Musings 2

What will sin look like in eternity? That is another issue that frail and fallen man cannot see clearly in this life. Fallen man cannot even understand what the fullness of his fallen nature and sin are like, but this just means that his blindness in spiritual things is part of his sinfulness rather than an excuse for it. Hebrews 4:13 sets out one aspect of the nature of man’s sin.

Hebrews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

While the heart of man tries with all of his might to hide the heart and other things about him from other sinful men, and perhaps can be successful to a great degree, before God there is no hiding in the slightest degree. Man may even work hard to hide his own heart from himself from disgust at what he gets a peek of here and there, but no excuse will work before the living God. Man tries mightily to offer excuses in order to justify himself and his sin, but God sees right through those for what they are, nothing but flimsy excuses.

It would seem beneficial to people to try to view their sin as God sees it rather than try to excuse it and rationalize it away. Hebrews 4:13 gives us limited words about sin, but it tells us that God has full sight of our hearts and all we do. The text tells us that no creature is hidden from His sight, and it is safe to deduce that nothing about the creature is hidden in His sight. We are told that our thoughts and our words will come into judgment. We are told that the intentions of our hearts will be brought into judgment. But to imagine a poor creature before the living God and everything (even what the creature thought was hidden and things that the creature never thought of) laid bare before His all-knowing eye should bring some fear to the heart. The words “laid bare” are a translation of the Greek word (trachli,zw or transliterated as trachelizo) that gives us the idea of a bare neck. In the old days that executioner chopped heads off and wanted a bare neck rather than one covered with anything. Others think that this refers to victims of sacrifice (OT ceremonial sacrifices) that were hung up and the entrails examined.

The real point, regardless of the illusion, is that all sinners are completely uncovered and completely exposed to the desires and wishes of God. The all-seeing eye of God using the “word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12). Even the slightest movements of the intentions of the heart are known to God. Every thought, every desire, and every word are before Him and are as clear to Him as a mountain is to the human eye. There is no possibility of hiding even the smallest sin or anything else before this God who sees all and knows all and does so in a depth that we cannot truly imagine.

But this should drive the sinner to the infinite grace of God as found in Christ Jesus alone. While it is clear that Hebrews 4:12-13 has the possibility of leaving a poor sinners in utter despair, the intent of the Spirit can be seen from the context (verses 14-16). The Spirit is using the complete and absolute knowledge of God of our inner parts to drive us to the complete and absolute sufficiency of Jesus Christ and His grace.

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Christ is our great High Priest and He is Jesus the Son of God. Repentant and believing sinners have Christ as their representative to God and He has offered Himself as their sacrifice. Christ has suffered and died, yes, but He has also been raised from the dead and has entered heaven on behalf of the worse of sinners who bow to Him in utter submission. It is because of Christ and His perfect life and now as High Priest that poor sinners can draw near to the throne of grace with confidence? Why is that? It is because there is mercy and grace at this throne of grace. Only really bad sinners can go to the throne of grace to receive nothing but grace. All others want just enough grace to make up for something they lack. But for those who have truly been laid bare before Him, they want nothing but Christ alone and grace alone.

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