IF YOU SPENT an hour with the president or a king, you’d make sure you were on your best behavior, wouldn’t you…?

Of if the governor or mayor asked you to come for lunch, you’d be honored and you’d be careful to say and do the right thing.  Those scenarios can seem very farfetched and unlikely, but the truth is far more alarming:  We are in the presence of Jesus Christ, the King and Creator of the universe, all day, every day–and He’s not distracted in the least!

God isn’t a benevolent grandfather who looks the other way when the kids misbehave, and he isn’t Santa Claus, who has only wonderful gifts for everybody.  Scripture depicts God as both infinitely kind and awesomely powerful.  Over and over again, we read that He is both Judge and Savior.  As Judge, God isn’t dispassionate like judges in our court system.  He passionately defends right and avenges wrong.  He serves as the prosecutor who asks penetrating questions, and if someone is found guilty, he is the executioner.  All roles are found in Him as the Judge.  As our Savior, however, Jesus Christ has taken the full, horrible weight of our sins upon Himself.  We deserved eternal death because of our selfish sins, but He is our substitute, paying the price for us.  This is the One, both righteous Judge and courageous Savior, in whose presence we live all day, every day.

We may do many things to win the approval of some people or to avoid being honest with others, but we can never escape the all-seeing eyes of Christ.  He knows our actions, our heart’s attitudes, and our deepest thoughts.  When we forget that we live in the presence of “an audience of One,” we think we’re getting away with our sexual sins, but that’s ridiculous.  Pat Springle, “Don’t Even Think About It,” Freedom Begins Here, 80-81

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”  Romans 13:14

Mike Benson