Dr Paul Allen

There is no way out . She knows such bitter, biting thoughts are wrong and shameful, but her friend’s comment cut so deeply. Her mind keeps returning to the moment, reliving the wound. She feebly tries to turn her thoughts elsewhere, but the offence seems to surround her like a fog. And how do you fight a fog? He, too, is well aware that he’s walking down a worthless path. He’s been here before — this thought, leading to that fantasy, producing these seemingly unconquerable desires. Maybe he could have escaped if he had turned around immediately, but he feels he has gone too far. He has plucked and felt the fruit; how can he not now taste it? No way out. Who hasn’t felt the force of these words amid bitterness, lust, or a thousand other temptations? And who hasn’t succumbed to their dark suggestion? If some lies have slain their thousands, this lie has slain its ten thousand. Every Temptation Escapable We are hardly the first to feel trapped, surrounded, and hemmed in by the power of s...

When distinguishing guilt from shame, we can easily oversimplify what makes them different and not appreciate certain similarities. I began to make this point in Part 1 of this series. In this post, I want to add a few unique features of shame, compared to guilt, that is not only interesting but important. A Unique Problem and Solution An interesting feature of shame marks it distinct from guilt. Shame is “contagious.” Gregg Ten Elshof has a fantastic new book (called “For Shame”) coming out this summer in which he explains: Shame and its opposite, honor, are contagious. Guilt and its opposite, innocence, are not. We talk about “guilt by association.” But, strictly speaking, there is no such thing as guilt by association.… you cannot be guilty for something someone else has done merely by means of your association with them. Guilt and innocence are inherently individualistic. They accrue to individuals as a consequence of what they (and only they) have done or failed to do. (86) Of cou...

Fear is a curious and powerful emotion. It can debilitate. Fear can stop our mind, shut our mouth, and stay our hand. Yet fear can also set us into action. As much as fear keeps us from taking risks and being effective, fear can also be an incredible motivator. The right kind of fear is also one of the best motivators for our evangelism. FREEZING EVANGELISM FEAR When it comes to evangelism, Christians tend to view fear as purely negative. Many of us have come to believe that fear is the primary factor that keeps us from speaking the gospel to others. Fear freezes us. When we sense the Spirit leading us to talk with our neighbor, friend, or family member, we get the same feeling that many of us experienced on a Friday algebra exam. We struggle to focus. Our hands perspire. We don’t even know where to begin. THE PROMISE The good news of Jesus promises us both honor and a home (Matthew 10:32; John 14:1–3). Only when Christians recognize this will they be able to overcome the sh...

"When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom" (Prov. 11:2). Shame often treads upon the heels of pride. We find numerous examples of this in the Scriptures. The people who built a monument to their own glory at Babel were scattered (Gen. 11:4). When Miriam tried to exalt herself over Moses’ authority, she was struck with leprosy (Num. 12:2, 10). Haman’s boast earned him the hangman’s noose (Es. 5:11, 7:10). When Herod tried to steal God’s glory for himself, worms devoured his shameful carcass. God’s Word is true: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled” (Luke 18:14; Isa. 2:17). Nebuchadnezzar learned this lesson the hard way . As he walked along the royal corridors of his palace, he proclaimed, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” With the boast still on his lips, God pronounced, “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom had departed from you! And t...

Raging Sea3 (Photo credit: Fearofrevolt ) “[They are] raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame .” ( Jude 1:13 ) Jude connects together a string of 21 illustrations to describe the character of ungodly men who are attacking “the faith once delivered to the saints” (v. 3). This very poignant letter literally sizzles with scathing imagery for those who dare to stir up dissention and disobedience among God’s people. The particular image in verse 13 is of roiling billows surging ashore after a storm, spitting out “shame” from amidst the foam. The physical picture is disgusting enough. As the energy of the storm increases the waves’ height and frequency, the detritus in and on the ocean is picked up and carried along. As the waves rise up toward the shore, they break and the foam begins to collect and then spew out the “shame” previously covered by the depths. Isaiah’s comparison is most apt: “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cas...