“They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.” (Isa 42:17 AV)
Isaiah is a book of judgment and restoration. There is a judgment on the enemies of Israel and a judgment on Israel itself. Restoration comes only to the people of God. What is the difference? Why are the people of God restored and the enemies of God are not restored? Why are the sins of Israel deemed less severe (or, so it would seem) than the sins of the wicked? The Bible tells us Judah exceeded the sins of the heathen around them. Why, then, does God restore His people even though they have done worse than those who are not His people? It cannot be that the sins of God’s people are less severe. It cannot be the people of God sinned less. There must be something else that makes them unique. Other than the covenant God made with their forefathers, there is something different. It is reflected by the underlined phrase above. The people of God will feel shame at the rebuke of God whereas the enemies of God will not. There is something inside the child of God that causes him or her to respond when corrected.
There are extreme cases of people who feel no remorse for the things they have done. Clinical psychology will define such a person as a psychopath. According to verywellmind.com, psychopathy is defined as, “The term ‘psychopath’ is used to describe someone who is callous, unemotional, and morally depraved.” In film, this type of person is often depicted as completely unemotional towards the pain and suffering of others even to the point of inflicting such pain. In short, they feel no shame for what they have done. The worst of the worst are often shown in film and entertainment. Those who have done horrendous things often make the news. We need to remember the psychopath is nothing more than an extreme example of what all of us are. That is, our conscience is seared with a hot iron and we learn to live with, and ignore shame. This is natural to the lost man. To those who are saved, this requires we quench the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and learn to live with and ignore shame. This is not how God intended His people to live.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is for the purpose of communication with God and spiritual maturity in Christ. The latter requires we listen and respond to the voice of God. Oft times, the people of God are maligned and abased by those who do know not God for doing the same things as they. Sometimes we do. The difference is, we have been quickened and have the privilege of feeling shame to a depth the lost know nothing about. Shame is a good thing. Shame is what keeps us closer to God than we would be otherwise. When I read the above verse, I am comforted. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is a good thing. A really good thing. No one likes to get yelled at the instant it comes, but those who desire change welcome it soon after. It is uncomfortable to get corrected. But the peaceable fruits of righteousness follow. The feeling of heightened guilt and shame are not indicators of being lost. Rather, just the opposite. Praise the LORD for these emotions. They are welcomed. They are needed. They are comforting. They are an indication of the active ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and it is the hope of our conversion into Christlikeness.
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