Tag: Genesis 3:8-13

Do You or I Know the One Good Thing Which God Desires of The Shape of Our All Too Human Hearts? Psalm 78:65-72

As followers of Jesus, we are committed to living by God’s standards, such as integrity—saying what we mean and doing what we say.

Proverbs 21:3 says, “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”

Integrity means being “honest” and “whole and undivided.” First, we have to be honest with ourselves by asking:

Do I say I will do things that don’t get done?
Do I make excuses for not following through?
Do I substitute words when actions are needed?

Ecclesiastes 5:2 says, “Do not be quick with your mouth…”

The Bible doesn’t teach us not to use words, but to use them wisely and back them up with consistent actions.

Jesus says, in Matthew 25:21, the “master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”
The master says “well done,” not, “well said.”

If we struggle with integrity, there is hope. Romans 8:1 says. “.. there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Start with the first tiny step of an honest self-assessment.

Then choose to follow Jesus to the next step in integrity, and keep following Him day by day.

Psalm 78:65-72 The Message

65-72 Suddenly the Lord was up on his feet
    like someone roused from deep sleep,
    shouting like a drunken warrior.
He hit his enemies hard, sent them running,
    yelping, not daring to look back.
He disqualified Joseph as leader,
    told Ephraim he didn’t have what it takes,
And chose the Tribe of Judah instead,
    Mount Zion, which he loves so much.
He built his sanctuary there, resplendent,
    solid and lasting as the earth itself.
Then he chose David, his servant,
    handpicked him from his work in the sheep pens.
One day he was caring for the ewes and their lambs,
    the next day God had him shepherding Jacob,
    his people Israel, his prize possession.
His good heart made him a good shepherd;
    he guided the people wisely and well.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

An Integrity Filled Heart

When we are talking about the qualities that are necessary for a Christian heart, integrity is one quality that cannot, and should not, ever be ignored.

The reason is because that’s the exact type of heart which God desires and uses.

72 
So David shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart;
And guided them with his skillful hands. Psalm 78:72 Amplified

It was with such an integrous heart that God commended David.

In Acts 13:22 the Lord’s testimony of David says, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.”

If David had a heart after God’s heart, and if David’s heart was integrous, therefore it can be concluded that integrity is an integral part of God’s own heart, in other words, integrity is one of God’s qualities we should seek after.

This is seen in something Moses said about God’s character.

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19 NKJV)

And so, a Christian’s heart needs to be an integrous heart because an integrous heart, a heart filled with integrity is part of God’s own heart, we should desire it with the same fervor, tenacity as God Himself possesses it, desires to share it.

Therefore, I think it’s safe to say that integrity is needed now more than ever.

There are several reasons why.

First, we also live in a society where what was once called good and integrous, is now being called hate-filled and evil, and what was once called hateful and evil is now being called good and true and the most desirable to be possessed by all.

What is evil is being taught, advocated for and celebrated in schools at all levels.

What is good and righteous is declared to be extremist, worthy of a prison cell.

What was once considered backwards, abhorrent is fast becoming acceptable conduct, praise worthy conduct, taught to be an acceptable medical practice.

How radically backwards has become so common place and acceptable in our day to day conversations in such a short span of time is truly mind-boggling.

How bad is this in the eyes and heart of God.

Remember, integrity is a part of God’s own heart.

Well, Isaiah prophesied this, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness…” (Isaiah 5:20 NKJV)

But also, our society drowning in lies.

We are living in a world that is living more by the lie than by the truth, and the sad part is that most people shrug shoulders, don’t think it is that big a deal.

But it is a big deal, and the Bible calls it sin.

In fact, it’s such a huge deal to God in how it hurts our relationship with Him and others that He makes it one of His big ten, that is, the Ten Commandments.

This one is the ninth to be exact.

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16 NKJV)

But, before we can continue looking at what is an integrity filled heart, I believe it is vitally important we come to know and understand what integrity means.

Understanding What Integrity Means

Psalm 15 Amplified Bible

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A Psalm of David.

15 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent?
Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill?
2 
He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness,
And speaks and holds truth in his heart.
3 
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 
In his eyes an evil person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].
He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit];
5 
He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite],
And does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

Having integrity is adhering to truth and a code of values, and for Christians, it means adhering to the Way and the Truth and the Life found only God’s Word.

Synonyms would include: being honest, a person of high moral character, a person of virtue, who lives their lives in accordance with the morals, ethics and values set forth by God Himself in the Bible, values they say they believe in.

Therefore, integrity is about being honest, fair, and having a strong sense of what is right and wrong.

It’s adhering to the moral and ethical principles set forth in God’s Word, which speaks directly to a person’s private, public character, being, who they truly are.

But it also has a second definition, and that is a person who is undivided and thus unwavering in their belief and trust in God.

Integrity is not so much about what we do as it is about who we are.

It means we privately, publicly live according to what we say and believe in.

It’s about who we are on the inside more than what we portray on the outside.

It’s doing right even when no one else is looking, and who we are, how we each act and behave in the dark more than what we do in the light.

Integrity, therefore, is best defined by how it’s fleshed out in our lives.

• It’s about keeping our word even when it hurts.

• It’s about being honest in all our dealings.

• It’s practicing morality in both our bodies and in our minds.

• It’s about admitting mistakes and doing what’s necessary to make them right.

This is why integrity of heart is something God is searching for in His people.

King David said that it’s only with an integrous heart that we can dwell in God’s presence.

So, if we want to dwell in the presence of God, then we have to have integrity, and thus walk and talk and live our lives by it.

“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.” (Psalm 15:1-2 NKJV)

In fact, God is pleased when we do walk with integrity in our hearts.

Proverbs 11:18-20 Amplified Bible

18 
The wicked man earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness and lives his life with integrity will have a true reward [that is both permanent and satisfying].
19 
He who is steadfast in righteousness attains life,
But he who pursues evil attains his own death.
20 
The perverse in heart are repulsive and shamefully vile to the Lord,
But those who are blameless and above reproach in their walk are His delight!

In Proverbs 11:20 the Lord says that while He detests people with crooked and twisted hearts, He does mightily and muchly delights in those with integrity.

Integrity of Job

Job 27:3-6 Amplified Bible

3 
As long as my life is within me,
And the breath of God is [still] in my nostrils,
4 
My lips will not speak unjustly,
Nor will my tongue utter deceit.
5 
“Far be it from me that I should admit you are right [in your accusations against me];
Until I die, I will not remove my integrity from me.
6 
“I hold fast my uprightness and my right standing with God and I will not let them go;
My heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

Job was such a man with a heart filled with integrity

Job said, “As long as my breath is in me … my lips will not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit … Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.” (Job 27:3-6 NKJV)

In fact, not only is God pleased with such an integrous heart, but He also brags on it. We actually see God brag on Job when Satan came before God’s throne.

The Lord said,

“Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1:8 NKJV)

God, therefore, looks for integrity and an integrous heart is what He desires for His leaders.

It was a heart of integrity that distinguished the leadership of King David.

“And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” (Psalm 78:72 NIV)

While an integrous heart is manifested in our lives, in other words, people can see it, people can readily and instinctively recognize it, it’s really an inside job.

Integrity is an Inside Job

Matthew 23:25-26 Amplified Bible

25 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed). 26 You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.

In speaking about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, Jesus said,

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Matthew 23:25-26 NKJV)

The term “hypocrite” in the Greek language comes from the theater.

In Greek theater one actor would often play more than one part, so they wore masks to cover their face for the different parts.

Hypocrisy therefore means someone is wearing a mask (or masks) to hide his or her true nature; therefore, hypocrisy is in direct opposition to integrity.

Integrity, therefore, begins on the inside, which is probably why Jesus tells us to cleanse the inside.

Psalm 51:5-8 Amplified Bible

5 
I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness;
In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].
6 
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom.
7 
Purify me with [a]hyssop, and I will be clean;
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 
Make me hear joy and gladness and be satisfied;
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

When we do, we will then be clean on the outside, or in how we deal with others.

If integrity is an inside job, and seeing how within the human heart, that is, the spiritual side of our hearts, there exists nothing but evil and wickedness bent on deceiving, as the Lord says in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,” how can we possibly clean it?

We can’t wash it out with soap and water, but we can confess and repent.

Psalm 51:1-6 The Message

51 1-3 Generous in love—God, give grace!
    Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
    soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I’ve been;
    my sins are staring me down.

4-6 You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen
    it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you;
    whatever you decide about me is fair.
I’ve been out of step with you for a long time,
    in the wrong since before I was born.
What you’re after is truth from the inside out.
    Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NKJV)

So, a heart of integrity is a heart that is free from hypocrisy and a heart that is honest about it’s true condition before a holy and righteous God.

It’s a heart that does not put on a mask to hide its true identity making people think that it’s someone who is not and something that it’s not, but rather it’s a heart that honestly and openly confesses its faults, shortcomings, and sins, and actively seeks to turn them over to His Father God and far far away from them.

Another aspect of integrity I like to talk about is that what erodes our integrity.

Erosion of Integrity

Genesis 3:8-13 Amplified Bible

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the [a]presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9  But the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11 God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten [fruit] from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12  And the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree].”

Now the simple answer is sin, but it isn’t the one time sin that does it; rather it is a combination of sins that are not being dealt with, that is, they are not being confessed or repented of, or as some would say, it is all those wee little mistakes we allow without seeking them out, mining them and out making them right.

This then leads us to the second thing about integrity.

Integrity is About the Little Things

Integrity isn’t built nor is it destroyed in one fell swoop, but in little bits and pieces.

In Solomon’s song he says that it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine, and therefore they must be captured (Song of Solomon 2:15).

Rome was never built in a day, and neither was it destroyed in a day.

It was over an extended period, especially in its downfall as it decayed from the inside through moral and ethical perversion.

And it’s this same moral and ethical decay we’re seeing in our own country.

America is no longer the shining beacon to the world, instead it has been decaying little by little, year after year, and the cracks are getting bigger, crumpling the integrous foundation laid by our nations’ founding fathers.

Someone I know bought a nice house in an exclusive neighborhood, but the foundation wasn’t laid correctly, the concrete did not have enough rebar.

And so, the house has cracks not only in its foundation, but also throughout its walls and into the ceiling.

With one really good shake the house could conceivably come down.

Jesus said,

“Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:26-27 NKJV)

Therefore, integrity doesn’t happen overnight, nor is it lost overnight because of one mistake or sin.

Rather, integrity is built over time and lost the same way.

We need to be careful then and not blame our circumstances when these cracks begin to develop.

This leads me to another aspect of having an integrous heart.

If we fail to come to belief in Jesus Christ, then our foundation won’t be built on anything solid, when the storms of life hit and rage all around us, then the risk is that our foundation will crumble, and the houses of our lives will come down.

When we violate God’s word or break one of His commands, when our integrity is compromised, small cracks begin to form in the foundations of our lives, and if left neglected, that is, unconfessed, unrepented for, then the firm foundation and our lives will begin to crumble.

How can we prevent the small cracks from getting bigger?

They must be sealed through the process of confession, forgiveness, and heart felt Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 repentance.

This will restore the foundation and make it as stronger than it ever was.

Jesus said,

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” (Luke 16:10 NKJV)

If people can’t trust us in the small matters, how can trust us when things get serious, and our help is really needed.

Integrity Is Not Determined by Circumstances

“But the child (Samuel) ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest. Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord.” (1 Samuel 2:11b-12 NKJV)

Even though our upbringing and the circumstances we face in this life affect us, we still have the power to choose either good or evil.

Two people can grow up in the same environment, even in the same household, but turn out completely different.

One may have integrity, while the other may not.

Take for instance the high priest Eli’s two sons and Samuel.

They all grew up in the tabernacle under Eli’s tutelage.

Samuel grew up to be a man of integrity, while Eli’s two sons were corrupt.

If circumstances really could determine our ability to be a person of integrity, Joseph would be the classic example to follow.

Circumstances weren’t kind to Joseph as he was sold by his brothers into slavery, lied about by Potiphar’s wife, and thrown into prison and forgotten by a top official in Pharaoh’s court.

Yet he never allowed the negative circumstances he encountered to dictate his actions, rather he kept his integrity through it all.

Looking at the circumstances that assailed Joseph and his not wavering in keeping his integrity leads me to the last aspect about having integrity.

Integrity is Expensive

Matthew 16:24-26 The Message

24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

Joseph’s integrity cost him dearly.

It cost him his freedom, but in the end, God blessed him, raised him up into a position of highest responsibility and saved his family through him as a result.

There is something that I tell everyone I counsel when things don’t go their way and they are tempted to take the easy way out.

I tell them that when we honor God, God will honor us.

Having an integrous heart will lead to problems, relational conflicts, loss of business, and possibly loss of a job – but in the end, it will lead to real benefits.

Benefits and Blessing of Integrity

a. Safety and Security

“He who walks with integrity walks securely.” (Proverbs 10:9 NKJV)

b. Protection

“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me.” (Psalm 25:21 NKJV)

c. Guidance

“The integrity of the upright will guide them.” (Proverbs 11:3 NKJV)

d. Family

“The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.” (Proverbs 20:7 NKJV)

And so, while our integrity will cost us, in the end it will bring real and lasting benefits that money can’t buy.

Now that we’ve determined a heart of integrity, the question becomes “What Does an Integrous Heart Do?”

What Does an Integrous Heart Do?

Speak the Truth

Luke 6:43-45 The Message

Work the Words into Your Life

43-45 “You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.

Jesus said that the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Luke 6:45).

And so a heart that is integrous is going to speak the truth.

Jesus said, “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37 NIV)

Long explanations are not necessary, a simple yes or no will do the trick.

Our words need to be so reliable that nothing more than a simple statement or word is needed.

Solomon said, “Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you.” (Proverbs 4:24 NKJV)

A person with an integrous heart won’t be found speaking from both sides of their mouth.

Hypocrisy and lies would not be considered acceptable.

And while speaking the truth will cost, there is a larger cost involved when we tell a lie.

It might cost us our marriage, our relationship with God, our children’s future, as well as friendships, career, and the list goes on.

Paul adds a quality to our need to speak the truth, and that is the quality of love (Ephesians 4:25).

25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. (The Message)

We are told to speak the truth in love.

The reason is because we have the tendency to launch the truth at people like a guided missile intending to blow away all opposition to our point of view.

In the end we may feel good for speaking the truth, but the other person is laying there with their guts splattered all over the place.

So, an integrous heart speaks the truth through a loving spirit, looking to heal; not hurt.

But besides speaking the truth, an integrous heart also stands for the truth.

Integrity Stands for the Truth

Standing for the truth is taking our speaking the truth to the next level by putting it into action.

“For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” (2 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV)

In our society today there’s a prevalent attitude that whatever someone believes in, that it is affirmed and above board honest truth, whether it’s true or it’s not.

It’s called subjective truth.

It means that whatever is true for one person must automatically be true for all others, whether it is or not.

What this is doing is kicking objective truth to the curb or throwing it out the window.

Today subjective truth is going by the name of political correctness, tolerance, which when bisected and exposed to the light of God, is anything but tolerant.

What is needed are Christians who are willing to stand for the truth and against the wrongs of society.

We are to be people of an integrous heart that not only speaks the truth, but also witnesses to the truth and testifies to it and stand upon the truth of God’s Word.

The Apostle James says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 NKJV)

Therefore, not speaking the truth and standing for what is wrong is sin.

More Thoughts on Our Desiring an Integrous Heart

Integrity is a vital element to a Christian’s heart and one that needs to be constantly nourished and maintained, because it’s out the abundance of our heart we speak, and it’s our hearts that determine who and what we are, therefore we need to guard our hearts, and the best defense is a heart that is totally sold out for Jesus Christ and is filled with the truth of God’s Word.

I would like to end with what I said at the beginning, because when we finally understand this, having a heart of integrity will be something that we strive for.

And it was about King David.

If David had a heart after God’s heart, and if David’s heart was integrous, therefore it can be concluded integrity is an integral part of God’s own heart.

Therefore, our hearts need to be disciplined, integrous, because an integrous heart, a heart filled with integrity, is part of God’s own heart He readily shares.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Confessing My Lack Of Integrity And Praying To Change

Psalm 51:7-15 The Message

7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
    scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
    set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes,
    give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
    shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash,
    or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
    put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
    so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
    and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
    I’ll let loose with your praise.

Heavenly Father, Your are good and righteous altogether and I come to You today, confessing that I have not lived my life the way that You would have wanted, nor did I choose the path that You would have wished for me to take.

I confess my lack and come to You in humility of spirit, knowing that in Your loving-kindness, You forgive those that are of a contrite heart. Father, I want to turn my life around and live in a way that is transparent before You. I want to live a godly life that is pleasing to You and a life that brings glory to Your name. Lord, I do not want to grieve or quench the work of the Holy Spirit in my life any more, and know that the only way to please You is to walk in spirit and truth, and to live each day in submission to Your guidance, and empowered by Your grace.

Cleanse my heart of sin, forgive my stupidity and teach me Your ways I pray. Lord, I want to change my behavior to reflect those of the Lord Jesus, I want the thoughts of my mind to be pleasing in Your sight. I want to be a person of integrity, and live a life that is godly and full of grace, and I can only do so as I abide in You and rest in Your love. Teach me Your ways and give me a teachable spirit so that in the days to come I may live godly in Christ Jesus, knowing that this is Your will for my life.

Thank You that You have been faithful to me even when I proved unfaithful, and in Your grace, I step out into the future with my hand in Yours. In Jesus’ name I pray.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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Born of God: Our Believing, Receiving and Rejecting the Light. John 1:9-13

Not everyone rejected Jesus.

In fact, everyone who believed in him and accepted him was given an incredible gift: They were made children of God!

The same is still true for us who believe and accept Jesus.

This special gift is something that God alone can give.

It is also something about which both Jesus and our author John will have more to say.

Today, however, think about what it means to be God’s child!

Our Father paints the sunrise and displays his artistry again at sunset. He set the boundaries of the universe, which we cannot begin to see.

He is the greatest Father anyone could ever have, and he chose us to be his children!

Our adoption into the Father’s family is something God did for us to include us as his children.

We couldn’t make ourselves part of God’s family any more than children can accomplish their own birth or their adoption.

We are God’s children because of his love and grace and Jesus’ sacrifice.

In fact, Jesus came as the Father’s Word of grace and truth and life so we can be children of God, born from above!

John 1:9-13 The Message

9-13 The Life-Light was the real thing:
    Every person entering Life
    he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
    the world was there through him,
    and yet the world didn’t even notice.
He came to his own people,
    but they didn’t want him.
But whoever did want him,
    who believed he was who he claimed
    and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
    their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
    not blood-begotten,
    not flesh-begotten,
    not sex-begotten.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

In the Beginning

In the prologue to his Gospel, John presents the Lord Jesus Christ as “the Light” that shines in darkness, it was John the Baptist who bore witness of His Light.

The Light of Christ is offered to everyone, yet not all wanted the Light of Christ to shine upon them, and they rejected Him.

Those who embraced Christ, those who believed Christ, were given the blessing of peace with God, and freedom from the bondage of sin, and eternity with the Father in heaven by the work of the Son (John 1:5-9, 14:6).

The inescapable truth is that this self same mindset is with us and among us even in in these last days before His promised return to make all things new.

Why do people choose, decide to not receive the offer of forgiveness and rest offered freely by the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28-30; John 10:28-30)?

There are several reasons given in the Scripture, and none of them are valid excuses or explanations in terms of where we stand before our Sovereign LORD.

From the Beginning

Genesis 3:8-13 English Standard Version

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [a] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”[b] 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

From the beginning, the world in general did not and still does not want to receive the Light, even though it is a free gift from God to HIs fallen creation (John 1:4, 9-10, 8:12, 12:46) Whom He made in His image (Genesis 1:26, John 1:3).

He came into HIs own land and among His chosen people Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6, 18:15-18; Jeremiah 2:7).

Both John, Luke and the Apostle Paul writes Jesus’ own family did not believe Him until after HIs resurrection (John 7:5; Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8).

John also lists other reasons why Jesus’ teachings and claims were rejected, and again, not one of them are the least bit excusable.

He tells us that there were some who deliberately loved darkness more than light, which is in line with what the Apostle Paul says about the condition of sinful humanity and their rejection of God’s glory, existence, and direction (John 3:19-20, 5:42-43; Romans 1:18-32, 3:10-18, 23).

Some were just plain fearful of what others would think of them, or what might happen to them, how they would be punished, how they would be disciplined, how their families would just flat reject them if they followed Jesus, preferring their approval over the welfare of their souls (Mark 8:38; John 7:13, 9:22, 12:42-43).

Some were badly taught by their teachers, or deliberately misinformed about the facts concerning Jesus, but there is no account of any of them taking the effort to check out the truth about Him, save for Nicodemus (John 3:1-21, 7:40-43).

Many of HIs disciples could not nor would not understand the depths of His teachings and simply quit following Him (John 6:6) instead of thinking about them and consciously expanding their knowledge of the deeper things of God.

In the context of our 21st century attitudes of Christ, things haven’t changed.

We want easy belief and shallow teaching that sooth our emotions and tickle our ears, preferring to remain deaf to His call to salvation (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

This goes hand-in-hand with another lame reason why people chose to reject Jesus, and that was they loved their traditions and history (John 9:13-16 Amp).

Controversy over the Man

13 Then they brought the man who was formerly blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was on a Sabbath day that Jesus made the mud and opened the man’s eyes. 15 So the Pharisees asked him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He smeared mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see.” 16 Then some of the Pharisees said, “This Man [Jesus] is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner (a non-observant Jew) do such signs and miracles?” So there was a difference of opinion among them.

People, as a whole, will rush to flat out reject, flat out resist, do not like any kind of change, accept any truths, but their own alternative methods of doing things.

They have long been comfortable and complacent with things as they are and anyone who suggests any kind of change usually does not end very well for the people who dare to rock the boat or shake the system in order to make it better.

Jesus came along, vigorously casting out the money changers in the Temple, declaring the religious work and manner of the Pharisees and other officials was no better than rotting corpses in tombs and were hypocrites headed to hell (Matthew 21:12, Matthew 23:27, 33, John 2:14-16).

He cursed cities that saw His miracles, yet rejected Him (Matthew 11:21-23), chastised His apostles for their unbelief and dullness of mind (Mark 8:14-21), and sharply, publicly, rebuked officials who tried to discredit Him by asking about taxes to Caesar and the issue of the Resurrection (Luke 20:19-40).

People who tend to dwell on “gentle Jesus, meek and mild”, need to re-read the Gospels and see that He was not nice and sweet all the time, but laid it on the line in terms of waking up all people to the fact of accountability before God, the reality of sin its consequences, that He is the ONLY way, truth, life, to salvation (John 14:6).

What if “our God worshipping church” today was “our God worshipping church” in the 1st Century?

I would even dare to say that if the Rabbi Jesus showed up at the average house of worship today and did the exact things He did in the Gospels, the cry for His betrayal, his arrest, his death, would be as loud as those who lived in His day.

However, God’s plan for our salvation would remain God’s plan, and Jesus’ resurrection would still take place to the world’s regret and the devil’s fears.

What about those who receive the Light of Christ?

John tells us that by giving our lives over to Jesus, we have the authority to be called sons and daughters of God, heirs and joint heirs with Him, a wonderful manifestation of the love of Almighty God (John 1:12; Romans 8:14-17; 1 John 3:1).

The privilege of being born of God is not by physical descent, or the work of our flesh, or virtue of power by our will, but is a spiritual rebirth made possible by the Sovereign, merciful, and benevolent act of the Spirit of God alone (John 1:13, 3:5; Titus 3:5).

We receive this free gift by repenting of our sins (Psalm 51:1-17) and asking the Lord Jesus to forgive us and save us (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-13), and that we each choose to come to God, give our lives fully over to Him as Lord and Savior.

We belong to Him from that time onward into eternity.

We are to serve Him by sharing what He has done for us with others (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 4:12, 19-20).

We are to reading and studying HIs Word to grow spiritually (John 17:17; Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21).

We are to find and support a body of like-minded believers who teach the Scriptures faithfully and who confess Christ as Lord (Hebrews 10:24-25).

We are to follow the Lord’s example by a public confession of faith in Christ and be baptized as a sign of obedience and affirmation to follow Him. (Acts 2:43-47)

Believing and Living as Children of God

John 1:12-13Amplified Bible

12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name— 13 who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].

John’s gospel tells us that to receive Jesus is to believe in his name.

To believe in Jesus’ name is to acknowledge that Jesus is the Word become flesh.

Others may pass him by, others will pass him by, think him a stranger, or, even worse, call him an impostor and blasphemer–but believers will see his glory.

Psalm 27:8 Amplified Bible

8 
When You said, “Seek My face [in prayer, require My presence as your greatest need],” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I will seek [on the authority of Your word].”

The Psalmist David, recognized the need to seek after God’s face everyday in prayer and in the reading and the diligent personal study of The Word of God.

John wants us to look on the face of Jesus until the conviction becomes so rooted in our hearts that we are looking into the human face of the living God.

Perhaps for us, in this day, age, this face of God comes most into focus when we see it “eye to eye” (Luke 22:60-62), “face to face” wearing the crown of thorns.

It is said of God no one can behold his face and live. I always thought this meant no one can see his splendor and live. But perhaps, even far deeper, it meant that no one could look upon his true sorrow and live. Or perhaps his sorrow is his splendor.

Believing is more than seeing.

It also involves following and even carrying on a sort of love affair.

Believing is a verb, and in our Scripture reading it is followed by the preposition “in,” suggesting that it unites us to the one in whom we believe.

It is through this union that we His Children are ushered into the family of God.

I pray that if we are seeking the Light of Truth and we have come across this devotion, I invite and implore us read and study and pray the Word of God, to repent of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal life.

Consider please, quit stumbling around in the darkness and turn to Him today.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us pray,

Psalm 84 The Message

84 1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
    I’ve always longed to live in a place like this,
Always dreamed of a room in your house,
    where I could sing for joy to God-alive!

3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house,
    sparrows and swallows make nests there.
They lay their eggs and raise their young,
    singing their songs in the place where we worship.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God!
    How blessed they are to live and sing there!

5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live,
    whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
    discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
    at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!

8-9 God-of-the-Angel-Armies, listen:
    O God of Jacob, open your ears—I’m praying!
Look at our shields, glistening in the sun,
    our faces, shining with your gracious anointing.

10-12 One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,
    beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.
I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God
    than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.
All sunshine and sovereign is God,
    generous in gifts and glory.
He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions.
    It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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Stop Hiding. Be Humble. Get Honest. The Power of Being Honest with God About Your Struggle. Genesis 3:8-13.

Genesis 3:8-13 ESV

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool[a]  of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”[b] 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12  The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

From the time of the fall into sin, people have tried to hide from God in many ways.

Today many publishers and media outlets compete to attract people’s attention by making outrageous statements.

Some have even said, “God is dead,” and, “God is not good,” adding to the ways of hiding from God by going on the offensive against him.

There is nothing new about such claims.

Even 3,000 years ago, King David heard similar remarks and wrote,

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1).

Adam and Eve hid from God because they were afraid.

They knew they had disobeyed God and that evil had gained a foothold in their hearts.

In their shame, they could not face the Lord as he came to meet with them.

Adam tried shifting the blame to Eve.

By rupturing their relationship with God, they ­became estranged from one another.

Some play the blame game by saying that evil in the world is God’s fault, and they refuse to believe in him.

As alienation from God grows deeper, people hide from one another.

They fear that if their real selves became known, no one would like them.

But God forgives. Have you asked his forgiveness today?

What about that forgiveness – what was the plan there?

From the beginning, God walked in the garden to have fellowship with Adam and Eve.

Today’s passage tells us they hid from God.

What was going on?

Why did they want to hide from the Lord?

The answer is simple: as we learned from previous readings, they became self aware, they realized they had disobeyed God and were afraid and ashamed.

Sin is disobedience, and the result of sin is separation from God.

Disobedience builds a wall between us and our Creator.

Because of sin, we are afraid, we have fear and hide ourselves from him.

We inherited this tendency to disobey God from our first parents.

Because of their sin, we are unable to live the way God wants us to.

Yet God still wants to have fellowship with us and to walk with us each day!

He wants that walk so deeply that he went to extraordinary lengths to restore what we had broken.

In his Son, Jesus Christ, the Father will go the extra grace-filled mile to bring us back to his side.

Adam and Eve were afraid of what God might say or do to them if they were found out, because of their disobedience they both felt the deep need to hide.

While there certainly were consequences for their sin—consequences that we still experience today—there was also forgiveness and grace.

God continued to care for them.

He didn’t just leave them to themselves.

In fact, from the very moment of their sin God began to shape history toward reconciling Adam and Eve and all of their children to himself – he dressed them.

While God hates sin, he loves us and has gone to extraordinary lengths to bring us back to him. Forgiveness and grace are God’s gifts to his people every day.

There is a good, powerful, and loving God pursuing an intimate relationship with you and I and everyone else.

You an I and everyone else were created by Him and for Him, so that you might know Him and serve Him with a purpose.

Being gut-level hard honest with God about your feelings, struggles, sin, and questions is His desire. He doesn’t want you to keep hiding and feeling stuck. 

The Bible says God wants your broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17) because He is the only one who can heal you and help you overcome your struggle.  

God’s brutally Honest Feeling Towards Us

God does not want to “fix” our struggles.

He wants to heal us from it.

Our sin struggle is not the problem, though it can feel like it is.

You and I and everyone else can see the damage it causes in your relationships, job, and health. You, I and everyone else have tried various ways to break the pattern, break the sin-cycle, and nothing ever seems to work, so you feel stuck. 

The Bible explains why your efforts to break the habit or pattern don’t work…

  • “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.”—Romans 7:18

Ecclesiastes 3:10 says that God has placed eternity in your heart and made everything beautiful in its time. This is God’s honest feeling toward you. 

However, because of the brokenness in the world, we seek many things apart from God to fill our hearts – blame games, finger pointing, and find purpose.

But the Bible says we will never ever find true satisfaction until we live in the purpose for which we were created—to be in an intimate relationship with God. 

Brutally meditate, ponder upon where you are in your life in this exact moment.

How long have you been trying “everything you can, with every ounce of energy you have” to fill a ‘tiny’ hole in your heart and your soul that only leads to pain? 

There is good news.

There is always good news – despite what sin would have you believe.

There is hope.

There is always hope – despite what sin would choose to have you believing.  

God invites you to come out of hiding and open yourself up to His healing. 

Why You and I “Hide” from God

Let’s recap this …

Do you, I and everyone else find ourselves hiding from God like Adam and Eve?

Their choice to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden gave sin entry into the world and caused them to feel shame.

Romans 5:12 reads, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned.” 

Genesis 3 explains why we hide from God—because Adam and Eve naively hid…

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 

Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 

So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 

And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”—Genesis 3:8-11 (emphasis added) 

God’s Invitation to Be Honest with Him

God went to them – already aware of the situation – wondering their response.

God asked them two questions…

  • Where are you?
  • Did you eat from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?

In other words, God called out to them, God told Adam, I have created you for a relationship with Me, you disobeyed your father, and you are hiding in your sin.

All I require of you right now is for you to be gut-level and brutally honest with Me—this is why I am asking these hard questions.

“What can we do together to resolve this, to restore a right relationship again?”

It was Adam, Eve’s opportunity to “come clean” with themselves, have serious conversations with God, to live and work together again with their Father God.

It is really no different today than if a parent approached their child with an awareness of something “out of place” and they want to hear from their child.

They want to know “what happened?” and “what role did you play in that?”

It is an opportunity for us to work together to restore our relationship.

God is extending mercy and forgiveness by saying:

“Your coverings are insufficient.”

“Here are some real clothes …”

I invite you to come to me and tell me what you’ve done. I will cover you. 

God is good and all the time He loves you, me an everyone else even when we all collectively struggle in a sin cycle. He wants everyone to come out hiding from…

  • Sin
  • Him
  • Others 
  • Yourself 

Hiding only traps and isolates you because you are created for a relationship with God and others.

Because of the fall, we all have the disease of a rebellious nature that seeks pleasure and desires to rule our own lives.

This fallen nature wants to determine good and evil for itself. 

For Adam and Eve, there was still a consequence for their sin.

But God showed provision and mercy by killing an animal so they could be properly covered.  

  • “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.”—Genesis 3:21

You and I and everyone else have undoubtedly already experienced any number of consequences from our sin, desire nothing more but find the thickest patch of bushes too, but here, God wants to provide all of us a way for us to be healed and regenerated.

He wants to show you and I and everyone else maximum possible mercy. 

So then, as we’ve explored being honest with God, it’s time to honestly ask,

Hmm, “Do you, me and everyone else want God’s sovereignty, or do you, I and everyone else want God to leave me alone, allow me to keep going in my sin?”

God is good, and all the time God is good – God is not trying to keep you and me and everyone from goodness, but rather God is protecting you and I and everyone else from evil. Once you, I and everyone else can finally see God from this new perspective, you start to see His plan for your healing, freedom, and purpose. 

What Does It Mean to Be Honest with God?

God does not expect us to be sinless, but He does invite us to be honest.

Being honest with God means… 

  • You show Him your heart
  • You open yourself up to vulnerability
  • You talk with Him about the ways you self-protect
  • You tell Him about your sin struggle
  • You let Him know what you are thinking and feeling
  • You admit your weaknesses

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”—2 Corinthians 12:9-10

How to Be Honest with God…

As you come to know the power of being honest with God about your struggle, you also realize…

  • Hiding your of sin is expensive–it costs you peace of mind, peace in relationships, and sometimes financial peace.
  • You are tired of the cycle. You feel stuck and want to move forward.
  • You are experiencing the damage of your sin and pain. You see how your relationships, health (physical, mental, and emotional), and finances are being impacted. 

Being Honest with God 

Stop hiding. 

As mentioned, hiding only traps and isolates you.

It creates an environment where the power of sin is bigger than the power of God in your life.

But God wants to flip this around for you.

He wants you an I an everyone else to come out from our hiding places so He can finally shed His ultimate light upon the darkness and begin to heal us all. 

  • “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”—Proverbs 28:13
  • “O God, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You.”—Psalm 69:5
  • “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.”—Psalm 139:1-2

Be humble. 

There comes the inevitable point when you, I an everyone else want to be healed more than the sum total of our concern with what other people will truly think.

Though this can be a low point from the world’s point of view, it’s actually the place where our Sovereign God’s power begins to sweep over us all and we begin to finally experience the freedom and understanding we’ve been searching for. 

  • “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.”—Proverbs 11:2
  • “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time…”—1 Peter 5:6
  • “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”—Matthew 11:29-30

Reach out.  

When you, I and everyone else are honest with God, He will likely start to speak to everyone of us about our reaching out to get the help we all need to overcome our hopeless sin struggle. 

This can be brutal, this can be overwhelmingly scary, but it’s also a moment to trust Him.

You and I are not meant to take on this burden alone.

You, I and everyone else absolutely need every God ounce of maximum support. 

  • “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment.”—Proverbs 18:1
  • “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”—Galatians 6:1-2
  • “For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety.”—Proverbs 24:6

God knows your struggle.

God knows my struggle.

God knows everyone’s struggle.

He still pursues every single one of His beloved children so He can heal us all and fulfill the purposes He has for your life, my life and everyone else’s life.  

The day we decide to stop hiding, be humble, and get gut-level honest with God, it will change our lives.

It is the day the Holy Spirit touches your heart in a new way—a way that opens up a path to God’s abundant healing and regeneration. 

It is a powerful moment because we are finally taking a critically important step toward God’s invitation to begin restoring all those broken and hurting places of sin and shame and hiding self, and become confident in who you are in Him.  

It is time to know you are never alone,

It is time for me to know I am never alone

It is time for everyone else to know they are never alone and our Father God simply wants us to take a walk in His Garden, heal you, me and everyone else.

Reach out and take the next step of healing today.

Walk out and away from the bushes and take the next step of healing today.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Creator God, your hand threw the stars into space and the same hand reaches down to me with a gentle touch. I don’t have the strength to deal with the situation I am facing, please uphold me with your righteous right hand. I don’t know what to do, please help me. You say that I do not need to be afraid or dismayed because you are my God and you are with me. Help me to know your presence in the midst of my circumstances and draw strength from you. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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Pondering our Christianity? Excuses! Excuses! All My Excuses! Genesis 3:8-13

A friend of mine told me her son just could not take any tests. He excels in his classwork, but when it comes to test-taking, his mind goes blank, and he fails.

That was the reason he failed his classes. That was the reason he would do so poorly in his academic classes. As hard as he tried, he could not take any tests.

Discouraged, he moved from one menial job after another until he latched onto a mechanic friend of his who took him under his tutelage for several long years.

He never became a success as he had always hoped he would be. He always seemed to fall short of where he knew he could be and indeed, should be. It always became for him a long litany of one “same old” excuse after another

His mom told me he never developed the self-confidence or self-esteem. It discouraged her enormously because she knew her son could always be more.

Somewhere along the line, her son decided to believe this lie. Over the years, defeat became etched into his mind like a river carves itself through a mountain base. Deeper and deeper, it flows. Then it became a Bonafide reality gripping itself to his leg like a ball and chain, and eventually, become an excuse to fail.

Excuses in our lives give us permission to settle for less than God’s best and justify our shortcomings. We blame something or someone else for our less-than-stellar lot in life. It is never our fault. Sadly, we brand our insecurities.

We declare this is how it always is and always must be for us, for our families.

We inhale the status quo and exhale the mundane.

Most failures come from a history of old excuses and a lack of perseverance.

Closed doors don’t always mean NO. Most of the time they mean that God has a bigger and better door. No more excuses! Move forward and keep knocking.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 ESV)

Do we get so fully and completely immersed inside our past we can’t see hope staring at us through the dirty windows of our own self-appointed limitations?

We construct imaginary walls with bricks labeled “excuses,” confine ourselves.

We can get so stuck in the rut of excuses we even make excuses for our excuses.

Genesis 3:8-13Amplified Bible

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the [a]presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so, I hid myself.” 11 God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten [fruit] from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”  12 And the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree].”

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

The Lord God called out to Adam – “Where are You?”

Adam’s response: 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so, I hid myself.”

When Mom and Dad called out to me and asked; “Where am I? ….”

When my Mom or Dad asked me that question of me, if I said anything at all except; “Here I am, I am right here.” I got into enormous trouble because they expected me to account for myself exactly in that moment – out of my respect.

By Adam’s response, God could easily discern something was seriously amiss.

Verse 10: Bibles very first excuse – Adam’s excuse for not being accountable.

The Lord God pushed the conversation:

verse 11: 11 God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten [fruit] from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Adam’s response – verse 12: 12 And the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it.”

The Bibles second excuse: “Blame the Woman whom YOU gave to be with me.”

Can we sense a raising crescendo here on the Lord God’s part?

The Lord God turned His attention to Eve, pushed her for truth in the matter.

Verse 13a: Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?”

Eve responds with the Bibles third excuse –

Verse 13b: And the woman said, “The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree].”

Eve responds not with words of “accountability and responsibility” but with ….

Her Excuse – “the devil made me do it.” ergo, God, “Blame the Other Guy!”

Do we think or believe or maybe actually know the Lord God had heard enough from both of them in that moment?

Do we think or believe or maybe actually know the Lord God had heard enough dishonesty and disrespect for those brief moments the conversation took place?

As we read these passages for ourselves, and try to insert our own rationales for why those very first words from the mouths of Adam and Eve were “excuses?”

Are we now rationalizing with our own 21st century vernacular – saying -?

“Oh, they did not know any better? How could they have known better?”

“Oh, being unaware or unknowledgeable of the truth ….” “Expectations …?”

“Oh, never having been introduced to what honesty and integrity were …?”

“Oh. never having been taught the difference between telling a lie or the truth?

“Oh, being inexperienced in telling the truth ….”

“Oh, they were just young and immature and naive.”

“Oh, just give them a chance … they will learn, they will do better next time?”

And whatever other rationale(s) we can derive from our own “Life’s efforts ….

“It is not, it was not, it never will be my fault because …. someone else failed.

Ergo, blame the devil – “the devil made me do it.”

Ergo – blame God for being the bad parent – not teaching His Children.

Excuses! Excuses! Excuses!

We make excuses because we do not want to take on responsibilities or face consequences. Similarly, afraid of punishment, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve in quick response then blamed the serpent after they disobeyed God’s command.

What are our excuses?

Are they the same or different or more naive or more simple or complex?

What has God NOT heard us say when he “asked” us: “Where are you?”

Do we think or believe or rationalize our relationship with God might change, but then again, it may not or even won’t because we have confessed Christ as our personal Savior and therefore, we will automatically be forgiven 100%?

Our accountability to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit ends when we make our most sincere, most heartfelt confessions of faith to God? (Romans 10:9-13)

We now have all the rationale we need to “take the grace of God for granted?”

Personal accountability to God therefore becomes immaterial and irrelevant?

Do not our Honesty, Integrity, Personal Accountability come naturally to us?

For Adam, Eve, by excusing, their relationship with God changed completely.

The formerly close relationship of walking with God changed into one of hiding and deceiving then to divine punishment for all (Genesis 3:14-19, Isaiah 59:2).

Whether dealing with God or with people, the best and only way to live is to come clean, not hide behind excuses, no matter how carefully crafted they are.

Excuses don’t fool anyone.

Excuses do not fool God, our Creator!

Excuses do not fool Jesus our Savior!

Excuses do not fool God the Holy Spirit, our Guide, our Guardian, our Teacher.

Will you, or I ask our God for a session or two of personal accountability today?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

If our “Christianity” is all about true and genuine Accountability to God,

Let us Pray,

My Savior Jesus, Giver of peace, I so easily get distracted when I’m trying to focus and hear your Holy Spirit. Help me quiet my mind in the middle of my busy life. Help me to pause and to make space to listen to the most important voice of all. Empower me to be a good listener to the gentle whispers of your Spirit. Help me follow the example of Jesus, who would slip away in the evening or the early morning to be alone with you. Teach me to abide in you. Amen.

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