God Is Watching

(2 Corinthians 7:12-16)

Who can hide from God? Who can go somewhere or do something without God knowing? Nobody can because God is watching all of the time.

This short section of scripture speaks of the comfort and confidence Paul has in the church at Corinth because they are obedient and working to ensure they are following the sure word as taught. We need to do likewise and so prove to be following the Lord correctly.

Obedience to the words of the Lord and seeking the truth that will please God is critical. God is watching everything that goes on in this world. He is in control of all the events taking place in the world on both the grand scale as well as in the smallest details in the lives of every individual.

Paul’s Confidence

The Corinthians were a church in trouble. As you read through Paul’s first letter to the church you gain an understanding of the problems they had fallen into. There was immorality in the church and they were turning a blind eye to it and accepting it, which was not good.

Paul’s first letter was designed to straighten out the mess. He instructed them in what was right and wrong in relation to this and other issues, and was quite forceful over the matters that needed a strong hand.

Then we see an entirely different approach in this second letter to the church, where Paul is comforting and encouraging. He had drawn a line in the sand in his first letter, and clearly the church had taken pains to ensure they set things aright. They had done what was needed to make amends and to get themselves back on the straight and narrow.

So now we see Paul encouraging and comforting. He spoke of his confidence in them that they would do what was right and also of the comfort, confidence and encouragement of others who had visited the church and seen the improvement.

As the scriptures just prior to this section tell us, the church was grieved with a godly grief that led to repentance. And they did repent. They did make the changes necessary to resolve the matters that were pointed out as being deficient. They went to great lengths to prove themselves worthwhile of the name of Christians and followers of Christ Jesus.

And in the end that is what matters. Did they make mistakes? Yes. Will we also make mistakes? Yes. But like the church at Corinth, when we are convicted by the scripture and the Holy Spirit, we too must repent and turn to God for His forgiveness to make our paths straight.

God Is Watching

The point that sits above all of this is that it is necessary to be obedient to Christ ALL of the time. This is the point that I see in this section of scripture. Paul wrote to the church instructing them on what needed to be changed to return to the path of righteousness, but it is necessary to stay on that path ALL the time.

God is watching us all. It is not sufficient to be a Sunday only Christian, and then go out into the world during the rest of the week and behave improperly. We need to behave in a manner that shows our faith and the righteousness of Jesus Christ in our lives all of the time. The Christian life is a 24/7 thing where we need to be constantly aware of our thoughts, desires, and behaviours.

Part-time Christianity is no Christianity at all. This life is not about religion for religion’s sake, but is about living a life that is right before God and doing what is pleasing to Him in all situations and circumstance. We need to recognise the power and sovereignty of God over our lives because He is watching us at all times.

And when we fall or fail, we need to get back up, repent and seek the Lord so as to move forward.

By keeping the knowledge that God is watching our every move can help us because we should know we can’t get away with anything. We cannot escape the sight of God, and if you ever needed proof of that, consider Jonah who tried to run from God. Even when Jonah was in the belly of the great fish and he called out to God, God heard him and answered.

God is watching and God is in control. Nothing escapes His attention, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, He sees all. Let us remember that and live accordingly.

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