To Sin and Not to Blush!
The sermon emphasizes the importance of shame and remorse in the Christian life, warning against the dangers of sinning without feeling any shame or remorse.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the deep connection between sin and shame, asserting that true shame arises from the recognition of one's sins and the need for atonement. He reflects on Ezekiel 16:63, illustrating that when God's anger is pacified and sins are pardoned, the penitent soul experiences profound shame for past actions. Brooks warns that a person who has lost all sense of shame is in a perilous state, ripe for destruction and under the influence of evil. He contrasts the shame that accompanies sin with the false bravado of those who, like Caligula, take pride in their lack of shame. Ultimately, Brooks calls for a recognition of sin's shamefulness as essential for spiritual health and redemption.
Text
Only those things which are sinful, are shameful.
"Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have
done, you will remember and be ashamed and never
again open your mouth because of your humiliation,
declares the Sovereign Lord." Ezekiel 16:63
When the penitent soul sees his sins pardoned, the
anger of God pacified, and divine justice satisfied,
then he sits down ashamed.
Sin and shame are inseparable companions.
A Christian cannot have the seeming sweet of sin, but
he shall have the real shame which accompanies sin.
These two God has joined together, and all the world
cannot put them asunder.
It was the vile and impenitent Caligula who said
of himself, "that he loved nothing better in himself,
than that he could not be ashamed."
A soul who has sinned away all shame, is a soul ripe for
hell--and given up to Satan! A greater plague cannot
befall a man in this life, than to sin and not to blush!
Sermon Outline
- Sin and Shame are Inseparable
- The Consequences of Sin
- The Dangers of Sin
- Sin and shame are inseparable companions
- A soul who has sinned away all shame is ripe for hell
Key Quotes
“A soul who has sinned away all shame, is a soul ripe for hell--and given up to Satan!” — Thomas Brooks
“A greater plague cannot befall a man in this life, than to sin and not to blush!” — Thomas Brooks
“Sin and shame are inseparable companions.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Recognize the shame and remorse that accompany sinful actions.
- Do not harden your heart against the conviction of sin.
- Seek to have a heart that is tender and responsive to God's conviction.