Shame and Regret

Question: "What does the Bible say about shame and regret?"

Answer: Everyone experiences a certain amount of shame and regret over sins committed in their past. The Bible has much to say about shame and regret, and there are numerous examples of people in the Bible who experienced them.

Can you imagine the shame and regret Adam and Eve lived with after they spoiled by their sin the perfect creation God had made? They lived in a perfect world, had perfect minds and bodies, and had perfect close fellowship with God. But they were also given the freedom to make choices. When they chose to sin against God and disobey Him, it meant all of God’s creation was now subject to sin’s effects, which are disease, decay, death, and separation from God for eternity. And every human being afterward was born into this world with a sin nature—the natural inclination to sin. Thankfully, God is sovereign, and He had a plan even then to redeem His world through His Son Jesus Christ and give mankind a choice for salvation and eternal life with Him. But Adam and Eve must have lived out their lives on earth with much regret over the loss of the life they had with God before they sinned.

Living a Christian Life

Question: "How should Christians stand up for their faith in such an anti-Christian world?"

Answer: As Christians, the two things we can do to stand up for Christ are to live according to His Word and grow our own knowledge of Him. Christ said, “Let your light shine before men…” (Matthew 5:16). This means that we should live and act in a way that supports the gospel. We should also arm ourselves with knowledge, both of the gospel (Ephesians 6:10-17) and of the world around us. First Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” All we can do is live and teach as Christ would and let Him take care of the rest.