17 January 2015 - exposed

No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.

We might be afraid to come before someone like this. He sees all that we are. There is nothing we can hide from him. He knows all of our mixed motives and impure desires. He knows all of our hidden imperfect choices. We can cover these things up before others. We can dress our faults and make ourselves presentable. But not before him. We are naked and exposed before him. We are just as naked as Adam is in the garden.

We should not do what Adam does. We should not run away. We have more grounds for confidence than Adam has. Adam knows he is naked and expects death because he knows that he shouldn't know that. He tries to cover himself so that he doesn't have to know it. He runs from God so that he can't see it. He assumes that if God does find him it will only be to deliver the promised punishment.

He does not try to approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and timely help. But we should. We should approach with a confidence that Adam cannot have because, we have a high priest who is able "to sympathize with our weaknesses", one who faces all the same tests we face "yet without sin". He is not out to get us. He isn't looking for an excuse to condemn. He knows what it is like. He knows how hard it is. And because he knows, he wants to give us the grace and mercy we need.

"The word of God is living and effective". But do we experience it this way? Do we experience the profound vulnerability we read about above when we read his word? We should. It should be hitting us on a level as deep as that. Do we actually experience mercy and grace for timely help when we approach Jesus present in his word? We are meant to experience them. Let us confidently approach! We have ought to have more confidence than Adam. The Word of God is not spoken to condemn us. If we allow it to expose us we can be confident that mercy will not be far behind.

We hear the word spoken, "Follow me." It leads us to a place of vulnerability. Jesus leads us to a banquet with tax collectors and sinners. His word leads to fellowship with people like Levi at his customs post. It leads us to realize that we are no better than any of these with whom we dine. We belong here. We are not well. We are sick and need a physician. We are sinners and need a savior. And we have found him.

Let us not run from his words. Let us not engage them on a level that is superficial, abstract, or artificial. May we engage them on the deepest and must intimate level. May we celebrate and rejoice in them.

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.