Sin Brings Shame - Genesis 2:25

Genesis 2:25 - "Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame."

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When my daughter was little, we did bare bottom potty training one summer. If someone who surprise us with a visit, I would hang my head a little at my naked baby running around (though it definitely made for successful potty training.) However, my little girl did not care that she was naked, she had no shame.

When Adam and Eve were in the garden, before the Fall, they had no shame, despite their nakedness. It is a form of innocence to be shameless. However, shame is a product of sin. The world as we know it now is full of sin and it is also full of shame. Even something as natural as a mother breastfeeding her infant can cause staring eyes and cruel words in public. Though it is natural and innocent, it is perceived as shameful through the eyes of the world’s sinful nature.

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The same sinful nature that made Adam and Eve feel shame is what we deal with all the time. Even in the most intimate relationships, sin can cause shame where there once was none. For example, you could once talk to your parents about anything, until you did something they didn't like and then you felt shame and possibly wanted to hide. That is exactly what Adam did. He and Eve disobeyed God and then wanted to hide from Him, that is shame.

The same can happen in our relationship with God. We know that He forgives us if we come to Him, but sometimes it is hard to come to Him because of our shame. When we withhold our honesty from God and try to hide, we begin weakening our relationship with Him because we lack communication. The sin separates us from God and makes us feel shame.

By bringing our faults to God immediately and repenting when we sin, we can keep our relationship open and strengthen it as we allow Him to guide us through the tough times, trusting that He will take care of us.

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Matthew 18:3 -- “Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Jesus told His disciples to “turn from your sins and become like little children.” My daughter did not know to be shameful because of her nakedness. When we repent and are innocent of sin, we too will not know shame in front of the Lord. We will be like children, feeling no shame, as we enter the Kingdom of Heaven.