What Condition Do I Find You In?

I was meditating this morning on Hebrews 4:13, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”  From reading, this verse one thing becomes remarkably apparent to even the most casual reader, that there is without a doubt, nothing, absolutely nothing, that is hidden from God.  Yet I find it interesting that one of the first recorded discussions in the Bible is God asking Adam, “Where are you?” Gen. 3:9.  From what I read in the verse in Hebrews, it would be logical to assume that when God is asking you a question it is not because He is unaware of the answer.  I really do not think that God had somehow misplaced Adam or that he was not aware of what had taken place in Gen. 3: 1-8 between Satan and Adam and Eve.  This brings me to wonder what it is that God is asking of Adam. 

If we were to seek out a more accurate translation of the sentence, “Where are you?” it would be, “What condition do I find you in?”  Now to me that question would make more sense, especially in the light of what just happened to Adam and Eve.  In fact, that is an excellent question to ask of a person if you were concerned over their well-being especially if you knew something stressful had just happened to them.  I wonder how many times the Holy Spirit asks us that question.  Probably more so than any of us would like to admit, and if so what response does He expect from us.

Since God already knows the answer to any question he may ask of us, then the emphasis would be on us to answer humbly and truthfully.  In reading Adam’s response in verse 10, “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” is a true statement but from God’s response to Adam’s reply one would get the impression that Adam failed to answer God’s question to His satisfaction.  Adam’s answer to God was that his nakedness caused him to be afraid leading him to attempt to hide from God which falls far short of the reason as to why he was naked in the first place.  God replied to Adam’s statement by saying, “So who told you that you were naked?  Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”  There it is.  I must admit that God does not beat around the old fig leaf.  The answer to both of these questions is very important because your response, your ability to come clean before God, will set in motion effects that will shape not only your life but your spouse and your children either positively or negatively for days, years and possibly generations to come.

IT IS THE WOMAN ‘YOU’ PUT HERE WITH ME!

Some would point out, “Why is God picking on poor Adam over there, everyone knows it was the woman that caused the big problem.”  It is sad that so many of our jokes and literature even our misinterpreting of scripture are nothing but examples of male chauvinism.  When we blame Eve we fall back on the same old excuse that Adam offered up to God and we all know how far he got with that one.  Gen. 3:12.

As we read the discourse between Satan and Eve, we cannot help but see that her intentions were good.  She had come to believe that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would make one wise, v. 6, she decided she wanted both herself and her husband to enjoy that imagined blessing.  Eve was tricked, deceived and though she had good intentions she erred and sinned in her error.  Adam on the other hand, sinned in utter rebellion and in full knowledge of what he was doing.  Adam knew that eating of this tree was wrong and not only did he not stop Eve from eating of its fruit, he himself ate of it also.

That is why the Bible never places the blame for the fall of the human race on a woman.  (1 Cor. 15: 21-22), (Rom. 5:12, 17, 19), (1 Tim. 2:14)  As man is clearly the head and has been given responsibility for his wife and family it then stands to reason that the consequences for the fall would rest solely upon the head of man.

Sometimes you just want to yell out to Adam, “Have you lost it!  Just tell God the truth!”  However, just as Pilate said when he looked at Jesus, “What is truth?”  John 18:38.   And Jesus answered, “…for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  Jesus, the second Adam is telling us that truth is a pretty big deal in the Kingdom of God.  The origin of sin was Adam and Eve not believing and entering into prideful rebellion against God.  Unbelief and rebellion are two root elements of sin.  The third root element of sin’s nature is, pride.  It would be hard to separate any of the three elements of sin from the responses of either Adam or Eve.

What stopped Adam from answering God’s question was a combination of pride and shame.  The reason that many of us do not come clean and fess up to what we have done is found in that word ‘shame’. Whatever sin we commit we are too ashamed to take personal responsibility for our own actions and our pride will do everything to shift the blame onto others.  It is in taking full responsibility for our actions and admitting our guilt that we will be able to be restored.

ARE WE HOT, COLD OR INDIFFERENT?

This is a year where we can choose to either line up for the truth and go towards God as we come clean before Him or we can chose to become even more entrenched in our unbelief, rebellion, and pride. Our Father is asking each of us this question, “What condition do I find you in?”

May we allow Him to reveal our hearts and examine our lives as we honestly ask Him and ourselves just “What condition are we truly in?” In our day some of the most pressing questions may be these: Have we marginalized the holiness of God by what we watch on television or electronics? Have we compromised our values by the clothes we wear? Men, have we trained our eyes to look upon a woman with righteous eyes? Are we saddened by the things that grieve God or have we detached ourselves emotionally from the immense problems of this world?

It is our prayer for ourselves and for you also that we would be on-fire for God and filled with His love as we walk in truth and humility before Him. May we be transformed by the renewing of our minds and set ablaze for Him living with Godly character and in the demonstration of His supernatural power to bring salvation, healing and deliverance to those He loves.