297. The Lord knows His own
2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foiundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
The Lord knows His own people, His own family, His own flock; and He loves them. He also knows His Creation and all other people on earth; and He judges them. God’s knowing all things is both a threat and a promise: a threat because He knows my sins, all my faults, shortcomings, mistakes, failures, and even all the evil that is within me; a promise because He knows my needs, what it is I really need for emotional, mental, relational, social, and physical wellbeing.
It is comforting that God knows me inside and out, what makes me tick, the DNA I am made of, why I do what I do: He knows how to help. He knows me better than I do. I need to receive this promise because I may be wrong about what I think I need, and I need to trust that the Lord knows best. I can pray and believe God’s answer to the petition, “Thy will be done,” so that He breaks and hinders every evil counsel and will that opposes the good life. The only question I must deal with is: How do I know His will is really good for me? The answer: look at the cross. I must answer this question with a positive Yes: “Does God love me?”
It is discomforting to know that God knows me because He judges my sins. I know that I can’t really “get away with it.” God sees, God knows, and God relentlessly judges; God brings to light and exposes the sin and evil within me. I am like Adam thinking that I can hide in the garden and cover myself with fig leaves. But Jesus guarantees that what is done in a closet will be shouted from the housetops. After exposing my sin and shame the Lord is good to give me the Gospel of forgiveness and life. The Good News is that my hidden sin has been judged on the cross of Christ. Therefore God can and does forgive. I repent and believe.
Like many aphorisms that sound Biblical but are not completely accurate is the old adage: “To err is human; to forgive divine.” God does not forgive human sin just because it is His nature to forgive and overlook. God can do anything, but He cannot just forgive because that would deny the character of holiness and justice. Justice demands punishment for every sin. Without perfect justice the universe crumbles. But God is Love (not forgiving) so He found a way to forgive: He sent the Son of God to bear the punishment for our sin. Now He can justly forgive. By implementing this ingenious idea God satisfies both holiness and love. God forgives because He found a way to judge. God knows our sin, judges our sin at the cross, is able to forgive, and thereby loves us. “To sin is human; to judge divine.” Let God judge the sin and love the sinner. He knows how to do it, and He knows you.