Fig Leaves

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

How do you try to cover yourself when hiding your sins from God? Maybe your reaction is like that of Adam and Eve after they sinned, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” [Genesis 3.7]. There you have the natural response — to piece together some fig leaves to cover the shame of sin. 

I’ll use fig leaves as a metaphor for some ways people use them to cover their sins.

Fig leaf 1: To immerse yourself in good works - God helps those who help themselves.

Fig leaf 2: I’ll get really, really religious - If I do my part, God will be pleased with me.

Fig leaf 3: I’ll get rid of the classic sins - drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Anyone?

Fig leaf 4: I’ll judge others - As long as I’m not as bad as him/her, I’ll be OK.

There are more, but I think you get the picture.

Fig leaves may work with humans, but you’ll pay a high price when you to use them to hide your sins from God. Why not confess your sins since He’s the only one who really accepts us as we are, and the only one who can deliver us from them anyway!

Listen to this powerful truth from the Bible: “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” [Romans 3.21-24]. 

If you’re covered with fig leaves instead of righteousness through grace, you’re being robbed of intimacy with God. Jesus, the cross, and the grace of God make intimacy possible — no matter how exposed and vulnerable your sins make you feel.  

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5.1-2