What Are You Hiding?
Sabbath afternoon
09/13/2025
John 3: 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone that does evil hates light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds will be reproved.
21 But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Many years ago when I was just a kid in elementary school, I got involved in a situation that got me into trouble. Back in those days, when the schools would have recess, they would serve milk and biscuits to the students.
At different times certain children were selected to serve and when they did, they were given full access to the items on the menu, and it was their sole duty to distribute the snacks, as the students waited in line.
On this particular day, my friend and I were selected to serve, but sadly, we decided that we would help ourselves to some of the items. We did, but some way somehow, the principal at the time found out, and we were summoned to his office to answer for our sins.
This took place in Trinidad, in the Caribbean, so we knew what the result would inevitably be, therefore we hatched a plan to deflect some of the pain that would be coming our way.
We then decided to tuck a copybook neatly into our pants at the rear, where we expected the full impact of the disciplinary action was sure to take place. The copy books were well hidden, and as we went into the principal’s office, it was with part apprehension and part assurance.
And so said so done, the principal pointed out our sins and then he gave us our due. Our plan worked flawlessly, but throughout the procedure, the poor principal looked really puzzled, for he just could not figure out why we were not crying at all.
Finally, after we were released from the operating table as it were, we went on our merry way, but we made a fatal mistake by rejoicing too soon, for we didn’t realize that the principal was looking through his window and saw us giving each other a high five as it were.
He then called us back to his office and he asked us what we were hiding. We became uneasy, sweating profusely, and with dismayed looks on our faces, he opened up our pants, and there he found the shock absorbers that had taken the brunt of his discipline.
He then proceeded to give us a double portion as it were because we tried to hide the plot but this time there was serious weeping, and gnashing of teeth, because our strategy having now being exposed and backfired, we were made to feel the full force of his disciplinary actions.
So, the question is: What are you hiding? In the first passage Christ tells us plainly why persons endeavor to cover up certain secrets, hide their deeds, or why some try to divert attention away from the truth.
Then, Jesus says, if we are dealing in truth, and have nothing to hide we would be glad to have our deeds and the facts surrounding our cases exposed, for it would then be a source of vindication, and not of condemnation, as the case may be.
A person who is innocent of an alleged wrong would not be afraid of cross examination because the truth is the truth, and it has a way of vindicating itself in a way that appeals to the observer.
On the other hand, when a person has some wrong to hide they often get nervous, agitated, uneasy and angry when the truth, and facts relating to the case in particular are coming due to be exposed.
Now, it is true that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and yes, there would be some cases where there are skeletons in your closet, sins in our past life that persons prefer to keep secret.
God makes allowance for this, for Jesus is not in the business of embarrassing His saints into confession. Yet, He desires that as we grow in grace, reflecting His character, that the doings of bygone years be a thing of the past.
And even more so, because we are now at a critical juncture in the history of the world, where there is a profusion of coverups, and miscarriages of justice, it is now more important than ever before that folks come clean as it were, living in the light of day.
Now, it is an indisputable fact that public servants who are vying for the public trust may try to dig up dirt on each other, and yes, there is something that is called opposition research, by which deeds done by one person in the past will be employed in mud- slinging.
No one is perfect before God, for we have all made our share of mistakes, however, in cases where we may have issues that we prefer to keep secret, folks should confess to God and to our fellow man where it is warranted before we are shamed into doing so.
Coming clean does not necessarily mean exposing all your gory details on Jerry Springer or Judge Judy. It means that we go to God first and confess our sins and where there is a decision, and good efforts to turn away from sin, the blood of Jesus will cover our wrongs, for He has the legal authority to do so. Let’s read:
Psalms 103: 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
3 Who forgives all thine iniquities; who heals all thy diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
That being said, the Scriptural requirements should be diligently followed, for we are to go to The Lord in prayer, acknowledging the wrongs where wrongs have been done, and we are to turn away from evil, so that when God wipes our slate clean, there will be nothing to hide.
The blood of Jesus is not employed in covering up unconfessed sins which we know of, but His grace is accorded to all who will come clean, by not trying to hide sin, excuse sin, or blame others for wrongs we have done.
When Daniel was wrongfully accused by his fellows, he did not become desperate when they launched a series of investigations into his conduct, because the truth would be revealed as they probed his doings.
Throughout their inquiries Daniel remains calm and composed, for he had nothing to hide and therefore when their investigation would come to a close, the findings would vindicate Daniel.
The exoneration of Daniel would lift him even higher than before the investigation took place because his innocence would be certified, and the skeptics who were previously sitting on the fence would be led to trust him even more. Let’s read:
Daniel 6: 4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also, before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
Judas, on the other hand, who had something evil to hide, seemed to be nervous and disquieted when his deeds were just about to be made known. In the upper room, where Christ was having the ordinance of humility with His disciples, it was made known to them that one of them would betray Him.
It's important to note that Jesus does not name any of them in particular, all He says is that one of them will betray Him. That could mean anyone, and thus, if you were one of Jesus’ disciples, and as far as you know your conscience is clear, then you would not have any problem with being exposed.
Therefore, what happens next gives us deep insight into how conscious guilt affects the wrong doer, for every one of them, with the exception of Judas, ask the question: “Lord, is it I” and Jesus clears each name.
Now, the last and the only man remaining is Judas, and therefore, if he were to remain silent, all eyes would now be fastened on him. Therefore, he forces the question from his unwilling lips, dripping with sweat, as he awaits the answer that will single him out as the traitor.
It did not have to come to this, for he could have confessed his sin up front, avoiding the drama, and the embarrassment of being thus exposed. But, like Achan who had something to hide in Joshua’s day, Judas waits until all roads lead to him, and then he has no choice but to confess. Let’s read:
Matthew 26: 21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
23 And he answered and said, he that dips his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
24 The Son of man goes, as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
[The Desire of Ages pp 654] They began to search their own hearts to see if one thought against their Master were harbored there. With the most painful emotion, one after another inquired, “Lord, is it I?” But Judas sat silent.
John in deep distress at last inquired, “Lord, who is it?” And Jesus answered, “He that dips his hand with Me in the dish, the same shall betray Me. The disciples had searched one another’s faces closely as they asked, “Lord, is it I?”
And now the silence of Judas drew all eyes to him. But now, to escape the scrutiny of the disciples, he asked as they had done, “Master, is it I?” Jesus solemnly replied, “Thou hast said.” In surprise and confusion at the exposure of his purpose, Judas rose hastily to leave the room.
Again, basically the same thing took place when the leaders in Christ’s day tried to cover up the truth on the resurrection. If when the soldiers had related to them the truth of what had happened, if they chose to turn to God with confession and repentance, the story could have had a happy ending.
But they made the deliberate decision to hide the truth, and thus they endeavored to sweep it under the rug without coming clean to both God and man.
Like Judas, who waited until his sins were exposed, they too waited and waited until the news broke on CNN that Jesus was indeed risen from the dead and was being seen and heard by hundreds of people.
The story was being run as the headlines with every news cycle, and drip by drip, the undeniable facts in the case were seeping into the public square, but still they denied and denied. That is what happens when you have something to hide. Let’s read:
Matthew 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men.
10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers.
They were assembled urgently because they would have to do one out of two things:
[1] They could admit it. They could leave the truth intact, just as the soldiers had related the facts.
However, if they were to go with the raw facts in the matter, they would implicate themselves in a crime that would rock the nation to its core, because they would incur the guilt of having killed The Son of God for no reason.
They would now have to face the music and confess to the nation that they were wrong, and as a result, they could face the death penalty, according to the law of God.
This then would have serious ripple effects right up the chain of command because it would implicate Pilate who gave the final order to slay Christ, and if this were to come to the officials at Rome, he could then be deposed from his high office.
Another satellite problem would also surface with their practice of pardoning a convicted felon for no valid reason. Therefore, rather than fess up, and go to God for pardon, they determine to hide the facts in the case through coverup bribes and hush money.
They also offered immunity to those who had been witnesses of the facts in the case just in case it came to court for redress. If it sounds familiar it’s because there is nothing new under the sun.
The next option on the table can potentially stymie any concerns and investigations into the facts, but this would spawn a host of conspiracy theories and never-ending questions, that the authorities would have to dodge or explain, much to their chagrin.
[2] They could try to cover it up. They could decide to sweep the evidence under the rug by going the route of falsehood and denial.
Matthew 28:13 Say His disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept.
14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and secure you.
15 So they took the money and did as they were taught and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
Whenever any person tries to hide unconfessed sin, it will just be a matter of time before the truth seeps out into the public square.
Wrongs can only be covered up for so long, but sooner or later, either in the courts on earth or the courts above, the matter will be disclosed. This is a most sobering guarantee that folks can take to the bank and cash. Let’s read:
[Early Writings pp 184] Those who came forth after the resurrection of Jesus appeared to many, telling them that the sacrifice for man was completed, that Jesus, whom the Jews crucified, had risen from the dead; and in proof of their words they declared, “We be risen with Him.”
Now, let us consider this statement for a moment, because some of these folks who were dead were people whom the living knew. Some may have been neighbors, relatives or friends of the living and thus, if dead people start appearing all over the place you will have to draw some sort of conclusion.
It's either a sequel to the movie “Dawn of the Dead” or indeed, what the soldiers originally reported is true. Thus, try as they might to squish the truth in the matter, it just kept popping up in the public view until the guilty parties had run out of all options and lies. Let’s read:
[Early Writings pp 184] Notwithstanding the lying reports circulated, the resurrection of Christ could not be concealed by Satan, his angels, or the chief priests; for this holy company, brought forth from their graves, spread the wonderful, joyful news.
Also, Jesus showed Himself to His sorrowing, heart-broken disciples, dispelling their fears and causing them joy and gladness. As the news spread from city to city and from town to town, the Jews in their turn feared for their lives and concealed the hatred which they cherished toward the disciples.
These experiences which took place in bygone years have very serious implications and lessons for those who are living in the 21st century. It is always better to come clean with God, and with our fellowmen, in situations where sin or crimes have been committed to others.
In fact, the Christian is to live as if in the sight of God so that all our doings would be in broad daylight, so that if for any reason, enemies and frenemies try to dig up dirt on you as they did with Daniel, you won’t panic because of the investigation, because you will have nothing to hide.
As was stated before, Christ is not in the business of exposing the private sins of anyone, but if they are left unconfessed and unforsaken, they would bubble up to the surface sooner or later, because this is the guarantee given in the Scriptures. Let’s read:
Numbers 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.
The Lord does not desire us to be scared of probes, and inquiry, and furthermore, being afraid is not a good motivation for folks to do right, just because they are panicked about being found out.
The right thing should be done because it’s the right thing, and because the Christian serves, and loves God intelligently aspiring by His grace to have Jesus’ character developed and matured in our hearts by the power of The Holy Spirit. This work is something the Christian willingly chooses to have done.
The fear of The Lord is not about running scared or trying to hide things that ought to be confessed. It is about living in sincerity and truth, appropriating the words and laws of God in practical ways so that folks might develop a keen sense of right and wrong, and choose good over evil.
This is what is meant by living as if in the presence of God, and when this route is taken, the judgment in heaven will not scare us, for we chose to walk in the light, even as He is in the light, and in so doing there will be nothing to hide. Let’s read:
[The Great Controversy pp 88] As the books of record are opened in the Judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God.
When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God’s remembrance.
All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of Heaven.
As they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life.
Whatsoever we do, whether at church, at work or in our interaction with other persons, we must do it as if in the light of day, and it must be able to pass the smell test of The Almighty God.
The reason for this is that God desires us to mature to the point where persons can be subjected to the closest scrutiny, and yet, come out clean. In this way not only God, but we ourselves may be vindicated.
The Lord has promised to cast all our sins into the depths of the sea, and He will, if we come clean by confessing and forsaking our sins. But to wait until we are exposed, like Achan and Judas will cause the name of Christ to be greatly dishonored.
In closing, let us always remember that the work of salvation is to have Christ formed within. This does not happen overnight, it is a work in progress, but it should be our firm purpose to cooperate with the heavenly agencies through our freedom of choice so that the work of God may be perfected in us.
We therefore end with a gentle reminder that God sees and knows it all. Let’s read:
Hebrews 4: 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
God Bless!