Judgment Day will strip off all pretenses; and all false hopes will vanish into oblivion. But such is the power of sin, that we sinners will hold out as long as we can—hoping that we can appease God in some way other than the blood righteousness of Christ being applied to our desperate and hopelessly-lost souls.

Even before the sad “Scandalizers” story affecting our beloved PCA denomination broke, I had hoped to write something about “unmasking” with regard to all of us fallen humans, but especially with regard to all those who claim the Name of Christ.

Right up front, I do believe that it is one of the tasks of all truly-called (by Christ) church ministers of the gospel, to faithfully, diligently, and as comprehensively as possible “unmask” every deceit and disguise, put in place to avoid having to subscribe to the sole righteousness of Christ via regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

But the first and most important person that an “unmasker” must work on, is himself.  And this project can never end, in this life.  As a matter of fact, an “unmasker” can never proceed further with regard to any other person, doctrine, or dynamic, until or unless he has first addressed his own heart as thoroughly and honestly as he possibly can.  I believe that many “unmaskers” do their “unmasking,” to protect and sustain their own “masks.”  But, by saying that, I am making no actual accusations about any specific individual human beings whatsoever.  A statement like that is made simply because of our knowledge of fallen human nature as the Scripture defines it; and as a result of our own experience with it (our fallen human nature).

The truth is, that ever since the Fall of Adam in the Garden, all of us who are of his progeny, (and this includes everybody except Jesus), immediately, upon conception, throw a “mask” over our faces, so that we can appear to be something other than what we actually are.  We do this because we are afraid—and understandably so.  We are petrified of the Holy God most of all; but we are also terrified of ourselves and of other sinners.

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