Naked and Unashamed
What does it mean to be naked and unashamed?
When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they were naked and unashamed.
We are free to live a life that is “naked” before the Lord and others—open, honest, and without shame. We should never operate from a place of shame.
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
(Isaiah 41:10 ESV)
There’s a popular show called Naked and Afraid. The concept of the show is to test your survival skills in the jungle—while being completely naked. You’re allowed to select one essential tool to use during the 21-day challenge. And don’t worry—you’re partnered with another person of the opposite sex. During the challenge, you’re required to create shelter, find food in the wild, work as a team, and survive the elements.
The beloved story of Adam and Eve appears in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. The show itself is interesting because, in a way, it mirrors some elements of their story—two people of opposite sexes, living off the land, and naked. But the huge difference is that Eden was created with them in mind. The elements, the insects, and the environment did not affect them the way they affect us today. The Garden of Eden was a true utopia. They ate freely from the land and worked together as the ultimate team, tending the garden the Lord entrusted to them—all while being naked and unashamed.
As many of us know—or for those who may not—their blissful living came to a tragic end. God gave a command not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If they ate from it, they would surely die. Fast forward: the serpent tempted Eve with half-truths. She disobeyed God and ate from the tree. Adam followed and did the same. The moment they ate the fruit, their eyes were opened—they realized their nakedness, and they were ashamed.
He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Genesis 3:11–13 (ESV)
And so, they were swiftly removed from the Garden of Eden. They couldn’t “pass Go.” Even though I add some humor here, the reality is that we once had a world designed for perfect harmony between God, humanity, nature, and the animals.
Adam and Eve lived in complete nakedness—unashamed and unafraid. But eating from the tree created a new set of eyes. The eyes God created—pure and holy—could now see carnality. The shame of nakedness entered their bloodline and passed through their genealogy… until Jesus.
We were never created to be ashamed of our nakedness. Physical nakedness has also evolved into being “naked” in heart, in spirit, in self-view, and so on. The kind of nakedness (shame) that runs rampant in the world was defeated on the Cross. When our Lord and Savior Jesus died during His horrific crucifixion, He hung openly naked on a wooden cross. All of humanity’s sin was placed upon Him. The nakedness of Adam and Eve was transferred to Jesus, our Redeemer.
Jesus being naked on the Cross—dying to restore our relationship with the Father—is why we should no longer carry the mentality of shame. He carried the Cross to nail that way of being to it. He died in shame so we can live unashamed. The Lord reversed the curse so we could be set free. How dare we live a life filled with shame?
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
Psalms 139:14 (ESV)
No longer will you walk around carrying the nakedness of shame.
“casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
God is our Redeemer! When Jesus said, “It is finished,” and surrendered His spirit, He ended the reign of shame forever. Every time nakedness or shame rises up, declare, “It is finished.” When the enemy tries to remind you of your past, say, “It is finished.”
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
The nakedness we now carry is the call to be open and vulnerable with those God has placed in our lives. The life partners, the family, the friendships—those are the ones we share our “nakedness” with.
The nakedness of my four-year-old running happily around the house, unashamed, is comforting. It shows that he feels safe, loved, and cared for—that his body is not viewed with judgment or disgust. He’s simply in a blissful state of being. We must return to that same place in the Lord.
We need Christlike friendships where it’s safe to be open—naked and unashamed. The world needs more Christians living with that freedom. We did not meet Jesus as perfect beings. He met us in our shame. So let’s meet others in theirs and walk the road of freedom together.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
Matthew 28:19 (ESV)
Additional scriptures:
And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. Acts 10:39-43 (ESV)
The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. Acts 5:30 (ESV)
and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. John 19:17 (ESV)
