In Jeremiah 6, a warning was given to the people of the coming destruction of Jerusalem. While the army coming against the city was from another nation, the punishment was from the Lord: “‘For I will stretch out my hand against the inhabitants of the land,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 6:12). The reason why the Lord was going to punish Jerusalem was because the people had committed abominations (Jeremiah 6:15) and refused to walk in the ways of the Lord (Jeremiah 6:16). Notice just how far the people had gone away from the Lord: “‘Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; they did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be cast down,’ says the Lord” (Jeremiah 6:15).
A properly working conscience will cause us to feel guilt or shame when we do wrong. Nobody wants to feel ashamed for their actions. But shame can actually be a good thing. It can be a deterrent against sin because we do not want a guilty conscience. It can also motivate us to repent after we have sinned (2 Thessalonians 3:14). If we understand the difference between right and wrong, we can feel guilty when we sin. But the Israelites had reached a point in which they were no longer ashamed of their sin. The same thing can happen to us today. How does one get to the point in which they forget how to blush at the abominations which they have done?
The problem occurs when one’s standard is changed. In Jeremiah’s day, as well as in our day, God’s law is the standard of right and wrong. That standard does not change from generation to generation. For the people of Jeremiah’s day, God’s law had not changed. Sin was still sin. But their perception of what qualified as sin had changed. We lose our sense of shame when our standard shifts from the word of God to whatever may be socially or culturally acceptable. Often, what is generally accepted and approved of by our society is not what pleases God. We must train our conscience by the word of God so we will be ashamed of sin.
A Sense of Shame Can Be Learned
We will not necessarily be ashamed every time we do something wrong. We will only be ashamed when we do something wrong and know it is wrong. As we learn the difference between right and wrong, we acquire a sense of shame (Hebrews 5:14). Therefore, a sense of shame is something that can and should be instilled in us based on the standard of God’s word.
Parents need to begin teaching their children from a young age the difference between right and wrong. Children can learn what is right even before they learn why it is right. The wise man said, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Of course, there are exceptions to this. But generally speaking, if children are raised knowing the difference between right and wrong and taught to be ashamed for wrongdoing, they will continue in righteousness when they are grown.
Some have the blessing of being raised by godly parents who begin teaching them at a young age the principles of God’s word. A sense of shame is taught to them as they grow. Others may not have this benefit and come to know and obey the gospel after they are grown. They must be all the more diligent to develop their conscience to the point in which they are ashamed of sin in their life.
Whatever our background, whether we have been raised by godly parents and have been taught a sense of shame or we have had to learn it after we have grown, we must not neglect the need to continually train our conscience by the precepts of the word of God. This is how we can grow stronger spiritually and not lose our sense of shame.
What Happens When We Lose Our Sense of Shame?
When people begin to lose their sense of shame, sin is no longer a “big deal.” It is not seen as a terrible act which separates man from God (Isaiah 59:2). After this their conscience becomes seared (1 Timothy 4:2). They no longer feels guilty for transgressing God’s law. As a result of becoming “callous (past feeling, KJV),” they give “themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity” (Ephesians 4:19). As they continue in sin, they will inevitably “proceed from bad to worse” (2 Timothy 3:13). The ultimate result of losing their sense of shame is that they lose their soul.
Problem Areas
There are a few areas in particular where many have lost their sense of shame. Again, God’s word has not changed. But many have conformed their conscience to society. What was once unthinkable is now acceptable.
One such problem has to do with one’s dress. We can look out into the world and see immodest dress everywhere. We might be tempted to think that since we dress better (meaning not as immodest) than many people, we must be dressed modestly. This is how the problem starts. Society is the standard instead of the word of God. Just because many in society expose more of their body in public than you do does not necessarily mean you are dressed modestly. We cannot look to society for our standard. We must look to God’s word and dress according to divine principles, not cultural norms. [For more about the Biblical teaching regarding modesty, refer to: Modest Apparel.]
Another problem involves the consumption of alcohol. Though many engage in it, our society generally looks down upon drunkenness. However, merely drinking alcohol is seen as acceptable. Even many Christians see nothing wrong with “social drinking.” Why not? What gives them the idea that such a practice is acceptable? It is the world, not the word of God. Some may say that the Bible condemns drunkenness so we can drink as long as we do not get drunk. Of course it is true that the Bible condemns drunkenness (Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:18); but the word of God also condemns drinking that leads to drunkenness (1 Peter 4:3) and warns us not to so much as look at alcohol, let alone drink it (Proverbs 23:31).
Other examples could be mentioned, but these are sufficient to make the point that we need to follow after what the word of God says, regardless of what society might accept. But when our standard shifts from God’s word to the world, our perception of right and wrong changes. What we once understood to be wrong, we now see as being alright. We are no longer ashamed of these things. God’s word has not changed. These things are still wrong. It is just that our conscience is no longer bothered when we practice them.
Conclusion
Once someone reaches this point, it can be very difficult to win them back – not impossible, but very difficult. After stating that the Jewish people had reached the point in which they could no longer blush because they had no shame for their sin, the Lord offered a final appeal: “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). The appeal is for the people to return to God’s standard for living. They would be rewarded if they did this. But they refused and said, “We will not walk in it” (Jeremiah 6:16).
After appealing to the reward and having the people reject the invitation, the Lord issued a warning: “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen’” (Jeremiah 6:17). Neither the reward nor the punishment was enough to motivate these people to repent and turn back to God. What was left to encourage them to come back to the Lord? Nothing. They had rejected the Lord’s appeals.
We need to avoid this hopeless state. If we allow our conscience to become seared to the point in which we no longer feel guilt or shame at our sin, we will fall into condemnation. We must continually go back to the divine standard for right and wrong – the word of God – and live our lives according to it. We will not be judged according to how well we conformed to society. Instead, we will be judged based on how well we conformed to the word of God (John 12:48).
