• False Gospels
• Jesus Christ's Return
• Life after Death
• Repentance
• Resurrection
• The Gospel
• The Kingdom of God

sermon: Secret Faults and Presumptuous Thoughts

Martin G. Collins
Given 05-Jun-21; Sermon #1601; 64 minutes

Description: (show)

"I've got a secret." Now that has different meaning to people who are over 65 than it does to people under 60 or 65. "I've Got a Secret" was an American panel TV game show on CBS from 1952 to 1967. It was a spinoff of the earlier "What's My Line?" TV game show. It was revived four times between 1972 and 2006. Instead of celebrity panelists trying to determine a contestant's occupation as in "What's My Line?" the panel tried to determine a contestant's secret. Each round was a guessing game in which the panel tried to find out the secret.

The concept of a secret was fairly broad. Secrets were always intended to be unusual, amazing, embarrassing, or humorous about that person. They commonly included something that happened to the contestant, something owned by the contestant, or a notable occupation, hobby, achievement, or skill. Each show began with the entrance of one or more contestants and the host then introduced the contestant or asked his or her name and hometown, and then he asked them to, "Whisper your secret to me and we will show it to the folks at home." Keep in mind it is on TV. This time was in black and white. The last two years of this running became color.

Now the contestant then ostensibly whispered the secret while the audience and the viewers were shown the secret as a text overlay on the screen and then the host gave the panel a clue. For example, the secret concerns something that happened to so and so, the contestant's name, and the host then selected a panelist to begin questioning. Following the revelation of a guest's secret, either by guessing or by the host's revelation once the game was over, the host typically either interviewed the contestant about their secret or, if applicable, the contestant did some kind of demonstration of their secret. And these demonstrations sometimes included the host and occasionally one or more of the panelists.

Beyond the standard celebrity guests, several notable people with secrets appeared. And one caught my eye in the listing of what I saw that they had listed for the shows. It was a 95 year old man, Samuel J. Seymour. What was his secret? He was the last surviving eyewitness to Abraham Lincoln's assassination. This was in 1950-something. He was five years old at the time. He stated that he sat there as a five year old with his godmother and I think his nurse (or something like that). And they were watching the show and he remembered the assassin, Booth, jump off the balcony. He heard the pop and then saw Booth jump off the balcony. And as he jumped onto the stage he broke his leg and he remembered feeling sorry for Booth because he did not know what had happened at the time.

So he was on the show but he fell on his way to the show and hurt his eye and two months later he died. So at 95 he did the show and two months later, he was no longer around.

What is your secret? Maybe your secret is that you have an abundance of gray areas in your life. Maybe there are a lot of secret faults or maybe just one. A common human tendency is to presume to know what God will tolerate when it comes to what one might call a gray area. And those areas are where we ask ourselves, is it a sin or not, right before we do it. We might reason, God will not care if I do this because it is just a little thing. You might even presume, maybe I can get away with this small transgression. After all, I am righteous most of the time. God will not mind this time.

In his publication journal on October 6, 1866, Henri Frederic Emile, a Swiss moral philosopher, poet, and critic, insightfully wrote, "We are always making God our accomplice so that we may legalize our own iniquities." That is quite insightful. Consider this description of an accomplice as stated by the Legal Information Institute of Cornell Law School:

A person who knowingly, voluntarily, or intentionally gives assistance to another in, or in some cases, fails to prevent another from the commission of a crime. An accomplice is criminally liable to the same extent as the principal. An accomplice, unlike an accessory, is typically present when the crime is committed.

God is not our accomplice. He does not condone or overlook our sins. He is the sovereign Judge. Judgment day will come.

On another note, one might assume, "God does not expect me to keep all of His statutes and laws. That would be too burden burdensome." But is one willing to bank his life on it? Because that is what he is doing when he thinks that way. Let us first consider a basic principle regarding this. When trying to accomplish something with multiple parts or steps, it is important to apply everything necessary to complete the project or solve the problem.

For example, for the kitchen remodel we are planning here for the church, there are several steps involved that must be done in specific order with nothing done to chance. The architect must design a plan that takes into account our needs and the building contractor must order the materials and schedule the work. The materials must be ordered according to the construction schedule, which has to be implemented over a period of time. If parts are missing or the scheduling is out of order, the project cannot properly be completed on time. Everything has to be done in order, leaving nothing out. No complex work or project can be accomplished without attention to details. It is when all the components are considered together that success is possible.

Now similarly, ancient Israel's success or failure was based on the following scriptural principle inspired by God through Moses.

Deuteronomy 4:2 "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you."

Deuteronomy 4:5-6 "Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them [that is, regard and do the laws and statutes]; for this is [I will insert there, evidence of] your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'

But if the end of verse 6 had been read almost identically, but with the word all removed, it decreases its effect. Here is it read without the word all. Verse 6, "Who will hear these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'"

So the verse without the word 'all' is similar, but it does not produce the same dynamic motivation to Israel and the same level of respect from the Gentile nations. Therefore, that word all is essential. If the nations see Israel observing and doing only selected laws and statutes, possibly one of those they feel emotionally favorable to, the result would be quite different. The nations would not say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." Instead, they would probably say, "This nation is unfocused and unreliable."

Revering only the parts of the Bible we like the sound of does not make us effective children of God. It subjects us to ridicule. Seeing the Bible as the comprehensive life plan that it is not only makes us effective, but it also makes us respected. Even if we are not liked by the world, they still have to respect the truth or the way we live or the commitment we have—our conviction.

There are those who take the Bible seriously on family matters but ignore it at work. There are those who meticulously study the Bible and obey its edicts on charity and justice, but who disregard its rulings on other social issues, claiming the Bible to be outdated on those social issues. When you respect the Bible's commandments and statutes, that important word all is the key.

Perhaps certain concepts resonate with us while others baffle us. That is irrelevant. It is vital to realize that they are all intertwined. The Worldwide Church of God found that out big time when they started changing one doctrine after another, which had a domino effect right on through the rest of the doctrines.

Let us move on to Psalm 19 to look at this from another angle. Psalm 19 is not only great poetry from which our hymn, "The Heavens God's Glory Do Declare" has been produced, but it also contains important spiritual truths. Chapter 19 contains a deep and moving statement of divine revelation and like the Bible's teaching elsewhere on the subject, it divides this revelation into two main categories: general revelation, which refers to the revelation of God in nature, and special revelation, in this case, the revelation of God in Scripture.

The first of these, God in nature, is discussed in verses 1-6. The second, God in Scripture, in verses 7-11. And then there is a concluding section in verses 12, 13, and 14, in which David applies this revelation personally to himself and to anyone that reads it. The link between the verses 1-6 section and the verses 7-9 section is the final clause of verse 6. David says of the sun, "Nothing is hidden from its heat." The same could be said of the prevalent lifegiving law. It too embraces all of life and it is as necessary for the life of the human soul as the sun is for the life of the human body.

Psalm 19:7-9 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Notice the nouns: law, testimony, statutes, commandment, fear, judgments. These describe the Bible's multiple facets, just as Psalm 119 also does, though there are more terms in the longer psalm of 119.

First, the word law, literally is Torah, and is not limited to specific legal commands as our use of the word law is today. The root meaning of Torah is instruction and it has to do with everything God has revealed or says. Our best equivalent would be Scripture or the Word of God.

Second, testimony means an aspect of truth attested by God Himself, perhaps with the idea of this being a reminder.

Third, statutes, together with the fourth word, commandment (which comes next), means orders, indicating the precision and authority with which God addresses us.

Fifth, fear is not strictly a synonym for law, although it is used this in this way. It describes the Scriptures by the effect they produce in those who respond to the revelation. The last verses of Psalm 19 are an example of this godly fear or reverence.

Sixth, is judgments or verdicts. It is a divine evaluation of our thoughts and actions.

What is the one characteristic that these six terms have in common despite the slightly different shades of meaning? The answer is that they all portray the Bible as words to be observed. And that is how David viewed the Bible—as the Word of God to be obeyed. Because it is the Word of God it was to be received by him and others as authoritative, inerrant, and absolutely binding. It is because the Bible is God's law, testimony, statutes, commandment, fear, and judgments, it is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, and sure, which is what David says it is. And it is because it is like this that it can do the things David says that it does do. This is the same relationship found in Paul's well known description of the Bible.

II Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

The combination of ideas in II Timothy 3, verse 16 indicates that it is because the Bible is not like other books because it is God-inspired, as they are not. And that it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training us.

I want to jump down to the concluding section of Psalm 19 and verses 12-14. We find David, the psalmist, applying this revelation to himself. Let us dig deeper into these verses. Self-justification by way of human reasoning is one of the most binding traits of humans and it is fueled by pride. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word pride is, in most places, translated "presumptuous" or "willful" in Psalm 19 and verse 13. In keeping with the context. Presumptuous self-justification is one of humanity's most deceptive sins.

Psalm 19:12-13 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.

The word presumptuous here in verse 13 is noticeably designed to contrast with secret faults in verse 12. The Hebrew word zeed, from which presumptuous is translated, in its basic sense refers to something that is boiling, swelling, inflated, suggesting a proud and arrogant attitude. It is connected with the idea of shameless sinfulness. It is the attitude behind self-justification.

The prevailing thought in verses 12 and 13 is that of pride and the reference is especially to sins that proceed from self-confidence and from reliance on one's own strength. And the word does not mean open sins or flagrant sins, but it refers to those that spring forth from inner self-reliance. David emphasizes in his prayer his need to have a proper distrust of himself, and he does not want to have an improper reliance on his own power leading him to commit sin.

Now, the final three verses of Psalm 19 are more than a conclusion of thought. They are actually a climax to this whole chapter. The psalmist applies what he has been learning to himself, and verses 12-14 shows that he has been learning. And his response to God's self-revelation falls into two categories.

The first is prayer that God will forgive his sin and deliver him from additional transgressions. Sometimes we treat forgiveness lightly, asking God to forgive us but not really thinking that we are truly sinners, at least not serious sinners, and treating forgiveness almost as a basic human right. It is clear that David does not do this. He is aware of sin's subtle nature and complexity, dividing it into categories: errors, which are wrongs innocently committed; hidden faults, that is, faults unknown to himself because they are so deeply ingrained in his personality, and certainly not hidden from God; and willful sins, which are the sins of deliberate presumption. Willful, presumptuous sins are equivalent to great transgression at the end of verse 13 there.

David also knows that he can never be fully aware of these sins in order to seek forgiveness unless God reveals their presence to him. We remember the prayer of the tax collector in Jesus' well known parable in Luke 18 because, although it is less detailed, it contains the same essential elements.

Luke 18:13-14 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The tax collector prayed God be merciful to me a sinner, acknowledging his state. We know this man was coming to know God and was really praying to God because he saw himself to be a sinner, as David also did. The Pharisee in the parable did not.

Now the second part of David response to God's revelation of Himself is an appeal to God as his Rock and Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

We are not only led to see ourselves as sinners when we study the Bible. The Bible also leads us to the One who is our only deliverer from sin. He is the same One who has revealed Himself gloriously in the heavens and the heavens tell us that He exists and that He is all-powerful. The Bible shows that He is our Redeemer from sin—that is, the One who is able to break sin's bonds and set us free. And that He is the rock upon which the redeemed man or woman can build and be kept from transgressions.

One of the greatest deceptions that mainstream Christianity has convinced people to believe is that God loves us just the way we are. Then why is He working to change us if He loves us so much the way we are? And why does He require that the old worldly man be totally replaced by the new righteous man?

Ephesians 4:20-24 But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

So the new man refers to our renovated nature. This is called in other places the new creature or the new creation, and refers to the condition after our hearts are changed when we have new feelings, new principles, and new desires. It means we have discarded our old principles and practices and everything that pertains the moral character. We become new. It also means rid us excuses.

Please turn with me to Job 15. In Job 15, Eliphaz answers Job's claims in chapters 12 through 14. To be esteemed wise, Eliphaz replied that Job's attitude was manifested in his incoherent choice of words and that this alone was sufficient to expose his lack of wisdom. A wise man would not be guilty of mere talk or of using language that conveyed no ideas. Job had been rambling and to Eliphaz this showed his confusion.

Job 15:1-6 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: "Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind? Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or by speeches with which he can do no good? Yes, you cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God. For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty. Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; yes, your own lips testify against you."

The reply that Job made to the arguments of his friend in previous chapters was referred to as empty or vain knowledge. Some Bible margins have "knowledge of wind." The wind, of course, is used to represent aimless changing. And here it is used as a metaphor of remarks that were unproductive, pointless, and irrelevant. Then Eliphaz asked, "Should a man fill himself with insignificant arguments or sentiments as inappropriate for usefulness as the east wind is for food?" The image is that he filled himself with mere wind and then blows it out under the pretense of delivering proverbs of wisdom. Does that not sound like academia today or those who have higher educations?

The east wind was used in verse 2 to express not only a tempestuous wind of the Middle East, but one that is stifling and destructive to vegetation. It passed over immense deserts and was characterized by severe dryness and heat. Job had been making excuses without backing it up with substance or facts. In verse 4, fear refers to the fear or reverence of God. Job had not maintained a proper admiration or respect for his Creator in his argument. He had defended principles and made assertions that implied disrespect to God, and we see a little of this in Job's words in the previous chapter.

Job 14:19-20 "As water wears away stones, and as torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so You destroy the hope of man. You prevail forever against him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away."

In Joe 15, verse 4, Eliphaz does not refer as much to what was personal with Job as to his principles. Eliphaz was not accusing Job of losing all reverence for God, but that if Job's arguments continued in the same direction, he would eventually come to the point of losing all his fear of God. And Job was indirectly accusing God of not being fair to him. I wonder if there is anyone in this room or within the sound of my voice that has not in some way indirectly blamed God for something? We do not even realize when we do it, most of the time, I believe.

In verse 5, we see Job being accused of distorted reasoning. Eliphaz accused Job of resorting to immature thinking such as children use, and instead of arguing his case with wisdom and sincerity, he just used empty words. Job's whole discourse, according to Eliphaz, was a clever work of art, designed to make his friends feel sorry for him and to get them to recognize his devoutness. And by painting this presumed picture of how God works, Job unintentionally gave a distorted view of the government of God.

We sometimes use the same human reasoning of accusing God of not caring enough about us. And so we self-justify our own shortcomings by reason that God does not really care about our lesser sins. But the little things we do, whether righteous or unrighteous, do count in God's eyes.

Luke 16:10 [Jesus said] "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much."

In verse 6 of Job 15, Job was accused of condemning himself with the words of his own mouth. I believe at times we all have done that. This lecture that Eliphaz gave Job closely relates to what we go through today when we make excuses to others in the church for why we do certain things.

What was it that Eliphaz accused Job of? He said, "You cast off fear." He was accused of casting off the fear of God. Job did have a limited fear of God before his major trials began. But apparently it was not complete enough. Job started out well and he ended his trials well, with the right perspective. But in between God really allowed Satan to hammer him so that he could arrive at what he says later. But what he says initially is something that we can learn from and use in our own lives.

Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." In all this job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Wow. And then later in chapter 2,

Job 2:9-10 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Wow.

Now flip back all the way to the back of the book for a scripture we are all very familiar with.

Job 42:5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You."

Even though we are in the process of conversion to God's way of thinking, His thoughts are not our thoughts nor are our ways His ways although we are headed that way if we are in the church and we have God's Holy Spirit. We are headed to understanding all of His ways, but we are not there yet.

Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

Most mainstream Christians misinterpret the principle of God's abundant pardoning. They think all they have to do is repent later when it is a more convenient time for them or just in time for the resurrection. God does not think like we do. Just because He is silent, does not mean He approves or forgives. God is not our accomplice. Keep remembering that. He is not in there with us as far as in any way promoting or helping us to do what is wrong.

Isaiah 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

In verse 7, Isaiah admonished that the first step a sinner must take is to forsake his way in order to seek God. The Hebrew word for thoughts includes all that is the object of thought, all that is on our mind, and the idea is that we must abandon our worldly plans and lifestyle. To a holy God our thoughts are not less important than our external actions, and no one can obtain God's favor who is not ready to abandon his own wrong opinions, his pride and vanity, plans of pleasure seeking, and his purpose of life that are opposed to God.

Verses 7 and 8 are connected with the subject of pardon; the plans and purposes of God in regard to forgiveness are as far above those of people as the heavens are higher than the earth. The average person finds it difficult to pardon or forgive someone for personal injury, whether it be verbal or actual violence. Humanly, we tend to harbor malice. We seek revenge and we are slow to forgive. Not so with God. He harbors no malice. He has no desire of revenge. He has no reluctance to forgive.

If we do not forgive others His love is not developing in us. Even if we have forgiven once, most people are slow to forgive the second time, and still more reluctant to forgive the third time. And if the offense is often repeated, we refuse to forgive altogether. Not so with God, provided there is genuine repentance involved. No matter how often we have broken His law, upon our true repentance, He can forgive all our sins.

God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not ours in regard to His whole creation and government. He has plans for accomplishing His purposes that are different from ours. And He secures our own welfare by plans that contradict our own. That is, as long as we rely on our human nature, our human reasoning.

At times, God disappoints our hopes, foils our expectations, crosses our designs, removes our property or our friends, and thwarts our worldly purposes in life. He leads us in a path that we had not intended and secures our ultimate happiness in modes that are contrary to all our designs and and desires. What should be our attitude, our reaction should be? 1) that we form our plans with submission to the higher purposes of God. 2) We resign ourselves to Him when He chooses to thwart our plans and to take away our comforts. And 3) that we never assume that God overlooks sin that is committed in weakness. Those are just a few. Those were primary ones.

We should say God's will be done and accept that.

Not only does God not recognize our thoughts to be like His if we sin, He says he does not even know us if we sin flagrantly .

Luke 13:22-28 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying towards Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' But He will say, 'I will tell you, I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out."

Now let us notice what God thinks, not what we think. It is amazing how far we will go in deceiving ourselves about the appropriateness of our actions. I am speaking in general human terms, not accusing anybody of anything. His inference was that God would overlook his sin, this person thinking this way, because he thought it was the right thing to do. He is making a misguided assumption that God thinks like he does. His faulty human reasoning is not based on the truth.

Psalm 50:5 [this is addressed to His saints as this verse verifies] "Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."

Here in Psalm 50, verses 16 and 17, Asaph, announcing God's second charge, criticized the nation's hypocritical living. He first rebuked the wicked for reciting His laws and speaking of His covenant as their profession of faith while they actually hated God's instructions. Though these wicked people assembled with those who loved God, that is, the saints, God discerned the evil hearts of the hypocrites.

Psalm 50:16-17 But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you?"

In verses 18-21, the psalmist then selected several examples of their wickedness. While appearing righteous, they tolerated and took part in theft, adultery, and slander. And God warned them not to confuse His patience with His approval. God's silence did not mean that He agreed with their actions. Instead, He rebuked them directly to their face.

Psalm 50:18-21 "When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have been a partaker with adulterers. You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes."

When I read that I think of this nation, how God is looking at it right now.

In verse 21, the idea is that they thought or imagined that God was just like themselves in their thinking and they acted under this impression. Their conduct appeared to portray how God was, but in reality they were acting in a way that matched the good they had created in their own minds. It was their humanly-reasoned good that they were thinking. That is, they thought that God would be satisfied with their forms of religion, and that all He required was the proper offering of sacrifice according to their views of the nature of religion.

They believed that God did not care about principle, justice, pure morality, and sincerity because they did not care about it themselves. They thought that He would not be strict in punishing sin or to correct them for for it if these forms or rituals were kept up. It is interesting, as you read the history of Israel, they kept sinning time and time again. God would raise occasionally raise up a righteous king and he would set them straight, at least in some ways. But even most of them did not tear down the high places. And it continues over and over and over again. And as soon as that righteous king was gone, they were right back to their antics of cavorting and all types of perversions.

Psalm 50:22-23 "Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise, glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God."

Pretty clear. Both sides are very clearly stated there. Choose life or choose death.

The Word of God shows exactly what God understands about us. Hebrews 4, verses 12 and 13 shows that we cannot escape the notice of God; that all insincerity, unbelief, and hypocrisy will be detected by Him. And that since our hearts and minds are perfectly open before Him, we should be sincere and should not attempt to deceive Him. The truth of God is all-penetrating and searching and the real thoughts and intents of the heart will be exposed. If there is insincerity and self-deception, there can be no hope of escape from judgment.

Hebrews 4:12-13 For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

It raises the hair on the back of our necks because it is very definitely and explicitly stated.

The idea here is that what God had said is suited to detect hypocrisy and to lay open the true nature of the feelings of our minds so that there can be no escape for the guilty. His truth is adapted to bring out the real feelings and to show us exactly what He is. Truth always has this power—whether preached or read or communicated by conversation, or impressed upon the memory and conscience by the Holy Spirit. And there can be no escape from the penetrating, searching application of the Word of God. The truth of God has the power to show what we really are and it is like a penetrating sword that exposes the inner parts by cutting open the whole person. That is the powerful Word of God.

The phrase, "the word of God" in verse 12, is the equivalent to the truth of God made known to our minds. It brings out the real beliefs and feelings to show us how we really are. The Word of God is living and not dead, inert, or powerless. It has a living power and it is energetic and active. I like to use the term dynamic. It is a dynamic, living thing because of God's Spirit. It is God's Spirit expressed in writing.

The Word of God is powerful. Its effect is seen in awakening our consciences, alarming our senses, and laying open the secret thoughts and feelings of our minds causing us to tremble when we sin with the anxiety of the coming judgment. All the great improvements in society for the better have been caused by the power of truth. Even the the U.S. Constitution, whatever may be good in it was based on God-fearing people who knew their Bible. That is why it does not work today. There are too many who do not know their Bibles.

The Word of God is sharper than any two edged-sword. This phrase comes from the Greek word distomon, which literally means "two-mouthed" sword. The word mouth was given to the sword because it seemed to devour everything that appeared in front of it. The two-mouthed sword consumed or destroyed as a wild animal does. The comparison of the Word of God to a sword is designed to show its power of penetrating the heart. This use is found in Revelation 1:16, "Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword."

The idea is that of piercing or penetrating, and the meaning is that the Word of God reaches the depths of the heart, the very center of action, and lays open our motives and feelings. And you know that as you read the Scriptures, even if you have read a scripture before, you read it again and again and again, and if it is something that you are not quite doing right, it cuts to the heart, does it not?

The thoughts and intents of the heart are openly exposed by the Word of God and we are all made to see our real character under the exhibition of the truth of God in at least three ways.

1. In the light of the law we see our past lives to be sinful.

2. The exhibition of truth reminds us of many long forgotten sins.

3. Our real feelings are exposed when the truth of God has proclaimed.

We are made to look at our motives as we had never done before we were called, to see our real thoughts and feelings that are only exposed by displaying the truth. The displaying of the truth is like shining down the beams of the sun at midnight on a dark world. In this way the truth lays open the real beliefs and feelings of each person, as the sun would expose the wickedness that is now performed under the cover of night. Is that not when most bad things happen? Is that not when most bars are open and most other perverted institutions are active? David expressed this principle that nothing is hidden from God in Psalm 139.

Psalm 139:11-12 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from you, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. [that is, to God]

Many people have a deep and fixed hostility toward God and to His Word, who might never be exposed to it if the truth was not faithfully proclaimed. The truth of God detects the true feelings of the hypocrite and the self-deceiver, and because they cannot always conceal their emotions, eventually the time will come when truth, like light poured into their minds, will reveal their unbelief and their secret sins. Remember Hebrews 4:13 says, "and there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." There is no living being who is not completely known God. He distinctly understands all the thoughts, feelings, and plans. We are warned in Hebrews 4, verse 13, that even in self-deception, we cannot conceal anything from God.

I find it interesting that the Greek word tracheelizoo, translated into the English word open, means to lay bare the neck or to bend it back so as to expose the throat being cut. Quite graphic in its meaning. Our modern medical term tracheotomy comes from the same Greek word translated open in verse 12 of Hebrews 4. Occasionally an accident or throat cancer from smoking will render a person incapable of breathing through his mouth, and a hole is cut at the base of the neck in the front to open the windpipe to receive air. The medical procedure is called, as you know, a tracheotomy. The description intended by this verb "open" is to bend back the neck of the animal so as to expose it in front when it is slain. It generally means to make bare, removing any covering, exposing the thing entirely, as the naked neck is for the knife.

So the allusion is similar to that of the sword that Paul referred to in Hebrews 4:12, as dividing the body and spirit and the joints and marrow. And the meaning is that in the hand of God who held that sword, everything was exposed. In a spiritual sense, we are similar to the animal whose neck is bent back and laid bare and ready for slaughter. But God has called us and He is saving us from that and eventually He will give the whole world that same opportunity.

Nothing hinders God from striking. There is nothing that can prevent that sword from penetrating the heart any more than when the neck of the animal is bent back and laid bare. There is nothing that can hinder the sacrificing priest from thrusting the knife into the throat of the victim. To the power of God all is bare and open. Christ makes it clear that by our words we will be justified or condemned, including every idle word. That gives you the shivers.

Matthew 12:34-37 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." [speaking to the world, the unconverted]

In verse 36, the phrase "idle word" literally means a vain, thoughtless, useless word or excuse. A word that accomplishes no good. It refers generally to anything that is not true and helpful when spoken. The context gives it the sense of wicked, injurious, false, and malicious since this was the intent of Christ's accusers. Nothing can be concealed from God, nothing can be hidden from His sight, nothing can hinder Him from exposing sin. God may choose to strike at any moment or in the future, and His dreadful sentence falls on the sinner like the knife on the exposed throat of the victim.

All things are known to God and He reads every thought, sees every feeling, looks through every thought and attitude of the mind. Religious people like to hear words of God since they are positive and give hope but people do not do them because they do not have a proper fear of God. Here in Ezekiel 33 it makes a clear, direct description of this very thing.

Ezekiel 33:30-32 As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the door of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, 'Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.' So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.

That is an apt description of mainstream Christianity and others.

The fear of God is the main biblical theme and is distinct from the terror of God. The fear of God is the proper and elemental response of a person to God and it encompasses and builds on attitudes of awe and reverence. Now, the fear of God is absolutely necessary in our faith. In fact, there are well over 100 references to the fear of God in the positive sense of faith and obedience. To fear God and to be God-fearing is a synonym for being a follower of God. This is sometimes an implied contrast to those who do not fear Him. The fear of God is a deep, heartfelt, continuing respect for Him.

We find connections to the fear of God in many scriptures. Here is an example. The fear of the Lord is linked to wisdom and is part of the covenant between God and His people.

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.

To fear God is to be in awe and reverence of Him and to trust Him.

Psalm 33:8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

Malachi 2:5 "My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might fear Me. So he feared Me and was reverent before My name."

Fearing God means hating and avoiding evil.

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.

God offers us the solution to all our problems for our own good and we decide whether or not to take Him up on it. He sets before us life and death and of course He wants us to choose life. The fear of God is a fundamental quality of those who have an empirical knowledge of who He is. And in Deuteronomy 10 is an appropriate summary of what God requires to genuinely fear Him. It is the essence of the law.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the [all] commandment of the Lord and [all] His statutes which I command you today for your good?"

These words were intended to make it plain to the Israelites how greatly they had been honored by God. We, having this, are honored by God, by Him giving it to us, calling us, and being given such preeminence among the nations. So we must always keep in view who calls us through the Word of God and has come near to us in it. Not only the earth is God's, but beyond the universe—the heaven of the heavens is also.

The lack of the proper fear of God is manifested in the attitudes of human beings as disobedience to God's law, disrespect of His authority, shortsightedness of His awesome power, and improper worship of Him. And since we do not always see God immediately punishing us for our sins, we have a strong tendency to disregard our own bad actions and often to sin on—ongoing. So the enduring patience of God which leads to repentance is abused in a way that leads to further crimes.

Ecclesiastes 8:11-13 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

Since God does not always punish sin immediately, the evil leaders and religionists have had the effect on society of creating an attitude of "if I can get away with it, I'll do it." And we are seeing that in society as well in a great way. We are seeing what people are thinking in their own minds is now being exposed out in the open. We have a nation that is sick to the depth of their soul.

There is a seemingly superficial contradiction between verse 12 and verse 13, at least to the general reader. It can easily be resolved by realizing that living a long time is not necessarily the same as prolonging one's days. This concept is made meaningful by the revelation of the eternal life in Jesus. Eternal life is both a matter of quality and quantity beyond any number of years on earth. And in contrast, the life of the willful sinner, however long it physically lasts, will end at the final great White Throne Judgment.

We have the choice of eternal life or death, blessing or cursing, of God's way or Satan's way. All these contrasts lead to one core element. The bottom-line choice is to fear God or not fear God. Fear of God is manifested in our attitudes as obedience and reverence and awe, veneration, and if we do fear God, there are many resulting blessings. The book of Proverbs tells us that. It tells us that God will bring blessings upon us, He will confide in us, and have mercy upon us. We will avoid evil and gain life and receive knowledge and wisdom.

God has revealed His will to humanity. If He had not done so, people could not be held accountable for their thoughts and actions. Therefore, even though people do not know everything about the plan of God, they know enough to be held responsible for what they do or fail to do. Our life day by day is to be lived as in the sight of God who has given us the opportunity to fulfill God's purpose for that day. Our actions, as well as the secret intentions of our heart, are open to God and one day will be opened up for reward or punishment. The essence of the whole man is summarized in Ecclesiastes 12. Again, you are very familiar with these verses.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man [although it says whole duty of man, the word duty is added, and in the original it says "for this is the whole man"]. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

So, to revere God and to obey Him in proper fear is the whole man, the whole person, and constitutes the man's whole being. All other things, as God's Word teaches again and again, are dependent on a higher incomprehensible Being.

MGC/aws/drm

The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God.