Our All-Knowing God

Would you stand together with me for this reading from God's Word, Psalm 139. O Lord, You have searched me and You know me.! You know when I sit and when I rise.

You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely, O Lord.

You hem me in behind and before. You have laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go to the heavens, You are there. If I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me.

Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to You. The night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.

For You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with You.

If only You would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, You bloodthirsty men! They speak of You with evil intent. Your adversaries misuse Your name.

Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord, and abhor those who rise up against You? I have nothing but hatred for them. I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting. Interesting. Schools are starting up again.

And soon many of you will be in classes and will be doing something that God has never done. You will be learning.

You will be increasing in knowledge. Gaining understanding. In history, you will learn things in the past that you didn't know before. In math this year, some of you will learn to divide.

You didn't understand that last year. And in science, you'll learn something more about the wonderful properties of water that you didn't know. And so whatever your age, from youngest to oldest, you will be doing something that God has never done.

Because God has never learned anything. And the reason God has never learned anything is because He already knows everything. From everlasting to everlasting, He is this God who knows all things perfectly.

Now that's the truth that we're wanting to focus on this morning as we're studying the attributes of God. Things that are true about God as He has told us in His own word.

God knows everything. God is omniscient. All-knowing. 1 John 3.20 God is greater than our hearts.

He knows everything. He knows everything. Now when John says everything, He means everything. God knows everything about everything.

Every subject in school that you have, God knows everything about it. Psalm 147.5 says, His understanding has no limit. It's infinite.

Without boundaries, without end. You and I, our knowledge has limits. We can go so far and no further. And we want to unpack this morning, just for a while, this amazing omniscience of God.

Consider in the first place, how many stars are there in the heavens? Even scientists will throw up their hands and say, well, we don't know. It's impossible to count all the stars one by one.

And so they've resorted to estimates. Which, kids, is just an educated guess. But God doesn't need to estimate.

Psalm 147.5 says, He determines, 147.4, He determines the number of the stars.

And He calls them each by name. There's knowledge, extensive and intensive. He can count, He could tell you the very number of the stars.

Not estimate within a couple trillion, but down to the very last one, He could give you its number. And He knows each star so well that He's able to give it a name. Because He understands the nature of that star and everything about it.

He names it. The omniscience of God. Psalm 50 and verse 11. I know every bird in the mountains. I know the birds that are sitting on nests.

I know the birds that are even now soaring in the sky. I know the birds that are feeding on the ground. Jesus says, that He knows, even every sparrow's fall to the ground.

There, on your patio, you've got your feeder. And they're pecking away at the feeder. And some seed falls to the ground, and they hop down to pick it up. And God knows, every time a sparrow hits the ground, He's omniscient.

Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 10, verse 30, Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Omniscient. Do you know how many hairs are on your head?

The average head has 100,000 hair follicles. Give or take 10,000. Every day we lose about 100. But every follicle has the ability to grow 20 more within your lifetime.

So the number's constantly changing, isn't it? And not a hair falls from your head without the knowledge of your Father in Heaven.

He counts them. He knows every single one of them. Right now. And a day from now. And so on. And so we see this great God in His knowledge.

He knows the stars. He knows the birds. He knows the hairs of our head. And He also knows everything about the past. The present and the future. We learn a few things about the past in history.

But they only write about the greats. Do you know that more people lived in George Washington's time than George Washington? But you don't read about them, do you? But God knows about all the Joe Schmoes that lived with the same time as George Washington.

He knows how long they lived. He knows what they did every day of their life. He knows everything that ever happened in the past. And He's not forgotten anything. He still knows it.

He knows the present. Now you and I are learning every day. We're learning something today. Some of you kids, you learned something in Sunday school, didn't you? I hope you did. You're learning something today.

Every moment of every... You learned I was going to wear this tie today. You didn't know that. I didn't know it yesterday. We're learning. Things are happening. Tomorrow morning you'll wake up and you'll read the news and you'll see everything that was happening today.

God already knows what's happening today. He's not learning anything today. And He won't learn anything tomorrow either because He knows the future.

He knows the future as well as He knows the past. He knows the end from the beginning, the Bible says.

A reporter shows up at the football game. He's there to write the story about what happened. So He watches the whole game. He's jotting notes. And after the game's over, He goes to the coach and collects the stats.

Then He goes home and He writes up His story. But He only knows the full story after the game's over. Not so with God. He could write the whole story from the point of kickoff.

He could write it last week, a year ago, a hundred years ago. He could write up the whole season and have every tackle and every point and every injury and every detail.

He knows the end from the beginning. We don't even know what a day will bring forth. But He knows all that will happen forever and ever.

And this sets Him apart from all others. God alone knows everything. God alone has infallible knowledge of the future. This is part of His glory.

It's part of what it means to be God. It's essential to His being. If He didn't know the future, He wouldn't be God. Listen to His challenge to the idolaters in Isaiah 41. These so-called gods that claim to be God and their worshipers.

Bring in your idols to tell us what's going to happen. Declare to us the things to come. Tell us what the future holds so that we may know that you are gods.

Because gods know the future. It's part of their being. It's part of their essence. It's their nature. Isaiah 46.9 I am God.

There is no other. I am God and there is none like me. And here's what sets me apart from all other claimers. Verse 10 I make known the end from the beginning.

From ancient times what is still to come. See the former things have taken place and new things I declare. Before they spring into being I announce them to you.

Before they happen I tell you about them. Because I am God. And there's none other. You see the wickedness of the heresy of those who say that God does not know the future if it involves the will of man.

That he just waits until we make our decision and then he gets knowledge of what will happen that day. The openness of God.

The open theism as it's called. They would un-God God. They would strip him of omniscience. And when you strip God of omniscience you've stripped him of his deity. Of his glory. I am God and there is none other because I declare the end from the beginning.

God's knowledge of the future is demonstrated in prophecy. Every time in the Old Testament when God opened his mouth and announced what was going to happen in the future.

He's putting his omniscience on display. So you just take the prophecies about the birth of his son. He's going to be born of a virgin.

He's going to be born in Bethlehem. He's going to be born of the line of David. The line of Judah. Of the line of Abraham. He's going to live in Nazareth. He's going to come out of Egypt. He tells ahead of time what he would do and say in his public ministry.

He tells us that he will come riding into Jerusalem on a cold of a donkey. That his life would end by crucifixion. That he would be betrayed by one close to him.

How soldiers would gamble for his clothes. The very words that the people would use to mock him while he's on the cross. And the very words that Jesus would speak from the cross. My God.

My God. Why have you abandoned me? That he would be buried with a rich man. Killed along with criminals. Numbered with transgressors.

His body would be pierced. But no bone would be broken. That he would physically arise on the third day from the dead. Hundreds of years in advance. Before they sprang into being God announced them.

He's demonstrating his glory. He is God and he knows the future. He knows the end. From the beginning. God never learns anything. Because he already knows everything about everybody.

Past, present, future. Now, that's the doctrine. But we've never learned it aright until we've seen it's true of us.

Until we've personalized it. That this God knows me. Oh Lord, you have searched me. And you know me. You know when I sit.

And you know when I rise. You know my coming. And my going. You know my lying down. You're familiar with all my ways. Let's not study this omniscient God who knows everything out there.

But let's remember. He knows everything about me. About me. All about me. Past, present, future.

All the days ordained for me were written in his book before one of them came to be. He knows it all. He knows what's going to happen to me today, tomorrow. Any day that I have on the earth and thereafter.

He knows everything about your deeds, your words, and your thoughts. First your deeds. He knows everything that's being done. Good or bad. The eyes of the Lord are in every place.

Keeping watch on the evil and the good. Proverbs 15.3 That means every good deed of every good man he sees. That deed of kindness that nobody else saw.

He sees. And every evil deed of every evil man he sees. The eyes of the Lord are in every place. Have you thought recently of how much God's eyes take in in one day's time?

All the murders. All the abortions. All the robberies. All the sexual immoralities.

All the deeds of all men. Everywhere. And he's witness to it. His eyes see it. He knows it. Even things done in secret for 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. Even things done in the dark. David says, as it was read, if I say, surely the darkness will hide me.

Even the darkness will not be dark to you. The night will shine like the day. For darkness is as light to you. Kids, have you seen pictures or maybe even tried on those night vision goggles?

Kinds our troops wear when they're fighting at night time? Now without them, you can look out into the darkness and it's all blackness. You don't see a thing. Then you put these night vision goggles on.

And the night is as day. And the darkness is as light. And you see all kinds of things that were hidden before. That's how God sees. All the time. Darkness is as daylight to him.

Nothing hidden from God's sight. He not only knows our deeds, he knows our words. Every word spoken on the planet. The words whispered on the phone.

The words spoken to our friends. The words spoken to our enemies. Words when we're laughing. Words when we're mad. He hears the very words of the king of Aram that he speaks in his bedroom.

2 Kings 6. All your kind words. All your angry words. All your truthful words.

All your lying words. All your complaining words. All your thankful words. He hears them all. Jesus says, But I tell you that men will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word that they have spoken.

For by your words, you will be acquitted. And by your words, you will be condemned. Matthew 12, 36 and 37.

Awesome thing to think of the words that have passed through our mouths meeting us in the day of judgment. God heard and he will judge.

But there's something even more amazing than this. And it's what David says, before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely, O Lord.

Now there's a split second. Some of you think before you speak. There's a split second between when you're still thinking about what you're saying and it actually being formed in words.

God knows it. Before it is on my tongue, when it's still in the thought process, you know it all together. You know exactly what I'm going to say. Well, that takes us into the third region.

He knows our deeds. He knows our words. He knows our thoughts. You perceive my thoughts from afar, David says. Even thoughts that will never make it out of our mouth will never be turned into words or actions known by him as much as our actions, as much as our words, as if we said it out loud.

He hears it. He sees it. He knows it. The Lord understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. 1 Chronicles 28.9 And God says in Ezekiel 11.5, I know what is going through your mind.

Is that a scary thought? I know what is going through your mind. Think of the thousands, times tens of thousands of words and ideas that go through our minds in a day.

I know what is passing through your mind, He says to us. He judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart. Such knowledge sets him apart.

None like him. Solomon says, You alone know the hearts of all men. By the way, that means then that you don't know the hearts of all men.

So be very careful that you don't judge the motives of another. You can judge their words and their actions. But friend, you come to the heart and there's a door locked and you don't have the key in.

Only God, the searcher of hearts, knows what's inside the heart. Be very careful. When you judge the motives of another person, you attribute to yourself, deity, the prerogatives, the wisdom, the knowledge.

I know your heart. I know what you're thinking. No, no, you don't. You alone know the hearts of all men. So God knows everything about every thought of mine, every word of mine, every deed.

Now we need to take a time out for a moment and just realize that everything that we've just said about God is true of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's true every week as we're talking about the attributes of God.

Whatever is true of God, it's true of Jesus Christ because He is God, the Son. And we must not forget that. Now as to His humanity, because God, Jesus Christ is both God and man, as to His humanity, He did learn.

He went to school and He learned knowledge and He grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man, Luke tells us. But as to His deity, He never learned a thing.

He always knew everything about everything. The Lord Jesus Christ proves His deity by knowing everything.

So He's passing through Jericho and the streets are thronged with people and there's a curious little man up in a tree because He wants to see this miracle worker, Jesus of Nazareth.

And Jesus comes up to the tree and He stops and He says to the perfect stranger, Lazarus, or Zacchaeus, come down. He knows His name.

Do you know Jesus knows your name? He knows everything about you. Nathanael is approaching Jesus for the first time and Jesus says about him, Ah, here's an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile, nothing false in this man.

And Nathanael says, How did you know me? How do you know me? And Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you. You saw me miles away?

You saw me when I was under the fig tree before Philip? Rabbi, you are the Son of God because God knows everything. Jesus is God.

How many times do we find in the Gospels Jesus rebuking His listeners? not for something they do or say but for something they think.

Something they're thinking. He knows their thoughts and so He rebukes them for what they're thinking. John says He knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man for He knew what was in a man.

This Jesus knows what's in you. He knows everything about you. So there's that immoral woman by the well outside of Sychar and Jesus Christ knows every man she's ever been intimate with and so He says to her go call your husband and she says I don't have a husband.

You were right when you say you don't have a husband. You have had five husbands and the man you now have is not your husband and that you spoke the truth. And she is so flabbergasted.

She forgets her water pot for which she came to get water and she goes back into the town and she announces to everyone in the town that she came to come see a man who told me everything I ever did.

This Jesus knows everything you ever did. He knows every skeleton in every closet of your heart and yet He offers to you the living water.

He says to this poor woman you keep drinking of these wells you're going to thirst again woman but if you come to me and drink the water that I have to give you you'll never thirst. That water will be in you a well of water springing up to eternal life.

Come drink live. Jesus Christ knows the number of the stars knows every bird in the mountain knows every hair on your head knows everything in the past the present the future knows every deed you've ever done every word you've ever spoken every thought you've ever had blessed Lord Jesus man oh man so proud of the rapid increase of knowledge now that we have computers and modern technology you could put all that man knows in a thimble beside the ocean of God's omniscience we know nothing read Job he asked Job were you there do you know do you know how God poises the clouds in the sky do you know he who is perfect in knowledge well what's our response what's your response to this fact there's the doctrine God knows everything about everything what's your response to this truth about God this God how do you respond to him knowing now that he knows everything well David in Psalm 139 is considering this just how well God knows him every word even before it's on my tongue you know it wherever I go you know it you know what he says such knowledge is too wonderful for me

I cannot attain to it he just shakes his head in bewilderment in awe amazement we're like children who wade into the ocean to measure the depth of the ocean with their little body and on the first step in they oh how deep how deep and the Lord God opens up the mind that master mind of the apostle Paul he shows him just a little bit of the wisdom and knowledge of the unfolding plan of God's salvation over the years of history from creation right on through to the coming of Christ and Paul says oh how deep oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his ways his paths beyond finding out and therein is our first response to the omniscience of God oh come let us adore him for this attribute let us let us ascribe to him the glory do his name

Lord Jesus you know everything that there is to know you know all about me I worship you as the one who knows it all you're like none other you alone are God you know all things or maybe your response to this glorious being is different maybe the very thought of God knowing everything about you gets you a bit nervous and feeling uneasy do you wish it were not so you wish no eye would see you you wish there was no searcher of your heart you wish there was no God like this to remember everything you've done to judge you you wish that you could wish God out of existence such as the hatred of the human heart against God sinful humanity wishes there were no God want to see what sinful men would like in the way of a

God here he is here's this idol he has eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear doesn't know what's going on that's man's God that's the sinner's God he'll take such for himself oh he wishes there was not this God who knows everything about him maybe you're telling yourself the Lord does not see maybe you've convinced yourself that there is no such God in the heavens no such God here that sees what you're thinking now I remind you your wishing does not make it so there is such a God who's revealed himself in his word and there is a final judgment he's told us remember he knows everything future and he has said there's coming a day of judgment when everything uncovered will be brought to light you ready for that day of exposure you say I don't believe it okay so we've got two contrary ideas the God who knows everything past present and future says there's coming a day when you're going to stand before me and give account for everything you thought were or done and there's you with your puny mind that just arrived on the scene yesterday and you said I don't think it's going to happen oh my friend let the wicked man forsake his thoughts your thoughts they need to be repented of and come to God and let him teach you how to think how to live

God is omniscient you can't pull the wool over his eyes and if the judge we're going to stand before knows everything you see salvation has got to come from somewhere other than here because there's not one good deed that I've done that has not been flawed with sin and that's my good deeds therefore if I'm to be counted righteous in God's sight before the eyes of him to whom we must give account then I must have the perfect righteousness of Jesus and that's why Paul says I want to be found in him having a righteousness not of my own that comes from the law and keeping the law but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness that is from God and is by faith Jesus Christ has this righteousness he gives it to all who come to him crying for mercy all who trust in him because he's already taken that sin received its punishment in full and there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in

Christ Jesus oh come to this Christ who knows all and be standing in the day of judgment robed in his perfect righteousness child of God if if God is all knowing then you will want to remind yourself often of this fact you'll want to remember what the sinner is trying his best to forget that God knows everything about you you want to tell yourself that morning noon and night you want to tell yourself that when you're going into darkness and when you're going into secret places that the night is his day to him and he knows it he sees it you know it is possible that we believers and we who would say yes I believe God is omniscient and he knows all things it's possible for us to say that but to live as if he were blind to live as if he were ignorant to live as if he were like us and needed to learn so if you really believe that God is omniscient here's some of the ways that it will change the way that we live first of all you'll draw much comfort from it you see the very thing that the sinner draws terror from the saint draws comfort from isn't a wonderful thing to know that my God knows everything you see I've got a lot of enemies not the world out there the devil out there I've got the flesh in here and these enemies are plotting and scheming all sorts of things and my

God knows everything they're up to that's comforting so David comforts himself with the omniscience of God all my enemies are before you oh Lord psalm 69 19 wonderful thing to think that my enemies are in full view of the Lord and he not only knows them he knows me knows my frame he remembers that I'm just dust I'm not going to make it Lord unless you help me wonderful comfort you know my frame it's in the very context of our enemies that Jesus says the very hairs of your head are all numbered you see you're afraid of those who can kill the body but don't be afraid of them be afraid of him who can kill the body and after that kill the soul as well and send the soul and body into hell and then he says but you my people the very hairs of your head are all numbered and not a hair will fall from my head apart from the will of your father in heaven so it's for my comfort that he knows me that well you see sometimes in my battles and in my trials I think I've been forgotten why do you say oh Jacob why do you complain oh Israel my way is hidden from the

Lord my cause is disregarded by my God he's forgotten me that's how we feel sometimes and then this doctrine comes back we're reminding ourselves he sees he knows disciples are out there in the storm on the sea he's he's way back on the shore and he sees and he knows that the wind is against them he sees them straining at the oars he knows you're straining at the oars he knows when the wind is in your face he knows the very hairs of your head are all numbered he knows it all there's Job he's lost all his children all his wealth now his health he's perplexed he does not understand why doesn't understand where he's going he's totally confused but you know what he comforts himself with you know the way that I take you know Lord I don't have a clue where I'm going down here but you know the way that I take enough to know that Jesus knows and when you've tried me you will bring me forth as gold Peter found comfort the fact that his Lord

Jesus knew everything he's denied him three times don't know the man with cursing now they're at the sea of Galilee and Jesus is there with Peter Peter Simon son of John do you do you love me you know I love you Lord Simon son of John do you love me you know I love you Lord Simon son of John do you love me and the third time it hurt Peter that he asked him do you love me Peter where will he find comfort Lord you know all things you know that I love you even when my behavior has been such that I might doubt it the other disciples might doubt it and you yourself Lord might have cause to doubt yet you know because you're the searcher of the heart and you know that I love you

Lord wonderful comfort to the child of God so David says how precious are your thoughts of me oh God how vast is the sum of them would I count them they would outnumber the grains of sand when I wake I'm still with you you're still thinking of me you're always thinking you always know what's going on with me how precious are your thoughts about me sweet comfort in this truth for the child of God he knows everything secondly it will encourage you to pray Matthew 6 7 and 8 when you pray Jesus says do not keep on battling like pagans for they think that they will be heard because of their many words do not be like them why not for your father knows what you need before you ask him did you know that you never inform God about anything that you need in your prayers that your father knows what you need he knows everything before you ask him someone say well then why pray no that's a reason to pray isn't it that'll send me running to the throne of grace because when I come here I realize Lord you've got millions of children elsewhere who have great needs isn't it wonderful to know that my Lord does not have a mind like mine that can only listen to one of my children's requests at one time he has such understanding and knowledge that he can listen to all the millions of his children and he can listen to me as if I was the only one that he was listening to with such intimacy this is my savior so I don't have to just keep praying long prayers thinking that I've got to get his attention by my much speaking like the prophets of Baal out on Mount Carmel no I've got his attention front and center he knows all about my situation when I don't know how to put my prayer into words it's all right

Lord you know I'm here help me help me don't even know how to form the prayer you know what I need and I'm here asking you for help blessed encouragement to pray the fact that God knows all that I need even before I ask and then this truth will help you live for the right audience the Lord Jesus in Matthew 6 knows that we have this tendency to live for the eyes of men wherever wanting to go public with our private duties you see it's not enough just to pray at home in the closet we want others to know so we drop hints you know I prayed about this last night for an hour and a half and want them to be so mystified at what a godly man we are or that we're fasting oh he's a he's a godly man he fasted this week or that we gave something some people won't give unless their name's on a brick you see or in the bulletin they won't serve the Lord unless it's in the bulletin no no Jesus says be careful that you don't practice your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them well what's the cure for that living for the wrong audience living for men's eyes three times he says it over and over the cure is your father who sees what is done in secret that's the cure remember your father sees what is done in secret so when you give don't announce it to everyone don't even let your right hand know what your left hand is doing and your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you and when you pray don't go out and show off and let everybody see how much you're praying no you're you've got public prayers yes but your private prayer it needs to be private close the closet door get in there and pray to your father in secret and your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you and when you fast don't just just color your face and make it look like you're fasting but just freshen up in the morning go about your day he who sees in secret sees it knows it and that's enough you see that's enough to know that he knows oh how many deeds are you doing deeds of service that nobody else knows about what's going to keep you from wanting to go public with your private deeds of righteousness it's the remembrance that he sees he does not forget he rewards what he sees so how does Jesus encourage the churches who are undergoing such temptation in revelation 2 and 3 I know your deeds he says I know your deeds your hard work your perseverance I know your trials your afflictions I know your poverty I know where you live I know that you're remaining true I know your love and faith I know your service and perseverance these things that are often gone unnoticed by the world I have noticed them I know I know that should be enough should be all we need the Lord Jesus sees he will reward he will take care of it tremendous encouragement to live for the right audience my father who sees what is done in secret and then fourthly we should find the omniscience of God a powerful restraint against sin you know the wicked are emboldened to sin by convincing themselves the Lord does not see me Ezekiel 9 9 we saw it in

Psalm 73 a couple weeks ago in Sunday school the wicked say how can God know does the all does the most high have knowledge and as long as they think that God doesn't know they're emboldened in their sin well you see the contrary is true as the child of God reminds himself that God sees then he is given a restraint and a help against sin here's Job he's one of the most righteous men on the face of the earth in his day well Job how are you how are you able to maintain holiness in the midst of a wicked world he tells us in Job 31 4 this is what's going through Job's head does he not see my ways and count all my steps that's it righteous Job knows that he doesn't take a step but that God sees and counts it he knows it so what kind of things did that keep righteous Job from well you read Job 31 it kept him not only from out and out adultery but it kept him from looking lustfully on another woman it kept him from lies and deceits because he's looking it kept him from treating others unjustly it kept him from neglecting widows and fatherless from being stingy with his food and clothing does he not see my ways and count all my steps what will I do when God confronts me what will I answer when I'm called to account I know that he sees me and he's going to call me to account for what he sees tremendous help for Job when temptation to sin came knocking surely the cure for all hypocrisy all wearing of masks all trying to make people know or think that we are something that we're not because we remember that he sees right through the mask well what's the use of putting it on then all use of cover-ups no reason to have any cover-ups he he uncovers what's hidden it's the cure for all such temptations to remember that he knows everything he sees through every cover-up attempt Adam couldn't find enough fig leaves to cover up from God Cain couldn't dig a grave deep enough to cover up able and if we really believe his omniscience we should drop all cover-ups and hypocrisy the wise man in Proverbs 5 20 and 21 said why why be captivated my son by an adulteress why embrace the bosom of another man's wife for a man's ways are in full view of the Lord and he examines all our paths you might pursue such an alliance out of sight from all others but a man's ways are in full view noonday son wherever you go keeps us how many temptations of the devil are disarmed by this doctrine if it's something that is alive in our memories blunt the devil's sharp arrows on this attribute he knows he sees David founded a powerful motivation to obedience the 119th Psalm 168 I obey your precepts because all my ways are known to you and all disobedience is practical unbelief of God's omniscience we're saying by our living I don't think he saw that one oh no I obey your precepts for all my ways are known to you then how I need to remind myself often that he knows all and he sees all and lastly if I believe this then I will say to him search me oh God and know my

heart and show me show me what you see you see the true believer is in a lifelong battle against sin he hates it he wants to be rid of it it's the cause of his greatest grief it dishonors his savior it's a disgusting response to his love and so he's looking for help against his sin and he knows that his own heart is so proud and deceitful that he doesn't even recognize the half of his own sin so he comes to the Bible and he finds out there is a God who knows me through and through you know the response of the man who really believes that who is in Christ oh searcher of heart search me oh God search me know my heart try me test me see if there be any offensive way in me anything offensive to your pure holiness Lord uncover it and show it to me because I want to be rid of it I want to confess I want to be done with it I want you to leave me in the way that leads to life show me all these deceitful paths that are pulling me aside where I'm believing a lie where I'm full of unbelief and pride Lord show it to me that I might be rid of it such an open posture before the one whose eyes are described in revelation as blazing fire is only possible for one who is in Christ who is stupid enough to come before this God who sees on search me oh God unless unless they know that God's love for them is not in jeopardy not in jeopardy that's the privilege of every believer here we know God's love for us is not in jeopardy we're in Christ we can come in Christ and say search me oh God show me what you see because we know what to do with our sin we have a savior for our sin and if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so we're set free we can afford to to come with honest open heart and say search me oh God and then when he shows us what he sees that nasty ugly pride that that self-centeredness that lust that greed we don't come and excuse it well you know it wasn't that bad no he knows everything about it so we drop all excuses and rationalization we just lord you're right that was dirty lust that was dirty pride you know my corrupt heart you know just how foul it is forgive me we're free to be open that honest that sincere with God because we know his love is not jeopardized toward us you know how we know that because God knows all things and before

I was saved he knew everything about me there was my life and he saw it saw everything that has ever happened in my life what's going on now and what will happen in the future he saw my every sin saw every ugly fall he saw it all and in spite of that he chose to set his love on me I'm going to love that John I'm going to exalt my mercy in him I'm going to show just how gracious I am to sinners in that one he knew it all and yet he loved me you see the wonderful assurance that that gives me as I see my sin and he shows me my sin I come and I confess I'm not surprising him he's already known that and he knew it before he set his love on me he knew it before he chose to save me he knew it before he sent his son to die for my sins he knew it before he sent his spirit to quicken me to newness of life he's not going to change his mind now no he loved me because he loved me blessed assurance

Jesus is mine this Jesus who knows me through and through will that all-knowing love not lead us to open confession and repentance because in Christ I can afford to say search me oh God and know my heart let's pray oh knowing God we we're here standing before you and we're conscious again this morning that you see right past our clothing our skin and you see our thoughts and hearts you see the record of our sins and oh we could never come before you with confidence apart from the Lord Jesus and the blood that he shed for sin we we thank you for him Lord Jesus we love you we thank you for freeing us from our fear of God that would send us running forever from him thank you for the confidence it gives us to come to the throne of grace and here to seek forgiveness and to know that when we come that for Jesus sake you forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness

Lord we we're conscious of these things now we've just read it in your word your spirit has brought it to our hearts but we're afraid that as we walk out the door we'll lose something of a sense of your your knowledge of us so please help us not to forget these things tomorrow the day after Lord make us to see that you are ever at our right hand ever witnessing all that we say and do and think so sanctify us and so give us to live openly with you freely confess all that we are all that we need we thank you that you're ready to receive us for Jesus sake what merit in his blood what perfections and beauty in his life and his obedience that for his sake you would forgive us all of our sins and love us eternally we come in Jesus name then amen