A study of the attributes of God is both edifying and terrifying. The God of Scripture cannot be fooled, tricked, bribed or manipulated. The Creator of the universe knows each of us better than we know ourselves. David, who knew the Lord as his Shepherd, requested that the Lord would thoroughly search him. Yes, it is possible for us to fool each other sometimes, and even ourselves, but never God!
Peter undoubtedly believed that he was prepared to both go to prison and die for Jesus, but his Lord knew better. We, like Peter, often boast of greater faith, love and strength than we actually possess. How important to remember that our hearts are “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” Our flesh is good for nothing.
How then do we determine where we are with the Lord? Simply by observing how we respond to things in and around our lives. As silver and gold is tried in the furnace, the Lord God reveals our hearts by dictating events and arranging circumstances in our lives that we may discover just how much of His word we truly have heard and personally applied. God leads and chastens us just like He did the nation of Israel, though never, you understand, to condemn us but to conform us to the image of Jesus.
Like Adam, we think that we can hide from God, but He knows us. He knows our fears, struggles, goals, motivations, etc. It is a glorious moment indeed when we realize we have nothing to prove to God or to hide from Him. No guile! No showboating! No claiming to possess what I don’t have!
When we walk in real honesty before God, there will be more humility and less hypocrisy before each other. Truth is reality, and practiced before God and one another it produces true Christianity.
The Lord is omniscient but still asked Adam where he was. Jesus used the same approach asking over 300 questions recorded in the New Testament.
Questions are a powerful way for us to look long and hard in the mirror. James uses the mirror metaphor in a powerful way as a self-assessment tool for where we are with the Lord. And the longer we look, the more we see what is truly in our hearts. James also teaches an important lesson: we should not walk away from the mirror.
In John 21:15–17 Jesus asks Peter three times (three not a coincidence) if Peter loved Him. What the English language misses is that Jesus asked Peter “do you agape love me?”. Unconditional love, would you give your life for me? Peter’s response was “yes I phileo love you”. Love you like a brother (but apparently not unconditionally). Jesus asked Peter again if he agape loved him. I’m sure Peter thought about it and his answer was (again) “phileo”. Introspection #2. Not the best answer! Jesus’ amazing grace asked Peter a third time using the word phileo. “Of course, bro!” Responded Peter. I suspect Peter realized he wasn’t quite where he should be and… he had important things to do in the future.
In Philippians 4 Paul states “think on these things”. Questions make us think and look at mirrors to assess where we are in the blessed path of sanctification. And… the more I personally think on these things and the more I observe in mirrors, the more I thank Jesus for His amazing grace for this sinner.
Blessings,
JoseM