Caught With Your Pants Down

“…Go and Sin No More” – John 8:11

A lot of people are being caught these days. From politicians, to celebrities, to notable “men of the cloth”, some of the dirtiest, most perverted secrets are being brought into the light. The above referenced scripture is the response that Jesus had one day to a woman who had been “caught with her pants down”. More accurately, caught with her dress up! She was literally apprehended in the middle of an adulterous “moment”. Punishable in those days by death!

Suppose for a moment that the door of your life was suddenly thrown open and there you were – naked [or nekked as we say here in Texas], in a room full of exquisitely clothed spectators. Every wrinkle, every wart, every imperfection laid bare for the whole world to see. In spite of what Hollywood would lead us to believe, we all know that it would not be a pretty picture!

Now I’m not trying to be crude, cute or funny here, but the truth is, sin is a devastating, embarrassing reality that plagues us all (1 John 1:8). So my point today is three-fold.

Most of us are hiding something

Some are like the woman noted above. You are engaged in known, explicit and perverted acts of sin [Yes, even you Christians.], acts which likewise are punishable by death. Others are more sly and subtle. You look good on the outside. You go to church, pay your taxes and are nice to animals. Your “affair”, however, is on the inside! Your heart is in bed with the world and has left its “first love”, the husband of your youth – Jesus. Whether you have an “inside” sin or an “outside” sin, the results are the same – you have a stone cold, lifeless heart.

Don’t wait to get caught

The Bible says that “the sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after” (1 Timothy 5:24), which is just another way of saying that some are “out there” with their sin while others are more discreet, yet subject to eventual disclosure. At some point, we are all going to be exposed, standing nekked before God. When Jesus comes, He “…will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts;…” (1 Corinthians 4:5) Our proper response is to “blow the whistle” now. Get it out in the open now. Come clean now! The Bible calls it confession – telling the truth, the whole truth so help you God. There’s so much to say here, but you are probably bored already.

Go and sin no more

Now when I hear that familiar phrase, my thought hearkens back to my childhood when I would get caught doing something that I shouldn't be doing and my parents would say something like “Now don’t you do it again!”, otherwise interpreted as “The next time, you’re gonna get it!”. But, that’s not what Jesus was saying when He uttered those words. In fact, the whole statement was “…Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” You see, with genuine “truth-telling” about ourselves (confession) and repentance (a change of heart that results in a change of our actions) comes forgiveness, a total acquittal – and with forgiveness comes life and liberty instead of death and bondage.

Have you ever tried walking with your pants down? It’s not conducive to progress. Let’s get right and move on with God!

Living Under the Gaze of God

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness, To deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. - Psalms 33:18-21 (NASB)

I'm trying to walk in transaprency and confession these days believing it is mandatory for purity of heart and relationship with Him (and each other) [1 John 1:7-9]. So, I share the verses above and my confession for this day.

I've always known in my mind that God sees everything. I'm not sure, however, that I've always felt that He's seen ME! I've thought many times that God was just too busy with more important things to be intricately involved in MY life, and I say that, knowing that I have a long list of events in which He has proven otherwise. Nevertheless, the moments of insignficance exist.

The Amplified Bible reads like this...

Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness, - v.18

Truth is, the promise is conditional, at least if I take it as it reads. His eye is on me if my eye is on Him. If He fills my field of vision in worship and adoration and if I live in watchful anticipation of His return (How many times in the N.T. does it speak of waiting and looking for His coming?), I'll know that I'm being watched. I'll be living under the gaze of God!

We should look at this "condition" more as a characteristic than a requirement. We know that nothing is truly hidden from God - that there is nothing that He does not see. How in the world would I feel obscured from the gaze of God if I were truly consumed with Him in worship and longing for His return?

We have this promise, when we look into the eyes of God we will always see that He is looking back on us.