One in four women, and one in six men, will be sexually assaulted at some point in their life. There are almost certainly people in our churches who have been deeply wounded by assault, but may feel compelled to keep their suffering to themselves.
In a Sunday evening elder’s talk at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Bobby Jamieson walked through the story of Amnon’s rape of Tamar from 2 Samuel 13, a vivid account of the devastation that sexual assault causes. Jamieson then offered seven ways the gospel brings renewal to those who have been victims.*
1. The gospel restores your voice, turning denial into the righteous act of naming evil truthfully.
2. The gospel gives you a new identity as God’s beloved child in Christ.
3. The gospel frees you from shame.
4. The gospel perfectly and permanently removes the guilt of your own sin.
5. The gospel makes room for righteous anger and uproots sinful anger.
6. The gospel restores trust in God and others, turning isolation into growing intimacy.
7. The gospel grants hope, turning despair into confidence in God’s promises.
Related
- Rid of My Disgrace (book review by JJ Sherwood)
- Sexual Assault, Domestic Abuse, and the Gospel (Justin and Lindsey Holcomb)
- Sexual Assault and the Scandal of Repentance (Trevin Wax)
*Throughout the talk, Jamieson relies heavily on and recommends Justin and Lindsey Holcomb’s book Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault.
Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?
In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
