Shame and the CrossGenesis 3:7-13

Grace Community Church2013

Genesis 3 Results of the FallOver the Next Month

The Bad News – How sin has ruined basic elements of our humanity.

Good News – How Jesus has redeemed that humanity.

Genesis 3:7-97 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

Before SinGenesis 2:25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

After SinGenesis 3:7-10 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

What is the difference?1. Before – naked and unashamed (Gen. 2:25)2. After – naked, covering, hiding (Gen. 3:7-10)

Shame

“Shame is the deep sense that you are unacceptable because of something you did, something done to you, or something associated with you. You feel exposed and humiliated. Or, to strengthen the language, You are disgraced because you acted less than human, you were treated as if you were less than human, or you were associated with something less than human, and there are witnesses.”

Welch, Edward T. Shame Interrupted.

Shame connects three human experiences:

1. You feel like an outcast. You don’t belong.2. You feel naked. Exposed and vulnerable.3. You feel unclean. Something is wrong with

you. You are dirty.

How do we deal with our shame?

1. We Cover It – Genesis 3:72. We Hide It – Genesis 3:8-10– Hide far away (irreligious).– Hide in plain sight (religious).

3. We Blame It – Genesis 3:11-13

How does God deal with our shame?

1. Genesis 3:9 God calls the shamed. 2. Genesis 3:21 God covers the shamed.

Jesus identified himself with our shame so we can be identified with his righteousness.

Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.