no secrets

You have set our iniquities before you,

our secret sins in the light of your presence.

Psalm 90:8

The reason I need the blood of Jesus to atone for my sin, why I must be clothed in a righteousness not my own but given to me by Christ, is found right here in this verse. The sins I hide diligently from all people around me, the worst that is in my heart... my private iniquities... all are on display to God in the full, glaring light of His presence. I cannot hide from God. He knows I am a filthy sinner, just as I know this when I stop fooling myself.

I need this reminder about me. My ministry vocation gives me plenty of self-righteous cover to hide behind and although it may fool others, God will not have it! In fact, He knows that I often hide behind an awful, Christ-dishonoring, Pharisaical hypocrisy. I sin in full knowledge of just how evil it is for me to cloak my sin with the great evil of self-justification. I just add to my awfulness by pretending I’m OK and masking my sinfulness with false sanctimony.

Thank God, Jesus died for this! Thank God His Word has reminders like this to lead me to self-honesty in order to confess this sin, repent in broken humility, and plead the redemption I only have through Christ! Thank God His Holy Spirit presses hard on the pain of my secrets to lead me to such healthy confession!

O Lord,

I am filled with tearful humiliation now knowing my most sinful actions, my most selfish thoughts, my worst secret hates and bitterness are brought into the light of Your presence. They are never hidden from You. And in that humiliation I confess I am a sinner saved only by Your mercy in Jesus. The depth of Your mercy to redeem such a soul as mine is undeserved. I am forever grateful that You know this, yet forgive me!

Amen