By Stuart Powell
As a child, did you ever try to hide from your parents after a disobedient act? Did you seek sanctuary somewhere in your house? Was it even a good hiding place? Such a foolish reaction stretches back to the beginning of sin on earth.
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:6-8).
How many times have we tried, like Adam and Eve, to hide from God in his creation? How often have we tried to cover the effects of our sin? How long did it take to discover there is no way to escape Godâs presence?
The road to reconciliation with God begins when we step out of our hiding place and humble ourselves before him. He knows our failures. He wants us to confess the sinfulness that separates us from him. Letâs take a moment to openly declare that we all fall short of the glory of God. Repeat after me: âI am a sinner.â
This confession is incomplete, however. These four words alone do not restore our hope. Our confession needs to be made in the shadow of the cross. Jesus, through his sacrifice, calls us out of hiding by offering us his grace as a covering for our sin. When we come to the time of Communion, we need to make a confession that declares not just our rebellion, but which also recognizes and thanks God and his Son for the work completed at Calvary. Repeat after me: âI am a sinner . . . saved by Godâs grace.â
Stuart Powell lives outside of Terre Haute, Indiana, where he serves with the North Side Christian Church.
Very Good!