Dealing With Shame Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Dealing With Shame-------------------------- Date: 9/21/2001 Keywords: "iniquities" "shame" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Psalm 130:1-4* 1. Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD. 2. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3. If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4. But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared. Questions 1. What emotion comes across in this psalm?   2. On what basis is the psalmist pleading his case to God?   Practical help After you view Internet pornography, how do you feel? How do you feel when the graphic images continue to reappear in your head in the hours and days following? The clue that you have a conscience is that you experience the emotion called "shame." It puts you into what this writer describes as "the depths." You feel like you are in a hole and there is no escape. If it were up to you, you would not even forgive yourself. That’s shame. Am I describing your circumstance? If yes, I have good news for you. But let me tell it in the way of a story you can read for yourself. It’s found in John 8 verses 2-11. Early in the morning one day, Jesus went into the temple in Jerusalem followed by a large crowd of people. He sat down and was beginning to teach when suddenly in came the religious leaders with a woman. She had been caught in the act of having sex with a married man not her own. "Teacher," they said, "we caught this woman in the act of adultery. Now, in the Law Moses would command us to stone her. What do you say?" Perhaps you know the story, but stop and think of this woman’s shame. "Jesus," your accusers say, "we caught this person in the act of viewing smut on his computer. He has been telling everyone he/she is a righteous person, but we now know better. We think we should disown him/her, what do say?" The story ends, after Jesus has disposed of your accusers and stands to look you in the eyes. "Where did your enemies go?" He asks you. "Did no one condemn you?" You look around and see on one. "No one, Lord," you say. Now here’s the best part. And Jesus says, "I do not condemn you, either." He could you know. You’re guilty as sin and you both know it. Then He says, "Go. From now on sin no more." He doesn’t release you back into sin, but from sin. So go now and sin no more. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2001 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."