No Shame

"The look on their faces testifies against them;
they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it.
Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.
Tell the righteous it will be well with them,
for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.
Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them!
They will be paid back for what their hands have done."
(Isaiah 3:9-11 NIV)

"From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.
They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious.
'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace.
Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish them," says the LORD.
Jeremiah 6:13-15 (NIV)

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil.
Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV)

A common quote says grace is getting what you don't deserve and mercy is not getting what you do deserve. Despite God's grace and mercy, most people consider this life unfair.

The Lord's grace and mercy have limits. He patiently tolerates sin for a while, but is particularly provoked when sin is paraded with pride. When there is no shame for sin—when evil is called good and good is seen as evil—the Lord doesn't even need to initiate punishment. If He simply withholds grace and mercy, sin reaps its own evil consequences. Life becomes "fair."

America paraded heroism after driving back evil in WWII. Parades now exhibit gay sex live, cell phones transmit the owner's nudity as readily as voice, sex slavery and pedophilia thrive, infants and infirm are slaughtered for economic convenience, idols are worshiped in every media, bailout rewards greed and gluttony, bling decorates recession, and closing WalMart on Black Friday is a bigger outrage to shoppers than the death of the man they trampled.

Can you hear the deafening scream of no shame?

Is our nation ready for "fair"?

Almighty God, how sickened I feel to dwell for a moment on what You look upon continually. How are You yet patient with a nation that still labels itself "Christian"? Thank You for grace and mercy to Your children. Thank You for comforting the righteous with assurance it will be well with them.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2008, Anne Lang Bundy