Naked Before God

Text - Hebrews 4.12-13

Hebrews 4:12–13 NKJV

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

naked - grk. gymnos, revealed, exposed

open - grk. trachelizo, exposed

Main Point

There is nothing that we think or do that can be hidden before God.

Proverbs 15:11 NKJV

11 Hell and Destruction are before the Lord; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men.

Psalm 44:20–21 NKJV

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God, Or stretched out our hands to a foreign god, 21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.

Key Points

Man’s efforts to hide his nakedness is useless

Since, the fall of man in the garden of Eden, we have been doing our best to hide from God.

Genesis 3:10–13 NKJV

10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” 12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” 13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

by running away from God’s presence (Voice)

by putting the blame on others

we even blame the devil for our sins!

Human efforts through the ages include -

religion - human sacrifices, etc

irreligion - non-religion, denial of God’s existence, atheism, naturalism, knowledge

Man must recognize God’s means of covering his nakedness

God covered Adam and Eve’s nakedness

Genesis 3:21 NKJV

21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

God provided a temporary covering of sin in the Law

the blood of animals

Leviticus 1:1–5 (NKJV)

Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock.

‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He shall kill the bull before the Lord; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

the yearly atonement

atonement - covering

How can the blood of animals “clothe” the sinner?

It was God’s provision, from the beginning

It upholds God’s standard, God’s righteousness

Isaiah 42:21 NKJV

21 The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will exalt the law and make it honorable.

Isaiah 51:7 NKJV

7 “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults.

Isaiah 61:10–11 NKJV

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

It looks forward to the time when God’s righteousness is revealed through Jesus Christ

Romans 3:21–22 NKJV

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

Hebrews 9:11–14 NKJV

11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 10:18 NKJV

18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Jesus was Christ’s ultimate solution for man’s nakedness

the blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin - completely

the righteousness of Jesus covers our human nature - by faith in him

Revelation 3:18 NKJV

18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

Conclusion

We cannot hide from God’s all penetrating eyes - but we can stand before Him righteous through our Jesus Christ!

without Christ - we stand before Him gulity and worthy of judgment

with Christ - we stand before Him righteous and clean

Paul’s admonition - be diligent to enter that rest!

Hebrews 4:11 NKJV

11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

by being obedient to God’s word

by recognizing the authority of God’s word over your life

by allowing the Word to penetrate your life so He can cleanse you

Ephesians 5:26 NKJV

26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,