Are You Tempted to Hide?
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16
We respond to personal failure a lot like Adam and Eve did when they first sinned. Our actions that come as a result of disobedience or unbelief expose what we try so hard to deny with good intentions and steeled wills: we are sinful people!
When we’re exposed, we try to cover ourselves, either over-apologizing and beating ourselves up to make amends, or blaming others to justify our behavior. Either way, we are just like the couple in the garden who, when God called out, “Where are you?” were hiding from Him, afraid to be seen and known as they really were - naked and ashamed.
But what God enacted on that day in the Garden, making the first sacrifice to physically cover their shame (Genesis 3:21), and promising a seed that would one day conquer that which brought death into the garden (Genesis 3:15), He completed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jeusus Christ.
Since we are in a covenant relationship with God through receiving the sacrifice of Jesus through faith, when we fail, when we sin, when we grieve God or others or even ourselves, we do not need to go into hiding. Instead, the author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus, who stands in our place before God, understands our temptation and our failure more than anyone because He himself was tempted!
We are called to go to His throne of grace with confidence, and receive both mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. Though our human nature will tell us to run from God, Jesus makes it possible for us to run toward God with our failure and to receive the gift of His mercy and grace.