M-G: 3.23.15 // Somebody is Eyeballing Us

It has been well said that the most important part of a Christian’s life is the part that only God sees. Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking, right? Naturally, that doesn’t mean that it is not important what other people see in our lives or that it is strictly none of anybody’s business. As believers that simply is not true. How we live as Christians does matter to God and to fellow believers, and the world cannot see how dark their life really is apart from the Light (Heb 12:14).

Even companies do not want their employees to live a lifestyle that tarnishes their brand name and values. Often we hear in the news of some person of notoriety, for instance, guilty of spouse abuse or racial remarks and losing their job and endorsements. Normally, people want to be seen in a positive light, saying and doing the right thing, and I would go so far as to say that nobody wants to be portrayed in a negative light; unless they are warped desiring the bad girl, bad boy image.  

Now if you come up to me or write to me that you don’t worry about that because you don’t do anything to be ashamed of, I will have to speak or shoot you a verse or two about lying. Let me give you three verses anyway to save myself the trouble (1 Jn 1:10; 2:4; Jas 4:17).

We may be clever, crafty, or clandestine in our behavior, but aren’t you glad people cannot see our thoughts like a pop-up window in the Bible references on M-G! Oh, if people only could read what we think during the day…. Why, pray tell; what would they think of us? Our thinking is important to God (cf. Psa 66:18), and we know thought precedes behavior. Tell me again what was that word you cut loose on when you hit your knee on the corner of the bedpost the other night, oh yeah, “Praise the Lord!??” Got it! You were so elated over the post making contact with your right knee; you went and hit the other knee on the other bedpost at the foot of the bed for a double blessing!

With all of the technologies recording earthly activities, from traffic lights, satellites, cell phones, and cameras everywhere, it has deterred but not alleviated criminal activities because mankind is inherently sinful (Rom 3:23; 5:12). Big box retailers have an army of cameras plastered to their ceilings but still have to raise prices on goods to cover for stolen items every year.

It is often said that if a professional thief wants to break into your home or establishment he or she will do so. For the most part, locks, alarm systems, cameras, security patrols, and so forth only help to keep honest people honest and reroute the bad guys elsewhere, to your neighbor’s house! Isn’t that part of the meaning of loving your neighbor as yourself?

The pro-camera everything groups argue that criminals know that cameras are “witnesses that cannot be intimidated.” Naturally, there is an outcry about the invasion of privacy and Big Brother concerns. The debate continues while the cameras continue to roll. Cameras do give a sense of security, but can also lead to a false sense of security; ever hear of bank robbers going into a camera-infested bank in broad daylight or a convenience store being robbed knowing there are surveillance cameras?!

God, who is invisible (Jn 4:24), knows what everyone is doing at all times. Has it ever occurred to you that nothing ever occurs to God? God doesn’t learn of or from anything. In fact, He knows what we are thinking before we even act upon whatever we were thinking about doing. His attribute of omniscience or all-knowing should tell us that He knows everything before, during, and after the behavior of every person on the planet, but that doesn’t deter most from modifying their thinking or behavior (Jn 3:19, 20).

There is another attribute connected with His knowing all, His omnipresence. This means that God is everywhere present. He is on the scene everywhere no matter where we are, fully present. How does He do it? Well, I am not exactly sure, but that is one of His attributes of Being. Satan, on the other hand, doesn’t “get around” the way God does. Satan probably travels at the speed of thought (cf. Job 1:6, 7; 1 Pet 5:8; ).

Don’t be fooled by the “walking” aspect of Satan’s getting around. Whether he moves inter-dimensionally or by thought, he can only be physically in one place at a time, but we should not underestimate his ability to scoot. He can depart from, say, Perth, Australia, and arrive in Chattanooga, Tennessee in less than a second or practically instantaneously, but I am speculating theoretical metaphysics.

But that is one of Lucifer’s limitations; he cannot be in two places at one time. As incomprehensibly fast as he may get around, our infinite God does not have that problem. Unlike His creatures, God can be in an unlimited amount of places at one time! He is everywhere present, being fully present everywhere. God is never stretched or spread “too thin” to where any of His attributes cannot be brought fully to bear at any given time or place. This is great to know. If God, for instance, is in Bangkok, Thailand helping a fellow believer, and at the very same time across the globe, I need Him helping me out in Cleveland, Tennessee, we both have God's full attention and assistance. This situation can be multiplied millions fold, metaphysically speaking, without God's skipping a beat! He is everywhere present, omnipresent, all present or fully present! The greatness of our God drives a believer willing to worship, serve, and adore Him. How awesome is our Almighty God, Yahweh! 

Omnipresence is considered to be one of God’s non-communicable attributes that He does not share with His creatures. We, as with the angels or demons, can only be in one place at a time. Angelic and demonic travel is obviously vastly superior to humans. God is always in heaven but on earth at the same time, literally, because He is everywhere present. How could He emphatically promise never to leave us or forsake us unless He was omnipresent (Heb 13:5)? Contemplate this mixture of verses that speak of Yahweh’s all-knowing and being everywhere present (If verse fails to deploy, left click mouse away from a verse and hover again over the passage or refresh page.):

1 Kgs 8:27,

2 Chr 6:30,

Job 28:24; 34:21, 

Psa 33:13, 14, 15; 44:21; 139:7-9, 10, 12

Pro 15:3,

Jer 17:10; 23:23-24,

Mt 18:20,

Col 1:17,

Heb 4:13, 

1Jn 3:19-20.

Recall the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind?” For believers, the Holy Spirit lives within us and goes with us wherever we go. God the Father is invisible (Jn 4:24) and sees everything!  For us, God may be out of sight, out of mind, but for Him, we are never out of His sight (Job 36:7), never away from us (Heb 13:5), and always on His mind (Psa 139:17, 18).

The fact that God sees and knows all can give us a sense of uneasiness if we possess a genuine fear of God. I get that. Ever guarded your words around godly people for whom you have great respect? We do that because we don’t want them to think less of us. With God it is not about being politically correct but spiritually correct everywhere, all the time, not just when we are around others.

God knows our hearts; the people we come into contact with do not. Maybe we have this notion that God will cut us some slack where others will not; so we have a tendency to be more careful in what we say and do around them but just the opposite when we are away from godly people. We just need to be ourselves in Christ in thought and practice (in agreement with the teaching of Scripture) whether in private or public; that’s the key to avoiding hypocrisy and being comfortable with the eyes of God upon us. It's a good idea because God is not going to stop watching over us!

We already know God is eyeballing us being concerned for our purity, protection, and progress; it is the Divine prerogative of being Creator to know everything going on with us and coming at us. As our thought-life and lifestyle become more in sync with the teaching of Scripture there is greater comfort with God eyeballing us, and we don’t get so tripped out over it. What seems to be an “intrusion” is actually a blessing well received. John 3:21 is where you want to be.

Now, if we could just do something about those pesky governmental agencies illegally snooping on us under the umbrella of law enforcement, homeland security, national security, or whatever? I do have a problem with those electronic or physical sets of eyes and ears infiltrating my right to privacy as a citizen afforded by the United States Constitution under the fourth amendment. Like it or not, you get the real sense that somebody somewhere is going to be eyeballing us with or without our permission! One has a right and is always right (our God), and the other may have a right but is not always right (our government).

Paul commanded the Ephesians to walk as children of light and not partner up with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph 5:7-8) and to “See [Gk, blepete, look] then that you walk circumspectly [Gk, akribōs, accurately, exactly], not as fools, but as wise” (Eph 5:15). The walk should be reflecting the fruit of light (cf. Eph 5:9, ESV). The argument is that the adverb, “circumspectly,” modifies the verb “walk” and not “see,” based on the proximity of the adverb to the verb and from the observation that the verb see or look (blepete) is never modified by an adverb in Greek manuscripts (See Bible Knowledge Commentary on Eph 5:15).

As believers, we are to live accurately or exactly or be wise in our conduct according to the teaching of the Scriptures, making full use of our time because the days are evil (Eph 5:16) as a light among the darkness (Col 4:5) and fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives in worship and service. We shouldn’t need to be reminded of the brevity of life (Psa 39:4-5 89:46-47; Jas 4:14). We must seek every opportunity to do the right thing in agreement with biblical truth for God's glory (cf. Jas 4:17) while all eyeballs are upon us. 

For there can be no doubt, somebody is eyeballing us today in more ways than we can shake a stick at. Giving God His due, if a man is going to eyeball our lives, let's go on the offensive and give them the Truth in talk and walk (Jn 14:6)! <><