the basic message #E245
2/15/04
Ever see "Candid Camera" on TV? Although it's an old concept, it's been recycled in many shapes and forms over the years. Punk'd is nothing but a high-energy version of Candid Camera, but the kids watching it today are probably completely unaware that the concept was born long before their parents were even thought of. The structure of all of the "gotcha" shows is the same: Record the actions of regular people in unusual circumstances and at the end of the exercise say, "You're on Candid Camera", or "You've been Punk'd". Someone else invented the concept of "I'm watching you", and it was invented long before the first TV came along.
Proverbs 5:21
For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths.
Have you ever considered that every single action you take, every single movement is all being viewed by God? Maybe you think you can slip one by God while he's on his coffee break or while he's taking a nap. God misses nothing, absolutely nothing. Every questionable action, every word spoken in anger and every hatred is recorded. Some folks think God is obligated to immediately forget about every sin of those who profess to be Christians. I'll even provide the Scripture they use:
Hebrews 8:12
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
This passage would certainly suggest that God just simply erases our sins and transgressions from his memory as they occur, but is that really the case?
Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
Isn't the book of life the book in which saved people are listed? If so, it sounds like we're open for review when judgment day comes, doesn't it? I'd tend to believe that God can't simply forget our sins as we commit them, because otherwise he wouldn't be able to know if someone has rejected Christ years after making a profession of faith.
What does all of this have to do with Candid Camera? It's simple- we encounter situations daily in which our Christian love and compassion is tested. Perhaps we're at the car repair shop waiting to pick up our car. Maybe they've already worked on it 2 or 3 times for the same thing, and our patience is wearing thin. Do we have the "right" to ream someone out for their poor service? Yes, but our earthly rights end at Heaven's gate. We Americans have begun to live by the creed, "Don't get mad, get even". Christians that live by this belief might well be threatening their future in Heaven. You might well be one of the "once saved, always saved" crowd. May I ask you a question? Would you entrust a 12 year-old to get married? How about allowing them to sign a mortgage on a home, or buy a new car? The answer to all is "of course not". If we can't trust the judgment of a 12 year-old in those situations, how can we feel confident that their "walking the aisle" or "making a profession of faith" is authentic? Oh, you think God is behind each and every child's conversion? What then of the kids that grow up and say, "I didn't understand what I was doing- I'm really an Atheist"?
But let's not stray onto that subject, though it is one of my favorites. Today we talk about God's constant and meticulous recording of everything we do, both good and bad. I try to review my day during my nightly prayers. Did I say or do something that was out of character for a Christian? Probably so. That's what being a sinner is all about, but God expects us to learn from our mistakes and expects us to ask him to send the Holy Spirit to us as the cleanup agent for our lives. Christians that routinely cut-off people in traffic and flip them the finger are on dangerous ground. Christians that nurture their racists beliefs are openly rejecting Christ, whether they believe it or not. Christians that cheat on their taxes every year are stealing, and unrepentant thieves have no place in Heaven. Do I sound harsh? Sorry, folks, but I don't make the rules, I only report them. Year after year I challenge readers to send me Scripture that clearly states, "Just believe that Jesus died for your sins and you don't have to do anything other than that". For every passage they send, I'll send back 2 that says otherwise. I'm not being cocky, I'm just very confident in what the Word of God says, and I know that the modern Christian Church has all but lost their connection to what God wants.
The Bible tells us that our ways are not God's ways, but each of us can take a good introspective look at our own lives and see at least a little bit of what God sees everyday. The only way we can get better is to know what we're doing wrong. If you're one of the billions of people in this world that think you're "okay", then you won't be interested in participating. For the few that are interested, prepare to walk the narrow path that only a few find.