1 Timothy 4:6 English Standard Version (ESV) If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.

What is good doctrine?

2 Timothy 3:16 English Standard Version (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Good doctrine makes good Christians. This follows up on the heels of shaming so that we should always focus on the relationship with God and steadily improve that relationship. Reproof and correct are the work of the Holy Spirit. If we allow men to dictate our relationship with God we may find ourselves in danger of falling away from the faith because of lying hypocrisies.

Some will begin to teach false doctrine with enticing words. We must guard ourselves from following these false teachers. Our only safeguard is the Holy Spirit and a healthy relationship with God. What eventually will happen if we should fall under the spell of these lying hypocrisies is a loss of freedom and restrictive demands placed upon us.

This is why it is critical to be able to hear the Holy Spirit and to become more acquainted with the scriptures. The Holy Spirit will train us in right behavior. Our motivation will be the law of love and not the demands of men.

Romans 13:8 English Standard Version (ESV) Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Listen carefully to words and submit to prayer any instructions that tell you that “you must” do a thing. It is possible that a speaker might use the term loosely without lying hypocrisies so allow the Holy Spirit to help you discern the truth in those matters.

If you listen for the Holy Spirit in every teaching, errors will appear by revelation.

Genesis 3:10 English Standard Version (ESV) And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 

“You should ashamed of yourself!”

Sound familiar? We were talking about lust yesterday and made the argument that the definition is broader than most people think. The issue here is the attitudes of sin within our personal experience. Adam does a great job in confessing his condition.

First there was a treat of exposure. He heard God coming.

Second was self-awareness as expressed by fear.

Third was the evidence of sin, he was found naked.

Lastly was shame, he hid.

How does shame enter into the equation? There is the legal, the moral and the religious instruction. We learn how to be ashamed by instruction. The legal varies because laws change from place to place and from time to time. Laws are legislated. What is moral changes even faster and with much more complex controls because society decides what is moral without any arbitrary rules. Morality changes because society changes.

Religious instructions vary according to the mandates of the order in which it is applied. Islam has different mandates than Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. etc. etc.

Even within Christianity there are variants which differ as each sect distinguishes one aspect of ordinances to be more important than another. Strict adherences can often be used to shame applicants into submission. What those differences are can be as simple as a dress code or as complicated as how worship is to be observed. People seek to be comfortable.

Should we allow others to dictate what we should be ashamed about? Adam gave us the perfect example of shame in original sin. His relationship with God was at risk. Adam hid his face from God because of shame.

If we are afraid that God is watching, then maybe we shouldn’t do what we are thinking.