God asked that same question of Adam after he and his
wife had eaten the forbidden fruit. The first couple-Adam and his wife, Eve-
had disobeyed God, and out of shame and fear had gone into hiding. Before the
Fall, I believe there was excitement when God visited with them, but after they
sinned, they hid. The very thing that brought them joy now brought fear and
shame.
God knew exactly where they were, but He called out to
the man anyway, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9 NIV) Adam responded, “I heard you
in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid” (Genesis 3:10
NIV). Obviously, God posed the question not because He didn’t know where they
were or what had happened, but was giving them the opportunity to come clean.
As we see, God did get an answer to His question. So the question – where are
you -- more often than not gets the desired response: an individual’s location
is revealed.
Although God knew what had happened, He didn’t ask
Adam, “What have you done? “Instead, He asked, “Where are you?” The
consequences of their sin was more far-reaching than they had thought or
imagined. They had believed the devil’s lies only to discover they’d lost
fellowship with God, and not gotten what the devil promised them.
Unfortunately, it was too late; they’d already disobeyed.
Sin has a way of bringing separation between us and
God, and if we refuse to repent, we go into hiding, and continue down the wrong
path we have chosen. Consequently, non-penitent Christians drop out of
fellowship with God and other believers; they’d rather enjoy their sinful
pleasures. They make all kinds of excuses for their sinful lifestyle, and
accuse the church of being too critical and judgmental. What they really want
is for other Christians to condone their evil lifestyle.
If you are a child of God, and you’ve been out of
fellowship with God your Father, remember that He still loves you and wants you
to come back home. For the record, He has started the dialogue; He is asking
you, “Where are you?” Where are you in your Christian walk?
Are you intentionally living in sin? Are you now
unable to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice? I encourage you to respond and come
clean like Adam did; in other words, tell God what He already knows about your
situation, and seek forgiveness. No matter how far away you’ve roamed, He will
forgive and restore you to sweet fellowship; He’ll forgive the past and give
you a fresh start. Although the Israelites sinned against God repeatedly, He promised
forgiveness and restoration if they’d repent. God has not changed; He is still
making all things new! See Isaiah 43:25-44:1-5)
The Psalmist knows this truth from experience. He said
in Psalm 130, “With you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared” (Psalm
130:4 NIV). He encouraged Israel based on this truth. He said in that same
chapter, “O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing
love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all
their sins” (Psalm 130:7-8 NIV).
Are you ready to come home? The door is opened wide,
and the Father is waiting to hear your expression of repentance. However, if
you continue to live in sin, you are declaring you’ve never been born again.
“No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has
either seen him or known him….No one who is born of God will continue to sin,
because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning because he has been born
of God” (1 John 3:6, 9 NIV). If you don’t think you’ve been born again (it’s
not unusual to have doubts), here is your chance; you can have this experience
this very minute. Confess your sins to God and ask for forgiveness through his
Son, Jesus Christ, and He will forgive you. “Everyone who believes in him
receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:45).
Do you know where you are? Are you hiding from God and
other believers? Come home to a Father and family who love you, and be restored
to a loving fellowship!
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