3 Reasons to Stop Hiding From God

Adam and Eve heard their Creator’s footsteps coming near them. I imagine them running to hide like children playing hide and seek, afraid to get caught. Finally, the Lord asks where they were hiding (as if He didn’t know). They responded and admitted that when they heard Him coming, they hid because they were afraid. They knew that they had sinned.

When reading this story, it seems silly that they would hide, but we have this response all the time. When we know we are in the wrong, we often times tend to hide. Sometimes we actually run away from the situation, other times we hide behind humor or another defense mechanism. But because we are loved by God, there is no reason to be afraid! In fact, here are 3 things that happen when we stop hiding: 

1. He allows for confession.

In Genesis 3:11 The Lord asks, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”’ Of course, the Lord already knew the answer to this question, but he gave Adam and Eve a chance to confess their sin. The sin caused shame and the shame caused them to separate themselves from their Creator. Satan still uses shame to separate us from Christ today! But despite their sin, the Lord pursued them in the garden and longed for a relationship with them. Proverbs 28:13 reads, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy”. Confession restored creation's relationship with its Creator. Then they experienced God’s lovingkindness and mercy. They needed to be humble enough to recognize that they themselves are unworthy of God’s grace. The first step of salvation is confessing that we are sinful and helpless without him. It makes it that much sweeter knowing that despite our sinfulness, God still loves us.

2. Gives victory over the enemy.

God curses the serpent saying ‘He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel’. Meaning, while the enemy will cause us pain, he will ultimately be defeated. This verse is foreshadowing Jesus’ death and resurrection where He defeated death, Hell and the grave! When we are open and vulnerable with the Lord, he reminds us of the victory that we have through Him. So there is no reason to be afraid, because “we know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.” (Romans 6:6-7) Why are you concealing your sin instead of going to the One who has defeated sin? It would be as if you concealed a terminal illness from a doctor. Confessing the problem opens your heart to the Lord so He can heal the root of the problem. 

3. Fully covers you (forgiveness)

Verse 20 says that the Lord made clothing from animal skins for Adam and Eve. While Adam and Eve were hiding, they sewed together fig leaves to hide their nakedness. I’ve never worn fig leaves before, but I imagine that Adam and Eve were still feeling the breeze going through Eden. Blood needed to be shed for the full covering of their sin, which ultimately pointed to Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus died willingly so that we could be forgiven of our sins and have a relationship with Him. Sis, know that when you confess, you are forgiven. Fully. Jesus has already paid the price and has covered every sinful thing you have said, thought, and or done. And will do. 

Sis,

We are Not Afraid–the King Ended Death or NAKED. This is a hard concept to grasp! As a black woman, it was ingrained in me that I have to work twice as hard as my white peers to accomplish the same goals. I would not dare make a mistake in majority white spaces, I had to prove I belonged. When I did make a mistake, I hid from it and denied it. Some of you felt the I had to perfect as the oldest sibling. Others may have felt the weight of their family and/or community to be perfect--you were the one that was going to make it out. But in Christ, there is no need to hide from past sins, for we are victorious and forgiven through Him. Therefore, we can come before Him naked, without hiding anything. God is calling you and longing to be near you, even knowing all the sin that you have done. What a precious gift grace is! Come out of hiding, you are safe with Him.