Sin, Guilt, Shame, & Grace

John 2:1-11 / John 4:1-45

Sin

Sin:

Breaking God’s Law

Wrongdoing

Falling short of a righteous standard

John 4: What is her sin?

She may have been the victim more than the perpetrator in the divorces

Mark 10:4-5 - There is NO divorce without sin (but not everyone is equally sinful)

5 husbands? That’s more than the traditional 3

Traditional marriage is not the standard; Holy Matrimony is

Husbands, or not?

John 4:18 “18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.””

The Samaritan woman’s sin (that we can know from the text) was fornication. She was living with a man as if he were her husband, but he was not. Even if it was her first ‘man’, it would have been sin.

John 2: What is his sin?

The host / master of the wine’s sin was falling short of his commitment to honor the wedding party, the guests, and the marriage.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 2

The host was responsible for providing wine throughout the wedding feast, which typically lasted seven days.

Running out of wine at the wedding could have had a devastating social and financial impact for the hosts. The wedding celebration had an element of reciprocity that was supported by the law. One could take legal action against a guest who failed to provide an appropriate gift.

Guilt

Ezekiel 18:3–4 “3 As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.”

Ezekiel 18:5–9 “5 “If a man is righteous … he shall surely live, declares the Lord God.

Ezekiel 18:10–13 “10 “If he [sins and] has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.”

Since the fall, mankind has been responsible, culpable for his own actions.

We sometimes speak or hear of someone reaching an age of accountability. I prefer to say that we are 100% accountable unless we are covered by the blood of Christ.

Guilt is both a legal term, and an emotion; sensing the state of guiltiness; that we have erred, that we have fallen short.

Thus we must conclude that the Samaritan woman of John 4 is guilty (meaning responsible) before God and mankind of fornication, and that the host in John 2 is guilty at a minimum of “breach of contract”, but also of not loving his neighbor as himself.

The measure of the sin is not horizontally, but rather that ALL sin is ultimately against a Holy God. That is why Paul says the wages of sin (not just some) is death.

Shame

“You should be ashamed of yourself.” - but should you?

SHAME is NOT a necessary corollary of guilt

In this context, It is vanity

It is the unnecessary devaluing of one’s self because of the accusations or opinions of others.

For those forgiven by God, it is a trap of the enemy to weigh you down, to distract you from ministry, and to discourage you from sharing your divinely granted testimony.

Giving in to shame then, is tantamount to agreeing with the unlearned masses against the wisdom of God who claims you and has declared justification over you.

“I’m not good enough / worthy.” -

In the Exodus, God in grace deemed Israel worthy of the lives of the entire Egyptian army, and consigned them to the Red Sea.

In the gospel, God in grace deemed you worthy of the the life of Jesus, and consigned Him to the cross of Calvary, and a borrowed tomb.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

God speaks justly that you are forgiven! set free!

Shame speaks lies and says your are bound by your own lack of self worth.

Grace

John 4:28–29 “28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?””

John 4:42 “42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.””

Grace through Christ Jesus said to the woman, “Not only are your sins forgiven, but there is no need of shame. You are not less. You are not to be shunned. You are a child of the King. You are the object of God’s eternal attention and love.

You are seen.

You are loved.

You are accepted.

Go forth in this freedom; speak truth freely and boldly before anyone and everyone. You are NOT who you were. You ARE a child of grace.

John 2:10–11 “10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”

Grace through Christ Jesus said to the man, “I do NOT wish for you to be embarrassed or shamed. You are more than this failure. You are a child of the King. You are the object of God’s eternal attention and love.

You are seen.

You are loved.

You are protected.

Your failure has been redeemed into a revealing of the glory of God, and a strengthening of the faith of my disciples.

For all who are resting in the finished work of Jesus, and His continuing intercession for His own, see here the lengths and gentle care of grace. See here that the abundant life we are gifted, and to which we are called goes beyond the forgiveness of our sins to the releasing us of shame.

For everyone who has faithfully followed Christ into the waters of baptism, know that in that moment, and continuing on, God is speaking over you: “This is my beloved child.”

Christians take heart; the Gospel of Jesus is the answer for your sin AND your needless shame. Devils be warned: Your time is short, and your weapons are made ineffectual by the King of Glory.

There is victory in Jesus. All Glory be to God forever and ever.