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Friday, July 3, 2020

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- PILGRIM'S PROGRESS -- SHAME

PILGRIM'S PROGRESS – SHAME


"But I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Romans 1:16).


" 'Did you meet anyone else in the valley [of Humiliation?' Christian inquired. Faithful answered, 'Yes, I met a man named Shame. However, of all the men that I met with in my pilgrimage, he, I think, bears the wrong name. The others would leave me after a little argumentation, but this bold-faced Shame would never have left me.' "


Christian and Faithful were comparing their experiences in the Valley of Humiliation. Faithful said that he met someone named Discontent, who told him that if he went into the Valley of Humiliation, that he would offend his old friends of Pride, Arrogance, Self-conceit, Worldly-Glory, and others he had known but who had rejected him, but he also had rejected them, so they had no claim on his life.


Still another personage he met in the Valley was Shame, who said there was no honor in walking God's way. He would be ridiculed because he was out of step with the times, and that most of the pilgrims were disreputable, powerless, and poor, and that not many mighty, rich, or wise walked this path; that his fellow pilgrims were ignorant and lacked understanding of natural science. In other words, being a Christian was beneath his dignity. Faithful's answer was that it was more important to be accepted in God's eyes than the world's eyes, and that he would stand before God in the day of judgment.


Satan would shame us into silence if we listened to him, saying that we are stupid to believe the Bible and that the Gospel is just a myth, and not reality. If we live to please others or our own pride and self-conceit, then we will be ineffective pilgrims. Shame will keep us from telling others the Gospel that has the power to set them free from sin. Even though I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, still sometimes Shame whispers in my ear, "What will other people think about you? They'll think you are an idiot." Well, so be it! I think I'll start a movement, "Idiots for Christ."


Love, Dad

 

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