Completely Holy

Reflect on God’s Word

Shame can rob us of joy, and it can harm our relationship with God and others.

Do you know what God thinks about your feelings of shame? He wants you to be free of them. He wants to make you holy.

Colossians 1:21–22 says, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

When you’re accused of something, shame can fall on you. Maybe you hear the words in your head: You’re lazy! You’re a liar! You’ll never amount to anything! How can God love you after what you’ve done? Now take all those thoughts running through your mind and erase them. Instead, hear the soothing voice of God saying, “I love you, I have bought you at a price, I have freed you from your sins, and you are holy and blameless in my sight” (1 Corinthians 6:20, Revelation 1:5, Ephesians 1:4).

Remember that your reconciliation to God is not a future event. It has already happened! You can stand today in his presence with confidence because of Christ’s work on the cross.

God sees you as someone without a blemish, as someone who is free from accusation, all because of the work of Christ on the cross. Satan, on the other hand, wants you to feel shame. Don’t let the devil rob you of joy. If you have made Jesus Lord of your life, then you are wearing the righteousness of Christ!

As you relax and meditate on God’s grace and righteousness, take a deep breath and inhale God’s peace.

God sees you as holy. Blameless. On her website Worth beyond Rubies, Diane Shirlaw-Ferreira says,

In the Greek language, the word “blameless” is amōmos and it means, according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance: without blemish, as a sacrifice without spot or blemish morally: without blemish, faultless, unblameable.

How amazing is it that the word blameless used here is the same word used to describe a perfect sacrifice? It is the same word that describes Yeshua which makes sense because in the eyes of Almighty God He sees us through Him! When He looks at us, He sees us through the lens of Yeshua!”^*

Have you ever known someone who constantly reminded you of the bad things you did? God does not do that. It’s as if you’ve never committed a sin in your life—all because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Though others may keep a record of your wrongs, you are blameless in the sight of the only One who really matters: your heavenly Father.

Satan wants to spoil your life with thoughts of shame and regret. God, though, wipes your sin-filled record clean, clothes you with his righteousness, and then places you on a path to heaven, where you will spend eternity with him.

Release Your Shame

When you have lived a long time in the shadow of shame, stepping into the light can be hard. So take a deep, cleansing breath. Take a few more if you need them. Feel your heart rate slow and your mind become steadier.

Now whisper, “Because of Christ, I am holy. I am blameless. I am without fault.”

Thank God for this indescribable gift. As you keep breathing slowly, imagine yourself exhaling the shame and guilt that weighs you down. Open your palms to the heavens, as if you’re receiving the Lord’s blessings.

Isaiah 61:10 says God has clothed you with “garments of salvation” and arrayed you “in a robe of his righteousness.”

Now imagine taking off a filthy, smelly garment that represents your sin. Next, imagine Jesus standing beside you and handing you a beautiful white robe that he insists you wear. “This is yours to wear forever,” he says. “It represents the way I see you.”

How does that new garment look on you?

Let this image linger in your mind and remind you that because of Christ, you are holy and blameless in the presence of God. You have no reason to feel shame.

Take another deep breath, slowly exhale, and whisper to God, “Thank you.”

Dear Father, there is no one like you. You are righteous; you are holy. You are the God of grace, mercy, and peace. Your love never ends. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for giving me a second chance. Thank you for clothing me in the righteousness of Christ. Father, I ask that you guard my heart against feelings of shame and guilt. Help me cast the care of shame on you. Help me see myself the way you see me. It’s in the name of Jesus that I pray, amen.

JOURNAL PROMPT: Write down some things God says about you, like “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3), or “While you were still a sinner, Christ died for you” (Romans 5:8). Fill the page with as many truths as you can think of. Let the Holy Spirit bring them to mind.