The Truth About Us预览

The Best News Ever

Here’s an irony: although we’ll all loudly defend our goodness, we also feel guilt and secretly hope to hide our worst parts from the eyes of God. As if that were possible.

So let me ask, can we really believe that God knows our thoughts, the very dirtiest, the most hateful, vile, unloving, dishonest, traitorous ones…and still loves us? Yes. And not “loves” as in tolerates, or “loves” as in merely sees how pathetic we are and doesn’t zap us. I mean “loves” as in loves.

This stuff is all over the Bible too:

“Jesus knew their thoughts and…” (Matthew 12:25).

“Jesus, knowing their evil intent…” (Matthew 22:18).

“Jesus knew what they were thinking and…” (Luke 6:8).

“Jesus knew their thoughts and . . .” (Luke 11:17).

And…wanted to be with them.

And…gave himself up for them.

And…loved them.

He hung around a bunch of dirty-minded men, saw right through them, and then told them He was going to prepare a place for a big party…for them.

Once, Jesus invited himself over to the home of a notorious sinner, a “chief tax collector,” whom apparently no one liked. It shocked the neighbors. They couldn’t believe it. While we don’t have many details, the Bible says the sinner “welcomed Him gladly” and was profoundly impacted, excitedly declaring he would pay back everything he had cheated from people, and then some. 

Maybe Jesus beat up on Zacchaeus for what he’d thought, said, or done, but I don’t get that impression from the text. It seems like they both really enjoyed the visit.

That’s just one incident, of course, and the more I read about Jesus, the more I suspect that if He came to my house today, He’d know my thoughts and think, “Yep, that’s a human. I love humans.”

It’s funny how grace turns everything upside down. If I’m trying to avoid God with my goodness or impress Him with it, the fact that He knows what I’m thinking becomes a frightful one. But if I’m humble, if I already know I’m busted, that fact goes from frightful to the best news ever. Why? Because He knows us, all about us, and He still loves us.

Savor it: You don’t need to feel guilty for being woefully human. The reality is, you are loved by Someone who already knows the truth about you.