shame

our church (trailhead) is currently going through the book of hebrews.
last week was such a convicting sermon...but also just extremely hopeful.
steve preached on hebrews 4:12-5:10.
to begin, it addressed how the word is made to dismember us
..."sharper than any double-edged sword"...
okay, not literal dismemberment...but it definitely cuts to our thoughts & intentions.
and by doing so, it calls us out.
but the good news: jesus calls us out IN our shame in order to call us out OF our shame.
what does that look like?
well, this text calls us "creatures". there is no pretense or fronting...
...we are exposed and vulnerable in front of god...
yet, though we are shameful creatures, we are called to the throne of grace.
contradiction: throne represents judgment, yet grace represents undeserved favor.
so, because of christ, this contradiction exists. we are called to judgment, yet experience grace.
thus, it all boils down to christ...the great high priest, as this text refers to him.
even his exposure of truth and shame is an act of grace, because he is inviting us to be cleansed and given new identity in him.
but thats intimidating, right?
revealing all your shame to the great high priest.
but christ sympathizes with our weakness.
he knows temptation better than we could ever begin to know it, because he was tempted, yet did not give in. we only know a certain extent of what that looks like, because, more often than not, we submit to what we want instead of what is good.
and my favorite quote from the whole sermon focuses on this fact...that christ sympathizes with us, so that we do not need to feel embarrassed to come to his throne with our shame...
"he doesnt look at us and say 'you again?!' he looks at us and says "I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE! IVE BEEN THERE!"

so friends, do not hide in your shame. do not submit to what is easiest, because in the end, the burden will build until you can no longer move. christ has called you to new life; you are a new creation in him. so we take our shame, and offer it to our great high priest, knowing we are fully loved and accepted.