Most of us try, from very early age, to be "worthy", to do things that bring glory and praise from other people.
We do this for many years.
Then we come to God and learn the only thing we can glory in is the cross of Jesus, in HIS blood that pays for our sins.
All our achievements among men, all our works, are described by the apostle Paul as "dung."
If we find ourselves ashamed, we have to realize we expected our works to save us and to bring glory to us.
When we turn and think of the blood of Jesus saving us, I believe the shame we felt over that which we did will vanish for then we will be thinking of that which Jesus did and trusting in HIM rather than in ourselves.
To be disappointed in yourself means you have been trusting in yourself.
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There is a hymn which points us strongly to the cross of Jesus and several critical truths.
In this hymn, we see the only thing between us and an "awful grave" is the cross.
This is profound truth. For without the cross, that grave would be terrible. The cross of Christ is the only thing that saves us from the fear of death which is suffered by the people of this world.
Another concept from this hymn is that the cross is where both love and justice meet.
For the cross shows the love of Jesus to die for us. We could never be just of our own works. Only the blood of Jesus justifies us.
And we will only be ashamed when we think of ourselves.
Our glory is in the cross.
This hymn, you can hear by clicking on the following link:
* Beneath the cross of Jesus
1. Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty Rock
Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
And the burden of the day.
2. Oh, safe and happy shelter!
Oh, refuge tried and sweet!
Oh, trysting place where heaven’s love
And heaven’s justice meet.
As to the holy patriarch
That wondrous dream was given,
So is my Savior by the cross
A ladder up to heaven.
3. There lies beneath its shadow,
But on the farther side,
The darkness of an awful grave
That gapes both deep and wide;
The darkness of an awful grave
That gapes both deep and wide;
And there between us stands the cross,
Two arms outstretched to save,
Like a watchman set to guard the way
From that eternal grave.
4. Upon that cross of Jesus
Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One,
Who suffered there for me;
And from my smitten heart, with tears,
Two wonders I confess,
The wonders of His glorious love,
And my own worthlessness.
5. I take, O cross, thy shadow
For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
The sunshine of His face (word);
For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
The sunshine of His face (word);
Content to let the world go by,
To know no gain nor loss,
My sinful self my only shame,
My glory all the cross.
*****