We didn’t like it when, as children, our parents or some other adult authority figure caught us doing something wrong.
It was embarrassing and sometimes led to punishment.
We didn’t like facing the consequences at the time, but we’re better people now because of the lessons we eventually learned.
Entering adulthood doesn’t eliminate our tendency toward misbehavior. We simply increase the complexities and gravity of consequences, it seems.
I sin. You sin.
We know we shouldn’t, but the plain fact is that we do.
Those sins deserve consequences because they are, at the least, an offense to God and often an offense to others.
I’d like to say that 44 years of Christian living since my verbal and baptismal confession have cured me of sinning, but I can’t.
Like the Apostle Paul, I still have moments when, seemingly, I either think God can’t see what I’m doing or when I don’t care what He thinks.
It’s stupid, I know.
I’m sure that you know just how I feel after such lapses.
I am profoundly grateful that God has a heart of mercy that doesn’t want anyone to perish but instead all to come to repentance and restoration (2 Peter 3:9).
This is why I was especially glad to encounter the following passage during my devotional reading this morning from the Bible:
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable. So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:13-16)
Listen, the next time you feel naked in sin, run in prayer to the Savior who not only knew how to keep His clothes of righteousness on, but who is also willing to clothe us again with His righteous, atoning blood if we’ve accepted Him as Lord.
This is the only hope we have for earthly and eternal peace when we’ve “gone naked” in God’s sight, my friend.
As we hold firmly to this belief, we’ll always find God’s grace reaching out to firmly pull us back into His arms.
As always, I love you
Martin
