Naked And Unashamed

What Real Transparency With God Looks Like

Let’s start with Genesis 2:25:

“And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”

The Hebrew reads something like this:

• ‘arummim hem — “They were naked” (plural, emphasizing both man and woman),

• v’lo yitrappu — “and not ashamed” or “they were not brought to shame.”

‘Arummim is interesting—it's the root for “naked,” but also closely linked to arum, meaning “shrewd” or “crafty.” So, before the Fall, their nakedness wasn’t a mark of vulnerability or exposure to danger but a state of innocent wisdom, an openness without fear.

To be “naked and not ashamed” is like saying, “I am fully seen and fully accepted.” No shame because no guilt, no cover-up, no hidden agendas.

Now, after eating from the ‘ets ha-da’at tov v’ra (tree of knowledge of good and evil), the very next verse says they realize their nakedness and try to hide it:

“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew they were naked...”

Here, “knew” is yada, the deep, intimate knowledge—so their awareness isn’t just physical but spiritual and emotional. They knew shame for the first time.

Now, flip over to the New Testament Greek lens:

Paul talks about transparency with God in 2 Corinthians 3:18:

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory...”

The phrase “with unveiled faces” is akatakalyptoi prosōpō — literally, “without veil faces.”

That’s the contrast to the veil Moses wore after seeing God’s glory, which symbolized a barrier between the holy and the human. Paul says real transformation happens when we remove the veil, when we stand before God naked in spirit, fully vulnerable and unashamed.

What does this mean for real transparency with God?

It’s the ability to come as we are—flaws, fears, wounds, doubts—without trying to put on a holy mask or a fig leaf. It’s the courage to say, “God, You see me, every scar and every secret, and I’m not hiding.”

Here’s the funny thing—scientifically, being authentic and vulnerable reduces stress and improves mental health. The Bible and neuroscience walk hand in hand here. Shame drives us underground, cuts us off from connection; transparency opens us up, even if it’s scary.

God’s invitation to nakedness is actually an invitation to freedom: freedom from hiding, from pretending, from carrying the heavy burden of “I must look perfect.”

So, to be naked and unashamed before God is:

• To stand in ’arum—innocent, wise, and fully seen.

• To remove the katakalyptos veil, embracing full transparency.

• To live out yada knowledge—deep intimacy with God that sees beyond shame.

• To be transformed by the Spirit, reflecting God’s glory not by hiding flaws but by walking through them openly.

We often want to be clothed in self-righteousness or religious performance, but God says, “Come as you are, naked, and I’m not ashamed of you.”

How’s that for radical grace?