The Mighty Fig Leaf

Genesis 3 talks about the plight of man when Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation and chose to disobey God.  "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... and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden." (Genesis 3:7-8)


Let me ask you something.  When you recognize your sin, what do you do?  How do you feel?  If you're like me, you probably feel ashamed.  You want to run from the Lord and hide.  You are fearful of Him, because your eyes have been opened to just how unlike Him you really are.  You feel naked.  Exposed.  You feel unworthy of His presence.  The conviction you feel is totally normal!  It is the Holy Spirit inside of you that helps you to recognize when you're in the wrong.  But the issue lies in the fact that we take this conviction, and we try to keep it to ourselves.  We hide, and we try to cover up our messes with the fig leaves of this world.

Now let me tell you something.  The fig leaves you try to cover yourself with so you won't feel so naked and ashamed are going to disintegrate one day.  The things you try to do to make up for your sin are only going to ease the guilt for so long.  One day, when the winds of this life blow your way, the temporary fig leaves you created for yourself will fall away, and the guilt and shame are just going to reappear.

Can I tell you some good news?  There is a kind of fig leaf that takes your shame away forever.  It's called the grace of Jesus.  This kind of fig leaf is better than your fig leaf could ever be.  It's permanent.  It's solid. It presents you as holy and blameless before the Lord.  And the best part?  You don't have to make it yourself.  Grace covers every sin- past, present, and future.  This Mighty Fig Leaf is yours for the taking-- freely given.  The fig leaves you try to cover yourself with will always leave you defeated.  Can I get an Amen?  Take a look back at your life so far.  What has covering yourself up ever done for you?  Nothing.  But the Mighty Fig Leaf will always keep you victorious.  Jesus claimed victory over Satan when He defeated death, once and for all.  When you allow the Mighty Fig Leaf to cover you instead, the shame will be gone, and you will rest in the victory that Jesus claimed for you.

Just like Adam and Eve needed to hide in the trees (Genesis 3:8), we need to hide in the ultimate tree of the world-- the cross of Christ.  1 Peter 2:24 says, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounding you have been healed."  Jesus carried the weight of our sin so we wouldn't have to.  Can you imagine having to carry even one day's worth of your own sins?  He carries ALL of humanity's sin- past present and future.  Jesus loves us way too much to allow us to carry that weight.  Isn't that amazing?!  He LOVES us that much!

Jesus, thank you for loving me.  Thank you for carrying the weight of my sin for me so I wouldn't have to.  I am sorry for turning against you, God.  Please help me to turn towards you instead of away from you.  Help me pursue your mercy, just like you pursue a relationship with me every day.  Thank you for always being with me and for always understanding what I'm going through.  Jesus, you faced every temptation, but you resisted.  Please help me to be more like you, to resist attacks from the enemy-- speaking your truths and laughing at his attempts.  But no matter what I do, I know that I am covered by your blood.  I am victorious in your name alone.  Nothing in this world can cover me like your grace, Jesus.