Hiding From The Lord

In Genesis 3, verse 8 says, “They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…” Adam and Eve have fallen into sin, they are uncomfortable before each other, they have covered themselves up, ashamed of their sin, the devil had deceived them; and then they heard the sound of the Lord walking or another way to interpret the Hebrew is they heard the voice of the Lord God going forth in the garden in the wind or the cool of the day. They heard God, God was present among them, He was coming to fellowship with man, to be with man, the very presence of God. The Lord God who created them was now a threat to them. These loin coverings which in their minds could cover themselves up from being uncomfortable before each other, these won’t work with God. Not to hide the guilt and the shame and the sin for God sees all and knows all.

“They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day,and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” They hid themselves among the trees of the garden, hiding from the presence of the Lord God. They don’t hide from God behind their loin cloths, now they hide behind something a little bigger, some trees. They are hiding from the God who has created all heavens and the earth, the universe. The God who has existed from all eternity, from the smallest particles to the greatest stars; God knows all and sees all. In the time of Noah, He describes all that He sees; for He said, “every intention of the thoughts of man’s heart is evil continually.” He knows and sees not only the material physical things, but even all those things which are immaterial and spiritual; He knows every single thought and intention of every single person at all times. He is a big God, and Adam and Eve are trying to hide from Him.

You see verse 9, “Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” It isn’t as if God didn’t know, but He is speaking down to man like a baby, like a child. Picture the scene, you are playing hide and seek with your child, and they go out into the back yard to hide and they hide behind a tree, and you come out looking for them, and you can see part of the body sticking out from the tree, very easily seen. You call out “Where are you?” That’s sort of the picture here, except God already knew, He didn’t have to look at all, He is infinitely wise. What we need to see here is that Adam and Eve are trying to hide from God. That is the response of sinners to the presence of God. We hide, we want to get away. For us, that doesn’t necessarily happen with a loin covering or with a tree, but in other ways.

For the world, the scientist will look out at the creation, which declares the glory of God and His handiwork, and they attribute it against all their knowledge, against everything that tells them otherwise, even against science itself, and they say it came from a big bang. They hide behind their faulty science, which is still an unproven theory. They hide behind a false theory. What about celebrities, they hide their sin and the truth about themselves behind their success. That despite many moral failures, no one really cares, and they have an easy life because they are a famous actress, musician, businessman, or politician. Hide behind success of a job, possessions, a good position. There are those who hide behind morality. I’m a good person, I am clean, I don’t use bad words, I live a good life, I keep my promises, I go to church, I volunteer at church at a food pantry or homeless shelter, I do good to those around me, my neighbors.

Hiding behind one’s morality. Hiding behind lies, lies about God that He is a God of love and when I mess up and sin, everything is fine, He is Love, there is no punishment for sins. Hiding in church. Hiding behind this crazy notion that if I go to church, then God will be pleased with me, and everything will be alright. That would be a hiding from reality of who God really is. Some know who God is moreso then these people, and so they hide from worship. That’s why we have Hebrews 10, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another (to meet together), and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” We hide from worship, but also we Hide in worship, when we are hearing the preaching of the Word sometimes and it makes us uncomfortable (because God has pointed out our sin), and so you hide behind others.

You think to yourself, my wife, my kids, my husband or that family over there, they really need to hear this don’t they. You hide behind each other, when you should be concerned with your own soul and life. In many of thousands upon thousands of ways we hide from the Lord God. Where are you hiding from the Lord God? Those times in worship, when we hear the voice of the Lord going forth (just like in verse 8), His Word comes and pierces you in your soul and spirit, joints and marrow, His Word discerns the thoughts and intentions of your heart. You can’t hide from Him. No one can, not even the once perfect creatures Adam and Eve, they couldn’t hide from Him. God comes knowing who they are, where they’re from, what they’ve done; all the secrets are laid before the Lord and they want to hide. Before the Lord, our sin is unbearable.

The most popular passage that should come to our minds perhaps when thinking of this is Isaiah before the Lord, “Woe is me! For I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” There is great distress, increasing grief and regret over sin. He says literally, I am cut off, I am as good as dead. Why? Because he knew in that moment that God knew every single little spec about him, not just his body but even his thoughts and intentions of his heart God knowing your thoughts and intentions of your heart, think about that, and you’ll realize that Sin Makes the Presence of God Unbearable. Yet, notice that when comes to you, that He comes as a Savior speaking. He presents Himself, who was slain for His people, in their presence. And they don’t die immediately, the mercy and grace of God shine here.

They are not immediately judged to physical death, He gives them time. Time to hear the Gospel in verse 15, time to turn back to Him through His Son. But there is more mercy and grace He speaks not just words of judgment, but at least to Adam and Eve here in verses 7-13, He doesn’t come with the curses that He brings to the devil in verses 14 and 15. He comes and speaks with searching questions? He asks questions, and while Adam tries to hide behind Eve, and Eve tries to hide behind the devil; God is being gracious and merciful. When the Lord brings the Word through His servant, your elder(s), how do you hide? When He is speaking words of mercy and grace to you, where are you hiding from Him? Stop hiding, and turn to Jesus for salvation, for cleansing of sin, so you can go before the presence of God with boldness and confidence, before His very throne. Where and how are you hiding from Him?

On Reconstructing Antinomianism

An Accusation and a Response

Over at the "gospel" coalition, Tullian Tchividjian has written an article called "Deconstructing Moralism." It is the latest salvo in a series of attacks that basically communicate that those who preach the law just don't get grace. This is an astounding accusation, and you can read my comment on that blog post to see my response to it.

Confusing Rhetoric, with Real-Life Consequences

Having responded there to that accusation, I hope to borrow your eyes and mind for a few moments to consider the danger of the theology behind the accusation. I know of at least two truly converted believers who came under such preaching and learned to call themselves "legalists" and tried to "repent" of loving God's law, thinking much about it, or trying hard to keep it. One of them has escaped. The other continues under that preaching and is sadly confused. This is one of the reasons why the Bible pronounces woe upon them who say that what is good is really evil.

A Question of Trusting God

May the Lord grant to us to trust that His law is good, just as is His gospel, and that He uses both.

The law cannot save, and it cannot power sanctification. But it is a false pragmatism to say that since it can do neither of these things, we should be careful not to give it much place in our preaching. God certainly gives it much place in His Word!

Demonstrating that Trusting Our Own Wisdom Doesn't Work

A little reflection will demonstrate that it is pragmatically suicidal to try to preach only gospel and not law:

One of the main problems with the new antinomianism is that genuinely converted Christians don't to know what to do with themselves under such preaching. They hear from the pulpit that thinking upon the law is useless or even dangerous, and that we should just trust that thinking upon the gospel will accomplish everything by itself.

But they find that it is true that it is no longer they who live but Christ who lives in them, and that this Christ, who now lives in them, loves the law--loves to keep it. He loves to exert Himself (and to exert ourselves as His own body) in keeping it. He loves to meditate upon it. He wrote Psalm 119, and He meant it. And now He has written it on believers' hearts.

And of course, the truly unconverted person cannot repent and believe for salvation, if he knows not from what he is repenting, or from what to be saved by believing.

The Conclusion: May God Grant to His Servants to Trust Him and to Preach His Whole Word

So, neither the truly unconverted person nor the truly converted person is really served well by law-less preaching. God's law is marvelously designed to address both. Without the gospel, it can serve neither very well.

But without the law, neither can the gospel.

Let us trust God, when He says that the law is good (night just right, but good).

O for grace to trust Him more!

Such Lessons

"Blessed is the man you chasten, O Lord--the man You teach from your law." Psalm 94:12

All the chastening in the world, without divine teaching--will never make a man blessed. That man who finds correction attended with instruction, and lashing with lessoning--is a happy man.

If God, by the affliction which is upon you, shall teach you:
  how to loathe sin more, and
  how to trample upon the world more, and
  how to walk with God more
--then your afflictions are blessed.

If God shall teach you by afflictions:
  how to die to sin more, and
  how to die to your relations more,
  and how to die to your self more
--then your afflictions are blessed.

If God shall teach you by afflictions:
  how to live to Christ more,
  how to lift up Christ more, and
  how to long for Christ more
--then your afflictions are blessed.

If God shall teach you by afflictions:
  how to mind heaven more,
  how to live in heaven more, and
  how to be fit for heaven more
--then your afflictions are blessed. 

If God by afflictions shall teach:
  your proud heart how to lie more low,
  your hard heart how to grow more tender,
  your censorious heart how to grow more kind,
  your carnal heart how to grow more spiritual,
  your froward heart how to grow more quiet
--then your afflictions are blessed. 

When God teaches your thoughts as well as your brains, your heart as well as your head, any of these lessons--then your afflictions are blessed.

Where God loves--He afflicts in love. And wherever God afflicts in love, there He will, sooner or later, teach His people such lessons as shall do them good to all eternity!

~Thomas Brooks

Do We Sin When We Dream?

The Whole Works of the Late Reverend Thomas Boston (Vol. 2), Pg. 70.  He speaks about dreaming and if we sin in our dreams.

But some may say, What is to be thought of men's dreaming that they are breaking God's commandments, e.g. profaning the sabbath-day, swearing, lying, &c. while really they are fast asleep, are not doing so, nor opening their mouths, &c.?

Ans.... No doubt it is sin, and will damn thee if it be not pardoned, and washed away by the blood of Christ. For, (1.) The scripture condemns it. Hence the apostle, Jude 8 speaks of filthy dreams that defile the flesh. (2.) The consent of the heart unto sin, the delectation that it finds in it, makes a man guilty; and the soul is always a rational agent, and this consent is given to these temptations in sleep. (3.) A man when awake thinking what he doth is sinful, though upon the matter it be not, yet it is sin to him; .e.g. a man taking his own goods, which yet he thinks are another man's, is guilty of theft before God: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. So is it in this case, (4.) As these things arise from corrupt nature, so readily they follow on some such motions that people have been taken up with when awake, or from a loose, carnal, and secure frame. They are looked on as sinful by tender consciences. (5.) As men may do something pleasing to God in a dream, so may they do something to displease him, 2 Kings iii. 5. (6.) The law impressed upon the heart is designed to keep it even in sleep, Prov. vi. 22. 23. When thou sleepest, it shall keep thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light. But ye may say, What if a man has been watching against these things, praying against; them, &c. and yet in sleep falls into them? I answer, It is still sinful, in so far as the heart complies with the diabolic suggestion; and the truth is, by grace temptation is sometimes resisted in sleep, as well as when we are awake.

"We Ought To Hate It With A Deadly Hatred" by JC Ryle

"You who love the Lord, hate evil!" Psalm 97:10

How much we ought to hate sin! Instead of . . .

  loving it,

  cleaving to it,

  dallying with it,

  excusing it,

  playing with it--

we ought to hate it with a deadly hatred!

Sin is the great murderer, and thief, and

pestilence, and nuisance of this world!

Let us make no peace with it!

Let us wage a ceaseless warfare against it!

"The Market Day of the Soul" by Clifton Rankin

The Sunday before Christmas, as I headed home from worship, I looked over at Parkdale Mall and noticed that there was nary a parking place to be had. The Sunday after Christmas (which was the day after), as I headed home from worship, the same parking lot was filled to the brim with automobiles, as people fought to get after-Christmas deals, use their gift cards, and return all those clothes that were too small.

However, on Christmas Day, I drove past the same mall and not a car was to be seen; except for a few news vans parked outside of KJAC channel 4. Granted, I realize that I live in a fallen world, and that I can’t expect non-Christians to reverence the Lord’s Day, but I could not help but wish that the same respect given to Christmas Day, would be given to the day each week that the Lord commands us to “keep.” Because we are “prone to wander,” it is imperative that at least once every seven days, we be reminded of our need to worship the Triune God, and to think about His grace that has been poured out upon sinners.

As 2011 draws near, may we as God’s people take seriously His day; for His eternal glory, and for our eternal good.

8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

The Ten Marks of a Flesh-Pleaser by Richard Baxter

The signs of a flesh-pleaser or sensualist are these:

1. When a man in his desire to please his appetite, does not do it with a view to a higher end, that is to say to the preparing himself for the service of God; but does it only for the delight itself. (Of course no one does every action consciously with a view to the service of God. Nevertheless, the general manner or habit of a life spent in the service of God is absent for the flesh-pleaser.)

2. When he looks more eagerly and industriously after the prosperity of his body than of his soul.

3. When he will not refrain from his pleasures, when God forbids them, or when they hurt his soul, or when the necessities of his soul call him away from them. But he must have his delight whatever it costs him, and is so set upon it, that he cannot deny it to himself.

4. When the pleasures of his flesh exceed his delights in God, and his holy word and ways, and the expectations of endless pleasure. And this not only in the passion, but in the estimation, choice, and action. When he had rather be at a play, or feast, or other entertainment, or getting good bargains or profits in the world, than to live in the life of faith and love, which would be a holy and heavenly way of living.

5. When men set their minds to scheme and study to make provision for the pleasures of the flesh; and this is first and sweetest in their thoughts.

6. When they had rather talk, or hear, or read of fleshly pleasures, than of spiritual and heavenly delights.

7. When they love the company of merry sensualists, better than the communion of saints, in which they may be exercised in the praises of their Maker.

8. When they consider that the best place to live and work is where they have the pleasure of the flesh. They would rather be where they have things easy, and lack nothing for the body, rather than where they have far better help and provision for the soul, though the flesh be pinched for it.

9. When he will be more eager to spend money to please his flesh than to please God.

10. When he will believe or like no doctrine but "easy-believism," and hate mortification as too strict "legalism." By these, and similar signs, sensuality may easily be known; indeed, by the main bent of the life.

Tomorrow Comes--And They Are In Hell

I'm often thinking, as I look at my own life, how attractive things of this earth are.  Money, things (e.g. toys, gas grills, computer games, books, etc.), quiteness, peace, and I could go on.  You too have those earthly things that you believe would make everything better in life.  Yet, really as we think of eternity, such created things are vain and worthless.  In reality, it should remind us of ourselves apart from Christ and those who are 'wicked'. 

Samuel Davies says:

"The wicked is driven away in his wickedness; but the righteous has hope in his death." Proverbs 14:32

"The wicked is driven away in his wickedness."

That is, the wicked man dies--just as he lived.

He lived in wickedness--and in wickedness he dies.

His wickedness sticks fast upon him--when his earthly enjoyments, his friends, and all created comforts leave him forever.

The guilt of his wickedness lies heavy upon him--like a mountain of lead, ready to sink him into the depths of eternal misery!

And the principles of wickedness, which he indulged all his life, still live within him, even after the agonies of death; nay, they now arrive at a dreadful immortality, and produce an eternal hell in his heart!

He leaves behind him not only all his earthly comforts--but all the little remains of goodness which he seemed to have, while under the restraints of divine grace: and he carries nothing but his wickedness along with him into eternity! With this dreadful attendant--his wickedness--he must stand before the tribunal of his holy Judge! To leave his earthly all behind him, and die in the agonies of dissolving nature--this is terrible. But to die in his wickedness--this is infinitely the most terrible of all!

He once flattered himself that though he lived in wickedness--that he would not die in it. He adopted many resolutions to amend, and forsake his wickedness toward the close of life, or upon a death-bed. But Oh! how sorely is he disappointed! After all his promising purposes and hopes--he died as he lived--in wickedness!

This is generally the fate of veterans in sin. They are resolving and re-resolving to reform all their lives; but after all--they die the same as they lived. They intend to prepare for death and eternity--but just not today. They have always something else to do today; and therefore they put off this work until tomorrow. Tomorrow comes, and instead of reforming, they die in their wickedness. Tomorrow comes--and they are in hell!

"The wicked is driven away in his wickedness." He is driven away--in spite of all his reluctance. Let him cling to life ever so strongly--yet he must go! All his struggles are vain, and cannot add one moment to his life.

Indeed, the wicked have so little taste for heaven, and are so much in love with this world--that if they leave it at all--they must be driven out of it--driven out of it, whether they want or not!

When they hope for heaven, they do in reality consider it but a shift, or a refuge, when they can no longer live in this, their favorite world. They do not at all desire heaven--in comparison with this world. They would live forever in this present world--if they could have their choice. But let them grasp ever so hard--they must let go their hold. They must be driven away, like chaff before a whirlwind--driven away into the regions of misery--into the regions of misery, I say; for certainly the happiness of heaven was never intended for such as are so averse to it; and who prefer this wretched world, with all its cares and sorrows--before heaven itself!

"But the wicked will lose hope. They have no escape. Their hope becomes despair." Job 11:20

"When the wicked die--their hopes all perish!" Proverbs 11:7

"The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath!" Proverbs 11:23

 Let us turn from our sin and turn to the Lord in Christ!