Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. We often hear about how God knows our every need. How he rewards those who give or do him service without taking glory for it. We often tend to stop there, never fully contemplating the other side to our Lord's omnicience. He knows when we disobey him, too.
If you are careful, you can hide your sins from the world. After all, there is no fool proof survailance system, no unsleeping monitor that can constantly know what you're up to. At some point in your life you will be away from anyone who knows you. That is the true test of your faith. It is quite easy to just go with the crowd, I mean everyone wants to be liked. This was happening with the Galatians, who were at the time about a half Roman half Celtic culture, as soon as Paul left they started back into their old habits.Galatians 4:7 -11 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
It's easy to condemn the Galatians seems as how they are dead, gone, and half a world away even if they weren't dead and gone. Think about it though, their freinds, family, every one they knew were pagans who were polytheistic(believed in serving many gods) since birth. "You coming to the Saturnalia feast tonight, Brenus?" "Well, I can't because I serve the one God now, and Paul says that I'm not allowed to." How many of us would be able to resist the temptation to fit in, based only on our faith and the word of a middle-aged Jew(Remember they didn't have the whole Bible back then.) I say this not to excuse them, but I dare say many of us would be in that group if we were there. We need to remember that God is always watching us even if no one else cares what we do.
Even if no one knows what we do wrong, God always does. This next example is a little closer to home.Malachai 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Many years ago, back when I was an uncivilized single guy, I quit titheing. I wasn't married to an accountant then, so I had not been educated on the "evils of cash". As a result, I knew that if I quit titheing no one would notice. I justified my actions because of my financial situation at the time. After about a month, there was a meeting called at church. I found out that we were had to cut funding to our missionaries in nearly the exact dollar amount of my missing tithes. I realized that my financial woes were a test, one that I failed miserably. Even though no one else knew, God did. Missionaries went without, because I didn't want to live off bologna and cereal for a few weeks.
Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. Whether good or evil the Lord sees all that we do. We should never forget that fact. I don't often quote men, but I think it's fitting here. "Character is fully being able to get away with doing the wrong thing, but doing the right thing instead." Only we never fully get away with doing the wrong thing.
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