Day 51: Who Is Really Going To Know If .....
Read: Romans 2:12 - 16
I suppose one might call it splitting hairs. I mean if I have an
opportunity that has been thrust before me to do something I would not
ordinarily do, then why would I not just simply go ahead and do it if I
was reasonably sure I would completely get away with it? I mean "Who
would ever know I did it" because there was no way I was ever going
to admit I did it. It is not that I am always seeking opportunities to
try something completely risque and scandalous ('what would my Rabbi
think' stuff). I mean after all that sort of behavior might just be a
wee bit out of character. But what brings a person to the place where they will willfully do what they know is wrong?
Who are we really when nobody is watching us? Do we really have a
conscience that we do daily battle with when it comes to choosing
whether or not we are going to cross a line that has been drawn in to
the sands of 'right' versus 'wrong'? I mean who is really going to
know if .... (1) we believe (actually hope) nobody is watching or is
likely to notice? (2) we believe that we can effectively hide whatever
it is we did. (3) we believe (actually hope) can effectively lie our way through with a plausible enough
explanation. (4) we know that we are never going to admit it even under great duress or the presence of a frying pan in our faces. (5) It's not going to be in the newspaper.
The hidden conscience of man versus the all revealing Word of God. The
battle that began when Adam and Eve clothed themselves with fig leaves
and tried so hard to hide themselves from God in the Garden of Eden.
Perhaps they thought to themselves in that moment "yeah, we really blew it this time. but if we work hard to hide it .. who is really going to know whether we did it or not?" "I mean we both know
there is no one else around so ...!" "I know you wont tell and you know
I wont tell so ...!" This is one time I wish I'd been in the woods
behind Adam and Eve when God called out to them. I really believe if
neither Adam or Eve willingly came out, I would have yelled.
'15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to
which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting
thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them 16 on the day when,
according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret
thoughts of all.' The hidden(?) conscience of man and the all revealing
Word of God. The conscience is a self-awareness that judges whether or
not an act one has carried out or plans to carry out is in harmony with
ones moral standards and the revealed Word of God. Everyone of us is
born with a conscience with right and wrong written upon it. So who is
really going to know if ...?
Let Us Pray: So Lord, who is really going to know if I ......? I know in my heart that .... really was not the smartest thing I ever tried to do and I know
that .... was not the most correct thing to do. But I yielded to my
desire to try it just that once and now I am finding myself conflicted
by .... and I have no earthly idea what to do about it. I can certainly
keep ..... hidden from .... but I find myself conflicted about that too.
So please call me out of my hiding place that I may do that which is
righteous in Your sight. Create in me a clean heart, O God and put a new
and right spirit within me.
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Read: Romans 2:12 - 16
I suppose one might call it splitting hairs. I mean if I have an opportunity that has been thrust before me to do something I would not ordinarily do, then why would I not just simply go ahead and do it if I was reasonably sure I would completely get away with it? I mean "Who would ever know I did it" because there was no way I was ever going to admit I did it. It is not that I am always seeking opportunities to try something completely risque and scandalous ('what would my Rabbi think' stuff). I mean after all that sort of behavior might just be a wee bit out of character. But what brings a person to the place where they will willfully do what they know is wrong?
Who are we really when nobody is watching us? Do we really have a conscience that we do daily battle with when it comes to choosing whether or not we are going to cross a line that has been drawn in to the sands of 'right' versus 'wrong'? I mean who is really going to know if .... (1) we believe (actually hope) nobody is watching or is likely to notice? (2) we believe that we can effectively hide whatever it is we did. (3) we believe (actually hope) can effectively lie our way through with a plausible enough
explanation. (4) we know that we are never going to admit it even under great duress or the presence of a frying pan in our faces. (5) It's not going to be in the newspaper.
The hidden conscience of man versus the all revealing Word of God. The battle that began when Adam and Eve clothed themselves with fig leaves and tried so hard to hide themselves from God in the Garden of Eden. Perhaps they thought to themselves in that moment "yeah, we really blew it this time. but if we work hard to hide it .. who is really going to know whether we did it or not?" "I mean we both know there is no one else around so ...!" "I know you wont tell and you know I wont tell so ...!" This is one time I wish I'd been in the woods behind Adam and Eve when God called out to them. I really believe if neither Adam or Eve willingly came out, I would have yelled.
'15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all.' The hidden(?) conscience of man and the all revealing Word of God. The conscience is a self-awareness that judges whether or not an act one has carried out or plans to carry out is in harmony with ones moral standards and the revealed Word of God. Everyone of us is born with a conscience with right and wrong written upon it. So who is really going to know if ...?
Let Us Pray: So Lord, who is really going to know if I ......? I know in my heart that .... really was not the smartest thing I ever tried to do and I know that .... was not the most correct thing to do. But I yielded to my desire to try it just that once and now I am finding myself conflicted by .... and I have no earthly idea what to do about it. I can certainly keep ..... hidden from .... but I find myself conflicted about that too. So please call me out of my hiding place that I may do that which is righteous in Your sight. Create in me a clean heart, O God and put a new and right spirit within me.
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