Secret: Nothing is Hidden from God

A secret is something hidden or confidential — yet before God, nothing remains concealed, for He sees the heart and knows our innermost thoughts.

Nothing is Hidden from God

We cannot keep any secrets from God; He knows our innermost thoughts, and there is nothing that will not be revealed, for everything is ‘naked and exposed’ before Him (Ps 90:8, 94:11; Mt 12:25; Heb 4:13). All we do will be brought into the open, with everyone’s work made plain and even the motives of our hearts laid bare (Mk 4:22; Lk 12:2-3; 1 Cor 3:13, 4:5). The Lord declares, “Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” (Jer 23:24).

We can’t hide anything from God – so don’t try

Confession and the Freedom of Openness

Normally we try to keep secret what we feel ashamed or guilty about, hiding the evidence from others, especially those who will hold us accountable. Jesus said, “People love darkness instead of light because their deeds are evil” (Jn 3:19), yet if we admit our sins we can be cleansed and forgiven (1 Jn 1:9). James urged his readers to confess their sins to one another and so be liberated from them (Jas 5:16). Close fellowship with God and with other people suffers when issues are not dealt with but kept concealed (Ps 31:10, 32:3-5).

Am I concealing what confession would set free?

Secret sins — those habits and thoughts we keep hidden from others — may escape human eyes, but they never escape God’s. Sin thrives in the dark, and what is concealed quietly hardens the conscience and dulls our sensitivity to the Spirit. Yet the path to freedom is the same whether the sin is public or private: bring it into the light through honest confession to God, and, where wise, to a trusted believer who can pray with us and hold us accountable (Ps 32:5; Prov 28:13). What is kept in the secret places binds us; what is confessed in the light loses its grip.

When to Keep Quiet and When to Speak

Jesus sometimes acted so He wouldn’t draw attention to Himself and jeopardise His ongoing ministry, urging those He had healed to keep quiet and let the facts speak for themselves (Mt 9:30; Mk 5:43; Jn 7:1-11). Nehemiah kept his plans for rebuilding the walls a secret until he had worked out a strategy, then presented his plans passionately to the people, who readily accepted and commenced the task (Neh 2:11-20). A trustworthy person keeps a confidence (Prov 11:13).

Thank God you are not forced to be a secret believer

In Jesus’ time there were many secret believers who, because of peer pressure or fear, did not openly acknowledge they were His followers (Jn 12:42-43, 19:38). Yet He said that if we confess Him before men, He will acknowledge us before God, while if we deny Him before men, He will deny us before God (Mt 10:32-33). Today, where there is real persecution, believers should be wise and sensitive to the Holy Spirit as to with whom and how they share their faith, and we should pray for secret believers who lack the mutual support of meeting with fellow Christians (Heb 10:25).

Our praying, giving, and fasting should not be publicised, for that earns an earthly reward rather than a heavenly one (Mt 6:1-6,16-18). Even so, we are to actively and openly declare the salvation of God and do good works for His glory (Isa 61:1; Mt 5:16; Mk 16:15; Lk 4:43; Act 4:20). Thus the testimony we share should exalt Jesus, not us.

Reflection and Application:

Am I trying to hide anything from the One who sees every heart?
What might confession and openness set free in my life?
Can I be trusted to keep a confidence shared in confidence?
Does my witness exalt Jesus rather than draw attention to myself?