As if God Didn't Know...

Our confession from last Sunday's service began with:

We often grow angry with God's plans and activities in our world when we have no right to do so...let us first consider our sins...

As I reflected on my sins, I thought, "Do I feel repentant, or do I just want to hide my sins and hide from God?"

Our confession continued:

We have failed to live in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.  We hear your call to repent...

I thought of Adam hiding in the garden, and God calling to him, calling to me.

One of our readings that morning was the Acts passage about Ananias and Sapphira, the couple who tried to deceive the early church.  And Peter told Ananias, "You have not lied to men but to God."  

Again - trying to hide from God.

Several years ago, in a Lenten series on Psalm 51, Pastor expounded on David's elaborate scheme to hide his guilt.  And then Pastor said, "David thought he had covered all his bases, as if God didn't know."

As if God didn't know...

Adam, Ananias, David, me...we lie to others, we pretend, scheme, and work things out to our own advantage...but God knows.

And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.  Hebrews 4:13

I think of that often - God knows.  

He knows all the feelings we have, the deceit and lies that we convey to others and to ourselves, how we try to hide it all and even convince ourselves that we're okay, that we're doing things right, and that we're justified. 

But I think of myself, my flimsy clothes, my smile, my abilities...they don't hide my sins, my guilt, my weaknesses, and my shame before my God.   

I can't pretend before Him.  

O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
  Psalm 139:1

But, when I do bare myself before my Lord, and admit my sinfulness and my tendency to justify myself...it's then that I know His mercy, His love, His forgiveness, and His peace.  

I can't make it go away, but Jesus did and still does.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.                     2 Corinthians 5:21

From Sunday's Absolution:

But Christ rose from the grave, and death no longer has dominion over Him!  God has called you His children and that is what you are.

We don't have to hide anymore, because we are His children.