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If you type in those words on the internet, the first image you will see is one of the late gangster rapper Tupac Shakur. He had a popular song by this title in the 1990’s at the height of his popularity. Tupac’s life is one of many stories of the tragedy produced by the godless ways perpetuated in our culture. This is not intended to speak ill of the dead, but the lifestyle promoted by Tupac and similar “artists” is one which will always end in tragedy. That is not to say that everyone who lives this way will be gunned down by a rival, but those who continue in such ways will face the wrath of God, even if they live out their days on this earth in luxury and pleasure.
Tupac was correct in his assessment that only God can judge him. However, the way in which Tupac meant this statement was that no person had a right to call his actions into question. This is the sentiment conveyed by the masses of people today who decry the exposure of their moral and ethical wrongs as the chief of sins. It is the irony of ironies when one states that a person is wrong forever telling a person he or she is wrong. It is true that neither I nor any other man will sit in that judgment seat on the day of judgment. It is true that God alone will deliver the final verdict for every man and woman who ever lived. What those who gleefully parrot Tupac’s statement fail to realize is God has an objective standard by which we all may know what to expect on that day. Jesus said, “And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him— the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day (Jn. 12:47-48). This is true to every single person who ever lived on this earth “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). Furthermore, God will not show partiality to anyone (Acts 10:35). You may ask what my point is. While it is true that neither I nor any other person will decide an individual’s final destiny, God has made it possible for us to objectively determine right from wrong. In John 7:24, Jesus said, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” This passage clearly demonstrates that we all may know right from wrong. It is a good thing too because He has charged us to “…have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph. 5:11). After reminding the Corinthians of the impending judgment of God, Paul told them his goal was “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men… and again “we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:11, 20). As the Hebrews writer said, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:26-31). Saying “only God can judge me” may shut my opponents up, but this terse, pithy statement will be of no help whatsoever when I like every other knee bows at the feet of Christ. This is a common question people ask today when contemplating the work and worship of the church. It should come as no surprise for people to ask this question as we live in a largely egocentric culture where it is all about me. This was not always the case, but over time our sense of community has fallen by the wayside. Neighbors rarely know one another anymore, and those who do often share a mere superficial connection. This is not universally true, but it is quite common. With these facts before us, it is little wonder people would view their connection to Christ and His church in much the same way. As always, the cultural trends tend to seep into the church, and the work and worship of the church suffers. So, why should I not ask what is in it for me with regard to the assemblies and other activities of the church? Because it misses the point entirely.
First, worship and service are all about God. The word worship means “to kiss the hand towards one in token of reverence” (Thayer), and “to adore, fall or prostrate before” (Zodhiates). Worship is God-centered, not man-centered (cf. Jn. 4:24). It is difficult to bow before another as it is a clear sign of submission and subservience. However, a proper understanding of what God has done for us in Christ should remove such pride. As Paul said, when we were living in trespasses and sins, we were “…children of wrath, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…” (Eph. 2:3-5). This He did at the cost of sacrificing His Son (Jn. 3:16; Heb. 9:11-15; 1 Pt. 1:17-19). Jesus granted us the privilege of coming near to God (Heb. 4:14-16; 7:19; 10; 19-22). For this cause, opportunities to worship and serve Him are an honor, not a burden. A second reason is the reality that Christianity is a “one another” religion. So many passages emphasize our deep connection to one another. Consider a few samplings of these passages urging us to care for the needs of others and not just our own wants and wishes. As Christians we are to: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another…” (Rom. 12:10), “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4), and “Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed” (Heb. 12:12-13). I have heard Christians say of the strength provided in the extra services of the church that they have no need of such things, so they do not see a need to come. However, a closer look at the function of all the meetings of the church shows the fallacy of such a thought. The Hebrews writer urged his readers not to forsake the assemblies of the church (Heb. 10:25). What we often fail to emphasize is that, in addition to the God focused aim of worship, we are to “…consider one another in order to stir up love and good works” (Heb. 10:24). Just because I may feel strong enough to not need to be gathered with my brethren, that does not relieve me of my responsibility to stir up the one who needs me. What’s in it for you? The privilege of pleasing God and securing salvation for both yourself and your brothers and sisters in Christ. Every person on earth has things he/she wishes could be forgotten. We have all made embarrassing mistakes and done wrong things about which we have no desire to be reminded. Most of the time, we are granted our desire to leave those things buried in the past, but on occasion, someone familiar with the situation will dig up old bones and remind us of our past failures. If you have ever experienced such, you are keenly aware of the pain and embarrassment this may bring. Sometimes, we bear the stripes of our past indiscretions to the grave. What would we give to have a genuinely blank canvas, a clean slate?
The good news Jesus brought to this sin sick world is just that, an opportunity to completely clear the record. This opportunity did not exist under the Old Covenant, as each year in the sacrifices made on the day of atonement, there was a reminder of sin (Heb. 10:3). Those sacrifices could not ultimately remove the guilt of sin from the worshipper (Heb. 10:4, 11). There was forgiveness in the Old Covenant (Lev. 4:27-35; esp. 31, 35), but the actual removal of their guilt was not exacted by the blood of the animals sacrificed (Heb. 10:4), but by the blood of Jesus Christ. Galatians 4:4 says “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law…” Furthermore, in Hebrews 9:15 the author says explicitly that “…He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant…” These passages prove the forgiveness granted under the Old Covenant was based on the sacrifice of “…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8). Flowing from this truth is the joy we have in knowing, unlike the constant reminder they had in their repetitious animal sacrifices, He does not remember our sins and lawless deeds anymore (Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:12; 10:18). This knowledge should have a profound impact on our Christian lives. The discouragement that comes from being constantly reminded of yesterday’s folly is removed. We are empowered and emboldened to serve the Lord with a clear conscience (Heb. 7:18-19; 9:9-14). Because we know He does not dwell on our past, we are able to approach Him to obtain the strength He alone can supply (Heb. 4:14-16; 7:19; 10:19-23). To obtain this confidence, we must continually come to Him in just the way He prescribes. This is the biblical meaning of faith. The author clearly states it is only those who possess an obedient faith who have the assurance of this salvation (Heb. 5:9). This means when we read the statement “…unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Lk. 13:5), or “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…” (Acts 3:19), we faithfully turn from our sins. Likewise, when we read the statement “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 10:32), we faithfully own His magnificent name in the presence of all. And again, when we read the statement “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38), or “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16), we faithfully stop waiting, arise and submit to this simple act of faith. Finally, when we read the statement “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (Heb. 3:12), or “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10), we faithfully press on in His service even in the face of death. If we have this kind of faith, He will never remind us of our failed yesterdays. Is your record cleared? Signs with these words or a similar makeup litter our world. We have signs on the kitchen doors at restaurants to keep customers out. We have no trespassing signs on private property to keep people out. We have signs on bathroom doors to keep the men and women in their proper places, though our remarkable ability to get confused has made this difficult for some today, but I digress. We have “Do Not Enter” signs on the highways to keep people from going the wrong way and killing someone. All these signs play a key role in keeping us where we need to be.
In the book of Hebrews, we learn several facets of Jesus’ high priesthood which make the New Covenant vastly better than the Old Covenant. In Hebrews 9:1-10:18, the author zeroes in on the superiority of His sacrifice over the Old Covenant animal sacrifices. One key point of this section, and really the whole letter, is the access we are granted to God. In Hebrews 9:1-10, we catch a glimpse of what the tabernacle ritual looked like. The fancy furnishings certainly point up the value of the services rendered. The attention to detail when Moses was given the pattern for the tabernacle should impress upon anyone the gravity of the situation. Truly, the tabernacle was a central part of life in Israel. It was an important part of their relationship to God. It was the place where the people came to commune with God, yet their access was very limited. Only the priests could enter the tabernacle itself to perform the service they were given; the average Israelite would never set foot in the Holy Place or the Most Holy Place (Heb. 9:6; Num. 1:51; 18:21-22). They could only stand in the outer court and perhaps catch a glimpse of the first section when the priests walked into the tabernacle. As for the Most Holy Place, even the priests who labored everyday in the Holy Place would never in their lives step foot in the inner sanctuary. This privilege belonged only to the high priest (Heb. 9:7; Lev. 16:11-16). Furthermore, his access was limited to once a year, and that with many requirements for entry (Heb. 9:7; Lev. 16:2ff). When Jesus came to earth, sacrificed Himself on the cross, rose from the grave, and rejoined the Father in heaven, He granted free access to us all. This notion is first stated in Hebrews 4:14-16 about His high priesthood. Notice in verse 16 the exhortation is that we “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” This thought is paralleled in Hebrews 10:19-22 as we have boldness to enter the Holiest of All and draw near in full assurance of faith. This is in stark contrast to the old system where even the high priest didn’t dare come into the presence of God just anytime he saw fit and most certainly not with confidence or boldness. As long as the old system was valid, “…the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing” (Heb. 9:8). When Jesus died on the cross, “…the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom…” (Mt. 27:51). Its being torn top to bottom made it abundantly clear it was God who tore it, not man. The significance of the veil being torn is it represented God granting access to Himself on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice. Now we, as a kingdom of priests (1 Pt. 2:4, 9) are privileged to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. We have greater access to God than anyone who ever lived under the Old Covenant since the fall in the garden. We are now authorized personnel, if we are in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). In an episode of Andy Griffith bearing the same title as this article, Opie’s buddy, Tommy Farrell, ripped him off on a trade. He convinced Opie to trade his cap gun for some “licorice seeds.” In turn, Opie was headed to Jerry Parker’s house to trade him the “licorice seeds” for his roller skates. Things were going fine for him until Andy learned of the trade and made Opie call off the deal. It doesn’t take much to see through a trade like that, unless of course you are a seven-year-old boy who thinks he is really going to be able to grow his own endless supply of licorice sticks.
What, you may wonder does this funny little scene in an old tv episode have to do with the New Covenant in Christ’s blood? The point is that we must be keen about what people are selling us in our religious world. There are many “horse traders” in the realm of religion, and we must be careful that we not trade the truth for something far inferior. This is the very purpose of the book of Hebrews. The brethren this writer addressed were considering trading the New Covenant in Christ for the Old Covenant given by Moses. Make no mistake, Moses’ Law served a valid purpose in its day, but as the Hebrews writer points out in Hebrews 8:1-13, the validity of that covenant has passed. To return to Moses’ Law would be a significant downgrade in spiritual value. Those sacrifices and ordinances under the Old Covenant were “…the copy and shadow of the heavenly things…” (Heb. 8:5). The substance is always greater than the shadow it castes. We may certainly begin to understand the substance by examining the shadow, but when we finally see the substance casting the shadow, we are obliged to leave the shadow and look to the substance. A great many modern practices are supported by their existence in the Mosaic Law such as the clergy systems in various denominations, burning incense, interpretive dance in worship (after all David danced before God; 2 Sam. 6:14-15), tithing rather than giving according to one’s prosperity, mechanical instrumental praise, etc. Without a doubt, the ceremonial aspects of the Old Covenant are appealing to people. The grand processions, ornamental clothing, stirring musical performances, among other things most certainly stir our spirits. This cannot be denied, but there is a more important question to ask of these Old Testament holdovers. Does the interjection of these Old Covenant practices stir God’s Spirit to the joy it does ours? Of a certainty, worship ought to stir us, but it is the reality of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ with its accompanying access to God which is the source of our emotional fervor in worship (Heb. 10:19-25). No doubt, we are emotional creatures, and our emotions play a key role in our continuance in anything we set out to do. However, it is concerning to me that we have need of outward, ritualistic, ornamental things pulled from an obsolete covenant in order to maintain our fervor for the Christ. How is it these things carry more weight in our spirits than the realization that Jesus suffered the most gruesome death of the ancient world to redeem us from our sins? I can’t help but think many of us have traded our salvation for a bag of “licorice seeds.” As exciting as it all may look or sound, those seeds will not produce. Do not fall victim to the religious horse traders out there. Jesus and His word are all we need. So many people want to have Jesus plus _________. You may insert whatever
else one thinks they need in the blank provided above. In the book of Hebrews, we are confronted repeatedly with the fact that Jesus is it. He is the deal. He is the center of human existence, and we have no need of anything beyond what is provided in Him, especially as it pertains to salvation. Yet, people consistently seek to insert their own devices alongside the Christ and His revealed will. The Hebrews writer had to remind a group of struggling Jewish Christians there was nothing for them to gain in Moses’ Law with its ceremonies and sacrifices, but they had everything they needed in Christ. In this discussion, we reconsider some of what we have already seen of His provisions for His people as well as looking ahead to more of what we have in Him in the future of our study through Hebrews. From the outset, the writer emphasized that we need communication from the Father above. 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 leaves no question that without divine communication we cannot know what God wants us to know and do. Fortunately, God has always communicated with His people, providing us with “…all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Pt. 1:3). In Hebrews 1:1-3, the author reminded them (and us) of God’s communication in the past by the prophets, and he concluded that God has given His final revelation in His Son. In this vein, He spent a great deal of time detailing why the Son is worthy of our attention beyond all others. Jesus is better than the angels who mediated the Old Covenant (Heb. 1:4-2- 4), better than Moses who received and delivered the Old Covenant (Heb. 3:1-6), and He provides a better rest than Joshua who led the children of Israel in the conquest to take possession of the land God promised in the Old Covenant (Heb. 4:1-10). Intrinsic to every covenant of God is the need for a priesthood. The Levitical priesthood served the people of Israel under Moses’ Law. Beginning in Hebrews 4:14 and continuing through Hebrews 10:25, the writer declared the supremacy of Jesus’ priesthood to the Levitical priesthood. He is better because He faced the same temptations we do without sinning a single time (Heb. 4:15). He is better because His priesthood is not hindered by death (Heb. 7:3, 8, 24-25). All this enabled Him to offer the sacrifice we need to make final atonement for sin and perfect our conscience (Heb. 7:25; 9:15; 10:12-22). The full picture is that Jesus is Prophet, Priest, and King. He is the sacrifice and the priest who offered the sacrifice. For all this, He ushered in the New Covenant which was promised in the days of Jeremiah the prophet (Heb. 8:7-13; cf. Jer.. 31:31-34). In the Old Covenant, there was a reminder of previous sins every year (Heb. 10:3). In the New Covenant, we have assurance that He no longer remembers our past transgressions (Heb. 8:12). In short, Jesus is all sufficient for the child of God. Why would we look to any other source for the things which He alone can provide? When I was a child, Toys “R” Us toy stores had a jingle in their advertisement which began by saying, “I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys “R” Us Kid.” It was a catchy tune that sold a lot of toys. The underlying message was that it is undesirable to mature because you ultimately must put your toys away and get to work. It is obviously much more fun to play all day than to work, so who wouldn’t want to remain a child? While the intent of the song was simply to sell toys, many in our culture have put this little tune into actual practice. We have even verbalized the noun adult. That is correct. People now call what we grown folks experience in our daily lives “adulting.” They have even produced coffee mugs with the phrase, “Coffee Because Adulting Is Hard.”
The difficulty of maturing is nothing new in the human experience. People have shirked responsibility since the fall in the garden. In Hebrews 5:11-6:3, the author of the epistle is pushing those Jewish brethren to embrace the spiritual maturation God demands of His children. They were in danger of falling away from Christ due to things they were suffering for the gospel (Heb. 10:32ff). It takes a mature mindset to tackle difficult things, and their lack of maturity had them in grave danger. The Toys “R” Us kid did not want to grow up because accepting new responsibilities is difficult. Much the way children are lacking many necessary life skills, the recipients of Hebrews were lacking the spiritual life skills to endure hardships. The author wanted to describe in detail the superiority of Christ’s priesthood to that of Aaron and his descendants. When He gave Himself on the cross, He made eternal salvation a reality for those who obey Him (Heb. 5:9; 9:26-28). The trouble was, they had become “dull of hearing” (5:11). The concept was neither too lofty nor were they too intellectually dull to understand it. They could not grasp the concept because they were spiritually lazy. They were being Toys “R” Us kids and not putting forth the effort to become mature Christians. They had ample time to have grown to the point of teaching others the gospel, but they had sadly refused to take the responsibility. This phenomenon is becoming more and more common in the church today. The church has always had to battle the cultural currents in seeking to be spiritually healthy. This spiritual stagnation has the church of today in decline. More and more congregations are simply growing old and dying without converting the lost in their respective communities. More and more congregations are capitulating to the demands of those seeking to change things simply to “keep up with the times.” So many of our congregations today have very few who are able to teach others because no one can teach that which they do not know. Is there an answer, or do we just watch and wait as the foundations of New Testament Christianity continue to erode? There is an answer, but it is not an easy fix. I cannot help my intellectual shortcomings. The reality is, there is a legitimate limit to how much I can know based on my mental capacity. If some concept is beyond my capacity, I will never master the subject. The good news is, we are not battling inability, we are battling inactivity. The writer of Hebrews simply told them to “…go on to maturity” (Heb. 6:1). So, if we are spiritually stagnant, we just need to get busy doing the Lord’s work. Let’s get growing. After spending the better part of a decade living in many and varied sinful ways, I became a Christian at the age of twenty-one. The sense of relief I felt after my conversion was astounding. I had the relief of knowing God would no longer remember my sins (Heb. 8:12). It was amazing how light I felt at that time. However, Satan soon began to try to undermine my newfound trust in Christ and the efficacy of His sacrifice.
While I had the head knowledge of salvation, I lived as if I did not have that assurance. I began to relive the guilt which had consumed me for years as if I were still living in sin. I knew 1 John 1:7 by heart, and I was indeed walking in the light at that time. I should not have questioned God’s promise to completely expunge the record of my past. Because of this doubt, I became more and more distant from God. This also led to uneasiness with my new brothers and sisters in Christ. Though none of them gave me any cause to doubt their sincere care for me, I felt out of place. I had this false notion that they were somehow above temptation and therefore could not possibly sympathize with my past indiscretions. All these feelings set the stage for my eventual collapse inside of three years from the time of my conversion. The absolute trust I had in the Lord the day of my conversion had been replaced with the feeling of guilt and the nonsensical idea that God and His people could not understand me. Without that trust in Him, it was only a matter of time until the lure of the tempter got the better of me, and I was right back in the world. This began a vicious cycle of guilt, leading to a greater sense I did not belong, leading to more sin and guilt, etc. After a period of roughly seven years wandering in the wilderness of sin again, I finally came to my senses and returned to the Lord. Since then I have learned to better embrace His marvelous atonement for the mind-bending reality that it is: undeserved but freely given. I had a tough time accepting God’s amazing grace, and this led to my turning from Him. It is a fine line we must walk between accepting God’s grace and turning it into license to sin (cf. Jude 4; Rom. 6:1-18). Due to the attitude of some trying to use God’s grace as an excuse to go on sinning, others of us have overreacted and nearly eliminated the assurance we have of God’s merciful dealings with us. It was the latter thought process which caused me to abandon the Lord and return to a life of sin. What is the answer for those who feel like no one understands? Enter Hebrews 4:14-16 with its grand declaration of our compassionate High Priest, Jesus the Son of God. I finally laid hold of this teaching after my collapse and recovery, and it has been a source of strength ever since. In it, I learned that the Lord fully understands my predicament. He was tempted by all the same temptations we face (cf. Mt. 4:1-11; Lk. 4:1-13), but in never succumbing to them, He became the spotless lamb of God who alone can deliver us from our sin (cf. 1 Pt. 1:17-21). As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Because He faced down the tempters arrows, He can sympathize with our weaknesses and serve as our High Priest. It is up to us to approach the throne of grace for the help we need in time of temptation. We must make sure all Christians know that God understands them and so do we. In recent months, it seems almost daily another high-profile celebrity or politician is being accused of various misdeeds. The most common accusations of late are those of sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to abuse to rape. Some of the stories are truly unthinkable. One of the accused had a secret button under his desk enabling him to lock his female victims in, so they could not escape his unwanted advances and no one could walk in and catch him. It seems this kind of behavior has been going on unchecked for decades in Hollywood and Washington D.C. Apparently this is so common in D.C. that our tax dollars are being pooled to protect politicians from prosecution in these cases; they call it a “slush fund.” Of course, in Hollywood they have their own piles of money to buy silence from victims. Gladly, the gig seems to be coming to an end as victims have become much more willing to push back against such debauchery. Most certainly it is happening on main street as well, but these cases are not as high profile.
Is this real life? How have we come to this place in our society? What drives people to act in this way? Furthermore, what makes them think they can get away with such behavior without any consequences? It would seem some of them are so given to their base desires they do not think logically in those moments. As Paul said of the Gentiles when writing to the church at Ephesus, “…having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Eph. 4:18-19). In short, the desire for pleasure outweighs all other considerations, including the impact on others. Another clue to the situation is revealed in Psalm 94:7. Speaking of the wicked and their misdeeds, the psalmist quotes the wicked as saying, “The Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob understand.” The word translated “understand” literally means “perceive” or “take notice.” The point is, the wicked believe their evil deeds go unnoticed apart from human perception. A once popular rap group released a song many years ago titled It Ain’t A Crime If You Don’t Get Caught. Undoubtedly, many have bought into this thinking. Why else would people continue in these despicable activities? Gladly, they are now learning they cannot get away with it forever. In reality, everyone is caught the minute they commit the wrong. Several biblical passages emphasize the futility of trying to hide our sins from God. In Psalm 139, we learn that God knows everything about us, and there is no place we could go to escape His presence and vision. This is a blessing to those given to uprightness, but it eliminates the possibility of avoiding detection when committing ungodly deeds. In Hebrews 4:11-13, the writer urges his readers to continue following the Christ to enter God’s promised rest. The danger they faced was becoming rebellious like the Israelites who rebelled in the wilderness (cf. Num. 13-14). They needed to know that God sees all, knows all, and will ultimately judge all. Solomon learned this truth the hard way after he left the pursuit of God’s wisdom and ways for a life of pleasure. In Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, he concluded the only way to fulfillment in life is in fearing God and keeping His commandments. The truth remains that “God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Knowing there is nowhere to hide should promote an attitude of respect and fear of rebellion. The next time we are tempted to sin thinking no one will know, may we bear these truths in mind. It may well be the difference in eternal life and death. Either way, there truly is nowhere to hide. |
AuthorTodd Houston Archives
April 2018
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