unashamed

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
    let me not be put to shame;
    let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
    they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.

Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

-Psalm 25:1-7

Once a man is born again, all their past sins are forgotten by God. However, all sin has consciences, many of which leave believers scarred despite them being forgiven. Satan often tries to use these past sins to paralyze us and to hinder our work for the Kingdom of God. We must constantly remind ourselves that our identity is in Christ. That we are seen as innocent in the eyes of God due to the perfect sacrifice of his beloved son Jesus. We see in Psalm 25:1-7 how shame affects believers and unbelievers differently.

David was familiar with being taunted by his enemies. His first taste of war started for a similar reason. He fought Goliath because he was taunting and defying the name of the Living God. Again and again God was faithful to get him out of these situations. In this Psalm, David prays to God for deliverance while uplifting the name of God. The Psalmist is calling for judgment on his enemies. It might seem like an act of self-preservation but he was doing so primarily for the glory of God.

It is common among wicked nations to have a warped view of shame. In Romans 1 we find that one of the key identifiers of a God-hating people is that they are boastful of these evil deeds. Shame is meant to be felt when we sin as a means to make them aware of their guilt before God and ultimately bring us to repentance. To ease their guilty conscience, they celebrate their sin and live in it as a pig would in mud. They are given over to their sinful desires and their conscience is seared. One of the many graces a believer can enjoy is freedom from the bondage of shame because we no longer bear the burden of guilt.

Unlike his immoral neighbors, David sees that the law of God brings life. He recognizes that salvation comes only from the Lord and submits himself to God. He strengthens himself by reflecting on the tender mercies and loving kindnesses as seen in verse 6 knowing that he is free from shame because God does not remember the sins of his youth, nor his transgressions. He is wholly righteous in the eyes of God and redeemed.