“Shall not God search this out? for He knoweth the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:21).
Secrets are held by both God and man. God has secret things that belong only to Him. “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us” (Deuteronomy 29:29). Man can hold secrets from other men, but never from God. “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:24). Note the following secret things:
- The sinful secrets of the unsaved will be made manifest by the light: “It is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light” (Ephesians 5:11–13). All secret things will one day be judged by Christ, “in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16). “Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance” (Psalm 90:8).
- The sinful secrets of the saved need immediate cleansing: “Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins” (Psalm 19:12,13). Trying to hide sin from God is futile! Confess and forsake it!
- The saved enjoy special secret places with God.These are for our daily protection: “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues” (Psalm 31:20). “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me” (Psalm 27:5). “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the almighty” (Psalm 91:1).
- The saved are in God’s secret service: “That thine alms may be in secret . . . Pray to thy Father which is in secret; . . . Appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret” (Matthew 6:4,6,18). NPS
