Free From Shame - How the Gospel Redeems Our Past and PainSample

What are the messages you hear in your mind about yourself when you look into the mirror? Failure. Loser. Unwanted. Worthless. These are just some of the many ways we describe ourselves when we are living in shame.

Shame attacks our identity. It distorts our understanding of the imago Dei—the image of God. This phrase communicates a theological concept echoed in Genesis 1:26–27. In these verses, we see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit gather and agree to make unique creatures: humans. God says, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). As a result, He has given us dignity, worth, and authority.

However, when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, their sin brought deep shame surrounding their identity. In the same way, sin can cause us to feel shame as well. The Apostle Paul expounds on this in Ephesians 2:3, saying, “We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.” Yet, God never leaves us ignorant of who we were created to be. He does not leave us with no hope of restoration.

Jesus came to save us from sin. His salvation has restored our identity. Jesus clothed us in His dignity, worth, and authority. His image became ours, and God wrapped us in His delight. By His Spirit, Jesus opens our eyes to see and believe in His saving power. Second Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” By faith in Jesus, we are not who we once were. Sin no longer defines us!

Reflect and Respond

How does the gospel change the way we define ourselves?