Peace: No Longer Living with Shame in God’s Presence

The everlasting love God lavishes on us through His Son is revolutionizing. We no longer live with shame, but have peace in His presence.

In high school I went on a trip with my youth group. We slept in sleeping bags on the floor of an attractive, comfortable church. It was located close to the inner city where we conducted back yard bible clubs during the day. Looking back, it seems silly to have driven several hours away to engage children in a different state when there were plenty who needed love in our own. But that’s beside the point.

During my excursion to the south, I grew rather chummy with a cute boy in my group. By mid-week I was feeling convicted about stealing away to the church’s nursery to make out. I Kissed Dating Goodbye, by Joshua Harris had just been published that year. Purity ring sales were skyrocketing among church-goers and girls everywhere were swearing off dating. Initially, I was in hearty agreement. I thought dating was a waste. Truthfully, I was pretty annoying about it. I remember mouthing off about a couple of 14/15 year-olds who had started “going-out” in our church. I pompously asked, “Where are they gonna go? They can’t drive!” You could’ve cut my sarcastic disdain with a knife. One of my best friends looked at me and said, “Oh shut-up, Emily!” I kept my opinions to myself after that. He did me a favor.

Ironically, there I was, only a few weeks later, confronted with cravings I’d never experienced before. The timing was completely inconvenient! Talk about embarrassing. The poster girl for no-dating wanted to be a relationship with a boy. It was in a season in my life where my faith was becoming my own and not just a borrowed one. Falling in love with Jesus was exciting! But temptation was knocking and I was searching for ways to have it all. Proverbs warned me about how pride comes before a fall.

Anyone who’s ever been to a church camp knows Thursday night is an emotional one. Our youth leader had purchased a trinket of some sort for every teenager. Taking his time, he passed out each item, sharing why it reminded him of the receiver. When he got to me, he handed me a small figurine of a baby looking up with a monumental pout on its face. He knew what I was wrestling with. Probably more fully than I even did at the time. With compassion in his eyes, he told me he knew I had some tough choices to make, but I could do all things through Christ who would give me strength.

Shame…

Unfortunately, I had developed a wrong view of God and I wasn’t able to receive the encouragement appropriately. I felt scolded. Even more, I thought God was angry and disappointed in me. I knew better. The Old Testament was full of the same repeating story:

God instructs His children
They disobey
God gets angry and turns away
Then God has compassion and makes a new covenant
His people are restored

I didn’t know what I had to do to reconcile with God, but it felt overwhelming. The shame was crushing. I felt marked by sin in a way I’d never imagined. How long would God hide His face from me? Could I bear it?

Everlasting love brings peace…

If I could talk to 15-year-old Emily today I would tell her:

What you’re suffering from, dear one, is the effects of a performance-based relationship with your Creator. And your shame is a result of your wounded pride; not because you’ve grieved the heart of your Father. Jesus is your Lord, but not your Savior. Yes, God did say in Isaiah that He ditched His children and fell off the map for a while.

For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment, I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,’ says the Lord, your Redeemer.

Isaiah 54:7-8, ESV

The beauty is, Jesus was the embodiment of the everlasting love in Isaiah 54:8. God made a way to place all His overflowing anger on Jesus…forever. He hid His face from Jesus on the cross. So now, God doesn’t hide from us anymore. We have peace with God because of Christ’s sacrifice. There is never a moment where He cannot immediately be found because of the gift of His Spirit. Emmanuel, God with us. Like the prodigal son, all you have to do is return to Him. Show up. He is waiting, not with a wagging finger and a scowl, but with open arms and a smile on His face. Seek to understand the love God has for you. I assure you, you will not be let down.

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:9-11, ESV

But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5, ESV

We have peace with God because of Christ’s sacrifice. Click To Tweet