The “real” inconvenient truth.

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 5:24-25 The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. ²⁵ Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.

Application: In these two little verses is communicated one of the most significant truths, yet one of the most hated truths. No one…NO ONE gets a pass on what they do, bad or good. It is essential for us to embrace this truth because it will impact how we approach our life. If we think we can live a secret, private life and no one will ever know it, we are wrong. Paul makes this clear to Timothy, and I believe it is done to help Timothy realize that he need not worry or fret about making sure all scores are settled. Some individuals reap immediately what they sow, whether good or bad. Others though, may do evil and seem to get away with it, or others may do good things and never get recognized for it. Paul makes it clear that in the end all will come to the surface. For a young Pastor that desires to make sure he is doing what God wants, this is an important truth. A shepherd needs to weed out the sin in his flock, but he cannot see it all. He also wants to encourage and recognize those that honor the Lord, again though, there is no way he can see all that has gone on, especially when some that do good prefer to do it unto the Lord only. This is important for a shepherd to understand, God will deal with everything that goes unseen. Those that do evil will give an account, and those that secretly did good will be rewarded. 

The reason this truth is so disdained by much of the world is that it brings home the reality that we are accountable for our lives. That is not a popular view today. Yes, most people want individuals that hurt others to answer for that, but if we live our life without hurting others yet live it outside of a relationship with the Lord, we do not think we should be held accountable for that. When it comes to human to human issues, accountability is an accepted idea for most, though today even that is in question when we consider how many criminals are never responsible for their actions because they are victims of circumstance. 

However, when it comes to human to God issues the story is quite different. Many claim that God should allow all of us to live the way we want as long as we do not hurt anyone else. Never do I hear them even consider if the way they are living hurts God. I think the problem lies in the way we think of You Lord. You owed us existence and therefore our life is ours to do what we want with. Obviously the foundation of that thought is flawed, You owe us nothing…well let me adjust that. Because of Your great love You gave us life to live in a relationship with You. For the most part You do allow us to live our lives as we choose, but it was never a right, it is a stewardship. Before creation You owed no one anything. After we were created and given the freedom to choose right from wrong, and we chose wrong, You now owe us something. Death! That is the wage of sin! We are accountable to You, our Maker. Father, help us to choose wisely! 

Meditation Questions: Do you feel God owes you anything? What is that and why? Did God owe His Son death? So what do we call what God did to His Son? Should we worry about what anybody gets away with? Why? When you do something for God, how important is it that others see it? Are there any sins that have only one victim? Why do you say that? How close to God do you feel we are in equality? Why? How does your answer affect how you live your life?