Holding Fast Our Confession

     During this time in history, we are faced with many who believe that the truth is relative.  They say, "What is true for me may not be true for you."  Likewise many believe that what they do in secret whether by direct action or in their thought life will be hidden so no one may know.  In contrast, the Christian knows that there is only one foundation for truth, and one day, we all will be called into account for how we have lived our lives.  For those outside of Christ,  it will be eternal separation from God.  While believers are assured an eternal home in heaven, they will also stand before the Lord to give account for their thoughts, words and deeds.  This should cause every Christian to pause and consider how we live before the Lord.
     In the book of Hebrews, the writer says in verse 13 of chapter 4 these words of warning:  "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."  Every idle thought, cruel word, or wicked deed is known by God and is eventually uncovered.  I should know because I have experienced this in my own life.
     Playing with a neighbor boy and his older sister one day, I accidentally injured him while we were playing cowboys and Indians.  I had seen on T.V. how a person would fall down if someone hit them on the head not realizing it was acting (I was five or six at the time).  So, I took my toy gun and hit the boy with it causing a nasty gash in his head.  His older sister scolded me and hurried him home to clean up the cut.  I ran inside thinking that since my parents did not see me do this I would not get into trouble.  When evening came, a phone call came to my mother from the parent of the little boy.  She related what happened, and needless to say, I was in big trouble.  What I thought was hidden was made plain as day. It was a painful lesson to me in more ways than one  Fortunately, the cut on the neighbor boy's head was not as bad as it initially looked.  I apologized both to God and my friends.
     Of course the ultimate example is that of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  Once they had eaten of the fruit which the Lord told them not to eat, what did they do?  They both hid from God's presence.  God knew what they had done.  No one needed to tell Him.  The repercussions from sin led to painful consequences that we still face today.  Yet, as believers, we have a Savior in Jesus Christ who paid for the penalty of our sins.  We can now fellowship with our Lord again, but this does not exempt us from temptation or sin.  So what are we to do?
     Hebrews 4:12 tells us the power of God's Word:  "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  This is the standard for truth and the foundation upon which we must stand.  There is no such thing as one truth for one person and another for someone else.  There can only be one truth claim, and God's Word is the measure for our thoughts, actions and lifestyle.  Therefore, we must come humbly to the Bible daily so that we can honestly examine our lives to see if there is any sin in our life.  I John 1:9 tells us if we confess our sin, God will forgive us.  What a glorious thought!
     In the 14th verse of Hebrews 4, we read:  "Therefore, since we have such a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.…"  God wants us to live a life that is holy and different from the world.  We are not called to blend in, but to stand out as a light on a hill for others to see.  We cannot hide from sin nor can we ignore the study of God's Word which exposes our hearts.  Our purpose in this life is to glorify God by holding fast to our confession of faith in Christ.  No one said it would be easy to stand in a culture seeming to head in the other direction, but with God's help, we can do it.
     May we encourage one another to hold fast our confession and believe the truth of God's Word.  There is no place to hide from God; so let us live in the light as He is in the light that others will see our good works and glorify the Lord.  Selah!