand,
Both he who helps will fall,
And he who is helped will fall down;
They all will perish together.
God Will Deliver Jerusalem
4 For thus the Lord has spoken to me:
“As a lion roars,
And a young lion over his prey
(When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him,
He will not be afraid of their voice
Nor be disturbed by their noise),
So the Lord of hosts will come down
To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.
5
Like birds flying about,
So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem.
Defending, He will also deliver it;
Passing over, He will preserve it.”
6 Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. 7 For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.
8
“Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man,
And a sword not of mankind shall devour him.
But he shall flee from the sword,
And his young men shall become forced labor.
9
He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear,
And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,”
Says the Lord,
Whose fire is in Zion
And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Footnotes:
• Isaiah 30:1 Lit. weave a web
• Isaiah 30:6 oracle, prophecy
• Isaiah 30:7 Lit. Rahab Sits Idle
• Isaiah 30:14 A piece of broken pottery
• Isaiah 30:17 A tree stripped of branches
• Isaiah 30:20 oppression
• Isaiah 30:23 rich
• Isaiah 30:29 Lit. the Rock
• Isaiah 30:31 Lit. shattered
• Isaiah 31:2 retract

Philippians 4
Be Anxious for Nothing; Think These Thoughts
4 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.
Be United, Joyful, and in Prayer
2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 [a]And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your [b]gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Meditate on These Things
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippian Generosity
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your[c] care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to [d]be abased, and I know how to [e]abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through [f]Christ who strengthens me.
14 Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. 15 Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. 18 Indeed I [g]have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. 19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Greeting and Blessing
21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.
23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with [h]you all. Amen.
Footnotes:
• Philippians 4:3 NU, M Yes
• Philippians 4:5 graciousness or forbearance
• Philippians 4:10 you have revived your care
• Philippians 4:12 live humbly
• Philippians 4:12 live in prosperity
• Philippians 4:13 NU Him who
• Philippians 4:18 Or have received all
• Philippians 4:23 NU your spirit