Boasting

Welch now tells us that boasting in another's accomplishments is not arrogance, but enjoying the success of others.  The interesting point about this is, that when we boast in this way, shame doesn't go with us.  So now he encourages us to do a little boasting (p. 301).

Boasting in our Weakness

Once again Welch leads us to Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:21-30 so that we might recognize boasting in a unique way.  First he describes himself as a Hebrew, Abraham's descendant making himself recognized as being in the "in" group, but then his boasting seems to go downhill.  It wasn't about HIMSELF, it was about the GOSPEL.  Paul now boasted in his physical weakness that came because of his association with Christ.  Welch tells us that very few can boast like Paul did, but we can all boast in our weakness as something that reminds us that we need help.

"Help" is one of the basic human responses we can have, Welch tells us.  He describes it as the essence of faith, prayer and a direct assault on shame's tendencies to hide and self-protect.  Not asking for help pushes us further into isolation.  Asking for help puts us among the honourable -- Help is the first thing we ask the LORD, and Thank you is the second thing we say, over and over and over... (p. 304).

Boasting in other People

Another way to boast is to promote the honour of other people and this time Welch points us to Philippians 2:20-22 to show how Paul promotes Timothy.  Exodus 20:16 tells us to enhance our neighbour's reputation.  It is like a cycle -- we are honoured so we want to honour others.  God honours us, we honour Him and other people.  It's an irresistible cycle since we treat others the way we have been treated.  The more human we become the more natural it is to care for others (Rom 12:10).  Jesus reveals to us what the human condition truly is, what God intended it to be.  Once honoured by the Servant, we voluntarily take the lower position and Serve. (p. 305) (Mk 9:35; 1 Cor 9:19; Mt 23:11; Mt 20:27; Php 2:3; Gal 5:13)

Welch then give some ideas of how we can be servants -- pray for blessing in someone's life, confess your own times of not wanting the best for someone, spread good news about someone, find ways to show respect, learn about someone...  Look at the ways God has served us in Christ, pray for a servant heart...

The corollary to the rule when you receive honour from God, so now give honour, is when you give honour, you receive honour -- that's the fruit.  See how God lifts you up, and keep the cycle going (p. 307)

Boasting in the LORD

This is boasting at its best says Welch (Jer 9:23-24).

• Speak to the King about His greatness -- study who He is so you can do this better, use the Psalms as examples, recognize that as you personally see His greatness, this is the way to despise shame.  Look where you are because you belong to THE KING, which makes you RADIANT (Ps 34:5)
• Speak about the King -- speak about Him in your personal relationships.  Let people know you are associated with Him through your words and actions.  Pray, and ask others to pray for you, that we would know Jesus in such a way, that we HAVE to speak! (Ps 96:11-13)
• Obey the King -- simple obedience is also boasting of our King.  Disobedience says that we are more worthy and valuable than God.  When we sin we hold God in contempt (Num 14:11).  Pray that we might obey, say Thank you to Him, confess the ways we dishonour Him, enjoy obedience especially when no one else sees it (Eph 6:5-6).  Let's be voluntary servants living to please our master and extend His fame 

Welch finishes this chapter with the prayer, "May the Lord give us success as we set out to honour and boast about Him. (p. 313)

Don't Be Ashamed

Have you ever been in a group of people who are dissin' something that has to do with God and you don't know what to say?  I have, and I think I was ashamed to be associated with Jesus at that moment:(  That's a shame which Welch says was a good thing, it made me think, to confess, to repent.

Welch talks about this shame, to be embarrassed to take a stand with Jesus, in front of people we see as smarter, stronger,... than we are.  But listen, Jesus is not ashamed to be associated with us!!  How can we respond to that?  How about not being ashamed to be associated with Him??

Jesus isn't ashamed to be with me/us

Jesus is our older brother, who is pleased to play a game with us, no matter who is watching.  Remember when one of your friends dropped by and wanted to go for a ride but you were playing with your younger sister?  Do we drop our little sister to go with our friend?  Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters (Heb 2:11).  He sacrificed Himself, His divinity, His place in heaven to become like us, for us.  Can we say Thank you?

Don't be ashamed to be with Him

Can you think of a time when someone who was "low on the totem pole" was ashamed to be associated with someone who was "high on the totem pole"?  Not too often does this happen when someone unworthy is ashamed to be identified with someone who is honourable and worthy, Welch tells us.  The disciples were happy to identified with Jesus even when He got into disagreements with the ruling Jews.  But when it came to Jesus on trial...  they all ran!!  Paul talks about this type of shame when associated with Jesus and others who also believe in Jesus in 2 Timothy 1 and he encourages us to keep "the end" in sight.  But that's unnatural for shame because shame wants to keep us in the past, the shameful event and the horrible consequences.

The Kingdom of God, and the mind shaped by that Kingdom puts future joys front and centre (p. 295).  Paul wants to encourage us to think to the future but recognizes how hard this is so he asks for prayer about this (Eph 6:20; Col 4:4).  It's hard when you don't really know what you're getting into.  Welch uses the analogy of getting married.  We easily say 'I do' but what happens when things get rough?  It's the same in our relationship with God.  If we believe in God because we think there will be personal advantages it will be hard.  Our human nature craves status and worth and we loathe worthlessness.  There is something in us that KNOWS we exist for something better  and WE DO.

Problem is we think the existing for something better is in US, so Paul's admonishment in 2 Timothy 1:8 is for us.  Don't pursue people for our own significance, but pursue people for Jesus' sake. Here is where Paul's encouragement in 1 Peter 3:14-17 will help us as we also know things will get messy when we spread God's Word and live a life directed toward God.

Despising Shame

In this chapter Welch follows Paul, who followed Jesus.  Jesus despised shame (Heb 12:2), focusing on shame from sins of others and our own weaknesses as it is experienced before the world, shame heaped on Him by other people.  Jesus absorbed the shame and despised being controlled by it.  He looked down on it, He treated it like an outcast, would not let Himself be controlled by it, never let it distract Him from His mission, would not let Himself be controlled by it.  Paul understood that despising shame was one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Paul recognized that our problem is before God --> once we're secure in our relationship with God, shame from humans loses its sting.

Shame before God

The is guilt over our own sin and in our own sin, and Welch reminds us, we should be ashamed.  We have dishonoured out King!  But always REMEMBER our shame is outweighed by our need for mercy and by the Lord's character to be generous and free with His mercy (p. 279).  Grace is uncomfortable for us though, and often we'll still say, "No I can't accept God's mercy, I'm unworthy."  Although that might sound noble, and we might even believe we can accept His mercy for little sins but not for the big sins, like lesbianism or... we need to believe and rest in God's grace.  Welch now directs us to the tax collector in Luke 18.  He cried over his grief for his sin, but he also continued to ask for God's mercy.  RUN to God just as David did (Psalm 139) and then truly BELIEVE you are cleansed!

Shame before other people

Here is the area in which we also can despise shame just as Jesus did.  With the Spirit of Jesus in us, we CAN despise shame, although we can expect it to be more challenging if we feel shame from people in our church.  Be reminded and take the example from Paul (2 Cor 10, 12, Rom 11).

Shame from our sin before the church

The sting of judgment from the church can be so painful and we know that the world invades the church.  Welch warns us that a perfectly safe place won't exist until the Kingdom of Christ is fully in place (p. 282), but in the meantime we can't harden ourselves.  It is still through the Church that God accomplishes His purposes.  Welch urges us to look at the mess in our own hearts before we look at the mess in our church (Mt 7:3-5) and that should keep us busy enough.  The paradox of life in the church is that it is the place where we hear about grace and forgiveness and it is the place where our sins feel most exposed!! (p. 283)  Part of the reason is that the church cares about sin and the world doesn't.  It might be hard to relate to Jesus or Paul at those times since we don't see their sins as much, but then look at David -- true sinner yet clearly beloved by God!!!  Make Psalm 51 your own!!

Shame from the sins of others and from our own weaknesses before the church and the world

Welch now turns us to look at before whom do we still experience shame? What has contributed to it?  Failure?  Sometimes we know the critical event that causes us to have a raw spot, that points to our feelings of failure, but other times it might be an accumulation of putdowns, neglect, selfish actions of others.  Welch tells us that the  only thing that will help us at these times is to REST in our association with Jesus rather than our associations with mere mortals!!!  Although we may believe we need tangible feelings of being valued by others, the Kingdom of God sets different goals --> to be hurt rather than crushed; to know the God who will be our Shepherd when others have failed; to find delight and honour in our association with Him and to consider how to love wisely (p. 287).

Jesus never minimizes our shame but He reminds us that the shame of worldly rejection is temporary and HIS CLEANSING AND COVERING IS FOREVER. (Heb 12:1-2; Php 3:8).

Pursuing Shame?

Paul raises the question -- People familiar with shame do not want to put themselves in harm's way ever again.  Does despising shame mean we put ourselves in vulnerable positions? (p. 289)  When insults come we might be ready to protect ourselves, to withdraw, to isolate, but Welch warns us not to got there.  He encourages us to move toward people -- wisdom, not fear, is the rule.  Knowing that Jesus turns His face toward us, helps us turn our face toward other people and show love and compassion just as He does.  Welch reminds us that Hurt is not the enemy, hurt is not the same as shame.  Hurt puts us in solidarity with Jesus!!  Hebrews 13:11-13 tells us to die to the old standards of shame, don't let them take over but COME ALIVE TO THE GREAT REVERSAL ACCOMPLISHED AT THE CROSS.

Finally Welch urges us to write a new resume like the apostle Paul's and he gives an example of his own rough draft on page 290 under the headings: Shame from what I have done.  Shame from what has been done to me.  Shame from not measuring up to worldly standards.  Accomplishments.  Objective.  If you haven't already done so, I urge you to read this book in its entirety!

The Apostle Paul on Shame

"If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among your selves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing (Phil 2: 1-7)."

In this chapter Welch wants us to hone in on the idea that Jesus WAS an outcast and Paul interpreted everything through the eyes of the cross.  When there is honour before God, there will be dishonour before other people!  The way up is down.  If we're interested in honour, we have to take the path of "Nothing" or "Worthless".  But be careful we don't look at these words through the eyes of shame...

We have been taken from shame to honour when we became attached to the King by faith, where our place in the throne room of the King is really there!!  However, before people it's a different story according to Welch's reading of Paul.  Godly honour and worldly honour are part of two different kingdoms -- Paul says he is unaffected by the world's rejection, because of Christ's seeking the world's dishonour.  He points us to the cross-centred life.

More Specifics about Shame

Welch now describes how the Biblical story of shame and honour progresses, with Scripture becoming more specific and making finer distinctions.  Shame began because of what we had done in associating with things other than God Himself and the results were horrible.  Then we understood that we could catch shame from someone else with our sin being a voluntary association, and contamination from being sinned against was an involuntary  association.  In the OT shame before God and before people wasn't distinguished very clearly, they seemed to go together.  Now that Christ has come things are more clear: shame from our sin was detached from the shame that comes from being sinned against.  It is the voluntary associations that either contaminate or cleanse (p. 263).  Now Scripture also adds another distinction: our reputation before God vs our reputation before other people.

Shame from our own sin before God

The category is with us for eternity but usually troubles us the least says Welch.  It is this shame that Welch wants to raise because if we don't see this as a problem the radical cure won't feel like much!!!

The RADICAL cure - when we associate with Jesus Christ by faith we receive immunity from REAL shame which comes with anything/anyone dishonouring the King or anything associated with Him, like His people.  Forgiveness is what crosses the separation between us and God.  Don't minimize what the cross has done in your life and check that if you still feel shame whether the present problem is actually that you are more worried about your reputation before other people than your standing with God!!

Shame from our own sin before the world

The world doesn't care about our sins, it cares more about income and appearance with a few exceptions like child abuse, sexual violation... (1 Cor 5:1-2)  When sins among Christians catch the world's attention, shame is unavoidable, appropriate and good says Welch (p. 267).  The goal is to face the situation of forgiveness, release from shame before the Lord and therefore look more to your status before the Lord than other people.

Shame from the sins of others and from our own weaknesses before God

Victimization, neglect, physical disability, intellectual disability... are the root of so much of our shame, making us believe that we must be bad, have no right to look to God.  God responds in mercy and compassion though!!!  His love is expressed in action and Scripture is very clear about the categories of victim and perpetrator (Jer 23:1-4).  Perpetrators are the ones with power and God's words are frightening for those who use their strength for personal advantage!

But what about when we feel weak and like failures?  God is clear in that He moves His Kingdom forward through the actions of weak people (p. 268).

Shame from the sins of others and from our own weaknesses before the world

It is this category that Welch believes we experience most of our shame and he once again looks to how Paul despised the world's view of shame and honour.  Paul spoke loudly against the world's view of shame which it found everywhere, including the church: unclean, sick, childless, sexually unfaithful, blind, bleeding, poor, uncircumcised, pagan, etc...  In his letter to the Philippians he addressed this coming down hard on the culture of the day, which describes our celebrity culture today as well.  Read Philippians 3 carefully.  The main idea was that HUMAN BEINGS WERE NEVER INTENDED TO FIND THEIR REPUTATIONS IN THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.  That is not the way we were created (p. 271).

Paul wants us to know that honour before God outweighs whatever shame we experience before mere creatures.  Sounds easy but often the simplest things seem the hardest.  Paul wanted the church to be prepared for suffering and shame from the world AND YET recognize that this suffering and shame is powerless(p. 273).

Paul welcomed worldly shame as a way to know Jesus better, experiencing rejection, insults, mockery, imprisonment and beatings, and through all that he learned that when you share something with someone, you experience a new bond in relationship.  He came to know Jesus better!!!  When we recognize that Christ experienced something we also experience, we have an AHA moment.  We can relate and so know Jesus better (Phil 3:10-11).

Welch finishes with a summary of how far we have come now:

"You experience shame and isolation.
Jesus is with you in your shame.
Jesus takes on your shame.
Your shame helps you to understand His shame.
You are humbled, not humiliated." (p. 275)

Riches, Strength and Beauty

"You were unacceptable before God and other people.
Now you are acceptable before God,
     though you might be unacceptable before others.

Is that Okay with you?"

So Welch begins this next chapter and I really like the way it makes me reflect on what God has done for me, which I can't get from other people.  In this chapter Welch encourages us to see with the eyes of faith, which means we see clearly and we see more, and therefore we will discover things that are not necessarily as they seem (p. 247).

Welch tells us to remember that we have been joined to Christ by faith (what is His is now ours), we have responded to His invitation to a meal literally in the Lord's Supper, power has come, the unclean are holy, reality is coming into view and we are becoming comfortable in a new world that may be opposite to what we expected.  Our relationship with God is being righted although some of our relationships with people can still feel upside down.

Let's now look at the Honour we have before God:

Poor to Rich - the early church recognized how rich they were in Christ (2 Cor 6:10; 1 Cor 4:8; Eph 1:18; 2 Cor 9:11) so it was marked with generosity, giving beyond what they could afford because they loved others.  We could also show this type of generosity as a way to express our liberation from shame, nothingness, and worthlessness Welch encourages.

Slavery to royalty - the early church also recognized the transition from slave to free and Paul told actual slaves who turned to Christ to stay as they were (1 Cor 7:20-23) because he wanted them to recognize a deeper truth --> we have freedom in Christ, as royal offspring, that can't be taken from us regardless of how people might treat us!!!  Welch urges us to talk about that, and let our royalty be noticed.

Weak to strong - Weak is the new strong (2 Cor 13:4) because Christ was crucified in weakness.  Anything that makes us look/be weak on this earth actually makes us strong in Christ.  When we are weak and dependent on God, then we are strong (2 Cor 12:10).

Foolish to wise - wise people carry a certain prestige, and when we fear the Lord, we are wise (Prov 1:7).  Welch tells us that when we fear something we are controlled by it, so to fear the Lord means we are controlled by Him.

Ugly to beautiful - beauty has always been praised but have you ever thought of Jesus' physical appearance?  Welch points us to Isaiah 53:2, "He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him."  If Jesus didn't have a beautiful physical appearance, we shouldn't expect one either.  Instead the Kingdom of God values things that last --> inner beauty of worth, strength, dignity, blessed (1 Tim 4:8; Prov 31; 1 Pet 3:3-4).  These values come as we learn the character of God and imitate Him.  Let's reflect His beautiful glory!

Useless to Missional - our transformation includes a job, a purposeful, meaningful life.  Remember Jesus' walk along the beach with Peter where Jesus told him three times "Feed my sheep"?  Welch says Scripture is clear: if we have come to Christ, we are chosen.  God chooses the unworthy and He chose us for a purpose (John 15:16).  God has transformed us so that we must bear fruit and don't ever believe that your gifts come from the bottom of the barrel (1 Cor 12:21-25)!!  Open your eyes and see how you can practice ways to love others (2 Cor 5:14-15).  We need to talk about Christ in our daily life and this goal is bigger than our own personal welfare.

Shame to Honour - God has transformed us --> naked to clothed; unclean to holy; outcast to beloved!!!  Why did/does God do this?  So that we can enjoy Him and He us!!!  It gives God PLEASURE to transform us.

However Welch also warns us that even as we grow ever higher before the Lord, we will get lower before people.  If we come to Jesus to be more popular with people, DON'T.  Remember we are associating with an executed criminal of a despised race (p. 257).  The cross is still foolish to those who do not believe.  Welch finishes by saying following Christ means "volunteering to walk a path that looks shameful to the world, but that explodes with glory and honour when we walk it with Him (1 Pet 2:6).

The Sacraments

We might know we need to be cleansed, might know we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ but we might not FEEL cleansed.  If we could just feel the cleansing water maybe it would be better.

In this next chapter Welch tells us how God has put in place some very physical and tangible symbols of the cross and its effects.

Baptism and Lord's Supper

Baptism is a sign of God's cleansing, acceptance, union with Jesus, forgiveness and empowerment from the Spirit.  Lord's Supper is the invitation to "come and eat," which assures us that we are NO LONGER OUTCASTS.  (p. 239)

These sacraments are necessities of life with baptism something we do once because we were cleansed ONCE AND FOR ALL.  The Lord's Supper is repeated because we can't have enough of a good thing!

Baptism proclaims that we need purification (Titus 3:5 and Heidelberg Catechism LD 26, Q&A 69).  When we are baptized as infants the water of baptism is the sign and seal of God's promises to you, that He sent His Son to die for you on the cross.  When we are baptized as adults we come as needy children, acknowledging what Jesus did for us by cleansing us in His blood and forgiving our sins.

Baptism is a gift, like the wedding ring.  Whenever we look at it we are reminded of God's love and faithfulness to us.  Welch encourages us to become part of a church where "Christ and Him crucified" is central.

Lords's Supper is another physical sign that God gives us, which emphasizes our sharing the meal with Christ, with each other, with all believers through the ages.  This supper is very sensory since it now includes taste and smell to touch of baptism (p. 242).  (John 6:54-56; Mt 26:26-28)

This Supper not only reaches to the past, is felt today, but it also reaches to the future to the heavenly fellowship meal that brings the future glory of the heavenly banquet to us (p. 243).  There are no misfits anymore, all who share in this meal are ONE, no upper/lower class, no poor/rich.  Welch encourages us to expect things to happen at the Lord's table.  When Jesus broke bread people's eyes were opened, Luke 24:29-31.  We all need this meal to have our eyes opened, to truly know that God is personally in us through His Holy Spirit, and we BELONG to Him.  No one can take that away!!  

"You will receive Power"

Read through the following verses and you'll soon see what Welch is talking about in this chapter.  Luke 24:49, John 20:22, Acts 2:1-4

In the last chapter we were reminded to start thinking differently as a child of God in His Kingdom, to recognize that God has honoured us through His Son Jesus Christ and we had to practice saying Thank You LORD.  Now Welch directs us also to get in the habit of saying "Help" as often as possible.

Jesus has now risen from the dead and Acts 1 describes how He and His disciples are now talking about the Holy Spirit.  Jesus would soon ascend into heaven but He would not leave His people alone.  The Holy Spirit would come (Acts 2:4-5,8) and life would be forever changed because of the Power which would come upon us!!

We need Power!!  As the shamed we had none, but we also need Power for God's Word to reach into our hearts, to help us in our unbelief, to help us love and obey Him!

God has made promises to His unfaithful people right from the beginning and the promise of the Holy Spirit is one of those promises.  God's promises are always true and He makes them with His eyes wide open.  He knows we will be unfaithful or fearful.  The thing about the Bible and God is that His story is about HIS faithfulness and OUR unfaithfulness.  No way can anyone of us think God's Word is not for us.  God is there for the unworthy (Ezek 36:25-27). (p. 229)

The Spirit comes with many names --> Water of Life or Cleansing Water.  Welch describes the heart of shame as the absence of relationships, of being known, personal isolation which leads to the power of what the Holy Spirit does.  It cleanses us so that the Holy Spirit can live in us.  There are two kinds of cleansing. One that happens once and lasts a lifetime (Christ's payment for our sins on the cross) and the other is the foot washing we need every day (confession and repentance from our daily sins).

Cleansing reaches deep beneath our skins and that's what shame needs.  Cleansing is a transformation and that is exactly what the Spirit does.  It is God's work and not ours (Isaiah 1:18).  It is a Gift from God, the Gift of Himself.  We don't deserve it and have nothing to give in return, and that might make us feel embarrassed, unworthy but remember this is PRIDE, one of satan's lies talking.  We are more concerned about ourselves than we are grateful for the mercy and grace of the other person.  Welch encourages us to take our eyes off ourselves and simply say Thank You LORD. (p. 231)

Jesus talked a lot about the "Water of Life", the Holy Spirit, whenever He talked about cleansing and water (John 3:5, John 4, John 7).  Over and over God gives us gifts, more and more, cleansing us, giving us the Holy Spirit to live in us, but then the Holy Spirit starts to overflow, first maybe as a trickle but soon it will be a gusher.  We are no longer the beggars but the givers (p. 233).

But there is more.  We are now the TEMPLE OF GOD!  God never intended to make a lifeless building His place to live.  God always wanted to make us His living temples just as Jesus was THE living temple.  Everything about the OT temple pointed to Jesus and now that we are also joined to Christ, and are His living temples we need to put this reality into words.  Talk about them, talk about what you are learning, you'll notice that it gets easier the more you do it.

We who were once common and unclean have now become Holy and Clean through the Holy Spirit.  We don't contaminate anyone anymore but can actually touch people and sanctify them.  When someone loves us, they usually also love the ones we care about and that is how we can touch other people's lives to teach them about the one we love --> Jesus Christ.  Please read 1 Corinthians 7:13-14.  So now we can see we have a purpose to go out and teach others throughout our lives.  Doesn't necessarily mean we have to teach with words but we can do it through our lives of love (1 John 3:23-24).  When God opens the doors give the reason for the hope that you now have!!