Summary4 min read

The Daily Blade: Episode #202

Title: Joby Martin // When Shame Invented Religion—and Grace Broke It
Date: October 9, 2025
Hosts: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson

Overview

This episode delves into Genesis chapter 3, examining how humanity’s first response to shame led to the birth of "religion"—defined here as human efforts to cover sin and gain acceptance before God. Pastor Joby Martin draws a contrast between shame-driven religious performance and the grace-driven acceptance offered in the gospel. The conversation equips listeners to reflect honestly on their relationship with God, addressing themes of transparency, grace, and God’s relentless pursuit of His people.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Genesis 3: "When the First Religion Is Born"

Rebellion & Religion as Rejection of God
- Rebellion: Adam and Eve defied God by eating the forbidden fruit—“I’m gonna do what I want with who I want, when I want.”
- Religion: After their disobedience, they attempted to cover their nakedness with fig leaves—a metaphor for humanity’s attempt to cover up sin by their own efforts.
- [00:20] Joby Martin:
  
  “At the core of us all, because of our sin nature, is that we all reject God. Some reject God through rebellion … some people reject God through religion.”

2. The Terrible Trade: From Transparency to Shame

Adam and Eve’s disobedience led them to feel shame, prompting them to hide from God and from each other.
- They traded “obedience for disobedience, transparency with God for shame, being known for hiding.”
“Sin is a terrible trade.”

3. Religion vs. Gospel

Religion: “If I do the right things, then I will be acceptable before God.”
Gospel: “Because of what Christ has done for me, I am accepted.”
- This acceptance then motivates true obedience, born of relationship not performance.
[01:30] Joby Martin:

“They thought by the works of their own hands they could do something to cover their sin and shame. That’s what religion is.... The gospel is because of what Christ has done for me.”

4. Hiding from God: Universal Experience

Adam and Eve hid among the trees after hearing God’s approach—mirrored by how people today selectively hide parts of their lives from God.
[02:10] Joby Martin:

“When you don’t understand the grace of God, you run from God and not to God.”

Religion vs. Gospel (Illustrated with a Story)

Religion: “Oh no, we’ve screwed up. Don’t tell dad, he’s going to kill us.”
Gospel: “Oh no, we screwed up. Hurry, call dad, he can help us.”

5. The Father’s Response: Grace and Pursuit

God’s first act after the fall is to “pursue” Adam and Eve, calling out, “Where are you?”
This pursuit is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ mission: coming for the lost, the broken, the sinners, not the "well."
[03:03] Joby Martin:

“The good news of the Gospel is that God relentlessly pursues his rebellious children.”
Jesus described as the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep—or a parent searching for a lost coin—a “prodigal-running Father.”

6. Reflective Questions for the Listener

“Where are you?”
Are you running from God, or running to Him?
Are you trusting your own works to “cover” your sin and shame, or turning to God’s grace?

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

[01:50] Joby Martin:

“Sin is a terrible trade. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths … And the first religion is born.”
[02:27] Joby Martin:

“There are areas of our life we want God to see and bless, and there's other areas of our life where we run and hide and we hope he doesn't see it.”
[03:20] Joby Martin:

“God is relentlessly pursuing his rebellious children.”
[03:40] Joby Martin:

“When you don’t run to your Father, you run away from Him—and guess what? He's still calling out for you.”
[04:13] Joby Martin:

“I dare you to stop running and come home to a loving Heavenly Father who loves you, calls your name, and sent Jesus to invite you to come home.”

Important Timestamps

00:20 — Genesis 3 applied: The beginnings of religion
01:30 — The core difference between religion and the gospel
02:10 — Hiding from God; practical reflection on grace
03:03 — God’s pursuit and the gospel in the New Testament
03:40 — Parables of pursuit (Shepherd, Lost Coin, Prodigal Son)
04:13 — Direct invitation to stop running from God

Summary in the Hosts’ Tone

Joby and Kyle use blunt honesty, scripture, and relatable analogies to connect ancient text to daily struggles:

The impulse to cover shame with “religion” is universal—but unhelpful.
God isn’t waiting to shame or destroy those who fail; He’s a Father inviting His children home.
Men are encouraged to lead their families with grace, representing God’s character.
The signature challenge: "Stop running. Come home."

For Listeners

If you wrestle with shame, hiding, or self-made attempts to fix yourself before coming to God, this episode brings a message of hope and challenge: The grace of God is greater than your shame, and He’s always calling you to Himself—not because of your performance, but because of His love.

End of Summary

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Transcript3 lines

[00:01]
A
Welcome to the Daily Blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.
[00:20]
B
Welcome back to day four of the Daily Blade. What we're going to look at here in Genesis chapter three is really when the first religion is born. You see, the reality is that the core of us all, because of our sin nature, is that we all reject God. Some of us tend to reject God through rebellion. This was the forbidden fruit. Adam and Eve say, forget you, God. I don't care what your law says. I'm gonna do what I want with who I want, when I want. That's rebellion. But some people reject God through religion. So, God, we don't need you to do something about our sin and shame by the works of our own hands. We'll handle it ourselves. Genesis chapter 3, verse 7 says this. Then the eyes of both were open. This is after they took of the fruit like we talked about yesterday. Then the eyes of both were open and they knew that they were naked. Now, what I want you to see here is this terrible trade that they've made. They traded obedience for disobedience. They traded transparency with God for shame. They traded being known for hiding, you see, sin is a terrible trade. And they sewed fig leaves together and they made themselves loincloths, you see? And the first religion is born again. What I want you to see here is that they thought by the works of their own hands they could do something to cover their sin and shame. That's what religion is, that if I do the right things, then I will be acceptable before God. The gospel is because of what Christ has done for me. That is why I am accepted. And because I am accepted by the finished work of Christ, it drives me to be about my Father's business. It says, and then verse 8. And they heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden of the cool of the day. And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. That sounds crazy, doesn't it? But let me ask you this. When have you ever tried to run and hide from God? You see, we do this all the time. There are areas of our life we want God to see and bless. And there's other areas of our life where we run and hide and we hope he doesn't see it. Let me ask you when does this happen to you? You see, because when you don't understand the grace of God, you run from God and not to God. You see, religion goes like this. Religion says, oh no, we've screwed up. Don't tell dad, he's going to kill us. The gospel says, oh no, we screwed up. Hurry call dad, he can help us. So let me ask you this, by the way, dads, what kind of dad are you? I mean, if. If you get to borrow the title of our creator Father, then how in the world are our kids going to believe that God is good and kind and gracious? How are they going to believe that their heavenly Father loves them if we are always yelling at them? Verse 9. The Bible says, but the Lord God called to the man and said to him, where are you? You see, I got some really good news is that even though Adam and Eve run and they try to cover over their sin and shame by the works of their own hand, the good news of the Gospel is that God relentlessly pursues his rebellious children. You see, not only does God pursue them and say, where are you? Which is a very important question to ask. But later, by the time we get to the New Testament, God is going to love us, the world so much that he's going to send his only begotten son. And Jesus, when he shows up on the scene, he comes on a rescue mission. Jesus said, I did not come for the well, but for the sick. The reality is there are none that are actually well. And what you need to be saved is need that Jesus is the kind of shepherd that leaves the 99 to pursue the 1 that Jesus is the kind of savior that will turn over his entire house to try to find that one, one lost coin that Jesus wants us to know that God is the kind of heavenly father that runs to that prodigal at the expense of his own honor and his own name for his glory. So let me ask you this. I'm going to ask you the same question that God asked Adam and Eve. Where are you like right now? I know that you've sinned. Are you running from God or are you running to God? Do you think you can run and hide from him? Do you think that you could work this out on your own? Do you think there's something that you could do with your own hands that you could make a covering suitable to cover your sin and shame? Well, just be honest, you know, it's not working. So I dare you, I mean I dare you to stop running and come home to a loving Heavenly Father who loves you, calls your name and sent Jesus to invite you to come home.
[05:06]
A
Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help, equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five star rating and review. Stay sharp.