The problem with trying to pretend away sin is that we also get rid of confession—and forgiveness, too.
Christian! Have you had a conversation with God about your sins lately? It’s one of the best things you can do. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). Parents often send misbehaving kids for a time-out to think about what they’ve done. But adults need time-outs too! After Adam and Eve had sinned, God came calling. Awkward! I’ll say. Embarrassed, these grown-ups decided to play hide-and-seek with God—not the last ones to do that, by the way! So God called out, “Where are you?” That’s Genesis 3:9. Let me link in your minds today three questions the Lord asked to which the answer was already known. Why? For the same reason you ask your child or grandchild, “Did you break this vase?” You know the answer—especially if they were the only one in the room when the crash was heard! But you want them to fess up. When God asked the question, He wanted Adam to find out where he was—estranged now from God, hiding from his once-dearest Friend. That’s what sin does—it separates us from God. The second question was asked by the Lord Jesus on the cross: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mt 27:46). He knew the answer, but He wanted sinners like us to realize: we are the living answers to that question. In order to save us from our sins, He had to so closely identify with its horror that we read, God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2 Cor 5:21). Amazing love! The third one is in Hebrews 2:3 – “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” What a question! If people miss out on God’s salvation gift, even He doesn’t know another escape route. That should really sober us up!