Sin often hides in plain sight. In part, this is what Paul means when he describes those who turn their shame into their glory. This is how wrathful outbursts are recategorized as righteous zeal; being a busybody is rebranded as showing concern; vanity is whitewashed with TikTok slogans about being a high value man. These sins, and others like them, are a glorification of shame. Sinful man tries the impossible by attempting to up-cycle shameful things into something praiseworthy.
But this is a black-market glory. This is counterfeit glory. Rather, as the Apostle Paul said, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
There is no glory in our shame. There is, however, glory in the God who first takes away our shame. There is glory when the everlasting God dwells within finite man. There is eternal majesty in our momentary trials. There is splendor in our weakness, when the power of Christ rests upon us. Not the vain-glory of trying to hide sin out in the open by pretending sin is beautiful; but the glory of blackened sinners washed white with crimson blood.
This really is the central glory of the Gospel. The darkest moment of human history, Christ crucified, is also the brightest moment. Again, as Paul says, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 6:14).”
This building we’ve been blessed to build is glorious only insofar as it is filled with faithful saints who glory in their weakness but not in their shame. God calls us to repent of our shame but to glory in our infirmities. This is no contradiction. This is how God takes the weak things of this earth to shame the wise.
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