FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS, volume 6, number 41, October 11, 2007

. . .in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him, Ephesians 3:12.

Standing Unashamedly Before God

Perhaps your church has a few moments of silent confession of sin during each worship service, and if so, I bet you find yourself repeatedly confessing the same sins. Are you confident that God hears your confession and forgives you? When you stand before the judgment seat of Christ on that great day, are you sure you will hear Him say to you, "Well done my good and faithful servant. . .enter into the joy of your master." If you are trusting in your faith, then you have no ground for such confidence. Most of the people in our world have some sort of faith. If you are looking to your inclination to do well, to serve God and others, to give yourself to some great cause, then you have no reason for such assurance. Many who promised to do big things for God are suffering eternal perdition. If you hope your feelings of love for God which you have felt in your heart from time to time will move Him to overlook your sin, then you will be terribly disappointed. Many have felt close to God who now are in hell. What then is your confidence for the forgiveness of your sins? Can there be any more important question?

The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 3:11, 12, is concluding his parenthetical statement from verses 2 to verse 13, explaining to the Ephesians why he is suffering imprisonment. It is because he preaches the unfathomable riches of Christ, because he makes known the administration of the mystery, the eternal purpose which is carried out in Christ, the salvation of the elect from every tribe and nation, Revelation 5:9. Paul is so filled up with Christ that he goes further in verse 12, saying that it is through this Lord Jesus Christ, our glorious Savior, that we have boldness, and confident access through faith. This is practical, pastoral theology at its best.

You see, your tendency, even as believers, is to fall back to your sin, to entertain certain secret sins about which perhaps no one knows anything. You have your recurring sins which you find yourself confessing to God, perhaps everyday. You have, at times, enslaving sins, even as believers, which control you, dominate you, and rob you of faith and joy. You probably have past sins, of which you know you are forgiven, but the thought of them comes like a flood into your mind, alternately accusing you and condemning you. And then you have devastating sins which, though forgiven, nonetheless live on through the consequences which followed them. Therefore you face the devil’s activity in your life and it comes in at least three ways. The first is penetration. We read in Joshua 7 of Achan’s sin of taking things on the ban. This resulted in a defeat at Ai. Sin had penetrated the camp of the Lord’s people with disastrous results. The devil penetrates families, churches, clubs, teams, businesses by bringing confusion, division, and strife. I have seen church splits of which no one can explain the origin. Perhaps you have arguments with your spouse about petty things which don’t warrant such angst. The second is accusation. The devil is called the accuser of the brethren, Revelation 12:10, and he loves to bring despair and hopelessness to God’s people by reminding their consciences of their utter failure to conform to Christ, to obey Him even in little things. He suggests to us that Christianity is not working, that we need not be so particular about holding to Christ’s death and resurrection, that perhaps other means of finding peace may work better. And then there is the devil’s work in condemnation. King David took at least a year before confessing his adultery and murder, and even then it took Nathan’s hard hitting, prophetic word to accomplish the task. Condemnation breeds paralysis. The thought is that nothing will remove the guilt and shame, that the recurring and secret sins are so great that God will not forgive any longer.

You, therefore, are prone to mishandle your sin in at least two ways. First, you may try to hide it. You don’t tell anyone else about it, even your spouse, or especially your spouse. You figure that if you don’t talk about it then no harm is done. Or second, you may flaunt your sin. It goes like this, "Since we ought to be honest about our sinful thoughts, actions, and values, and since God loves us anyway through Christ, then I can say anything to anyone at any time. I want to be authentic." You certainly need one or two close friends with whom you can share intimate details of your sin so that they can pray for you; but this is far different that glorying in your sin, of sharing details without remorse or grief, or intention to repent and follow Christ in obedience.

But here is the good news in Christ, dear friend. You have through, and only through, the Lord Jesus Christ boldness to approach God. The Greek word literally means to tell all. Paul uses the word in Philippians 1:20, 21 when referring to his earnest expectation and hope that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always be exalted in his body, whether by life or death. Paul would not hold back any aspect of the gospel message, no matter what it cost him. You likewise are to come boldly before the throne of grace, confessing your sin, telling it all to God. There may be sins you don’t share with everyone or most everyone, but there is nothing you cannot confess to God. You also have access to the Father. In Ephesians 2:18 Paul is reminding these formerly pagan Gentiles that they have access through Christ, in the Spirit, to the Father. Keep in mind these Gentiles would instinctively have viewed themselves inferior to Jews and their spiritual privileges. But Paul tells them that they have equal access with the Jewish believers to the Father. And then, due to Christ’s effectual work as our high priest, you have confidence to draw near to the throne of grace so that you may receive mercy and find grace to help in need, Hebrews 4:14-16.

So, what are you to do with your secret, recurring, enslaving, past, and destructive sins? How are you to handle the penetrating, accusing, condemning declarations of Satan? Instead of hiding your sin or flaunting it, may I suggest three declarative statements which can give you grace to stand unashamedly before the judgment seat of Christ. First, I will tell God all about my sin because He sees it all anyway. He is omniscient, Psalm 139:1ff. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth in not in us, I John 1:8. Name your sin very specifically to God. Second, I will tell myself that nothing can break my communion with God except my sin, and I have a remedy for that already- Jesus Christ, my Lord. God has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west, Psalm 103:12ff. And third, I will tell my conscience and the devil to quit harassing me. You have an attorney, and advocate, with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, I John 2:1, 2.

FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS is a weekly devotional by Reverend Al Baker, pastor of Christ Community Presbyterian Church in West Hartford, Connecticut.

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