Someone once said that there are three categories of beings that constantly watch man. These are God and His angels, satan and his demons and fellow human beings. Out of these three, God always knows our true state; whether we are for Him or against Him. There is nothing that can be hidden from Him.
The devil only knows your state by what you say or by your actions.
Man is the least capable of discerning the real state of his fellow humans. Thus, we find that any deception carried out by man is not directed toward God for God cannot be deceived. He knows what we think even before the thought is formed.
Satan cannot be permanently deceived by man because your actions and words will reveal where you stand. Thus, you cannot pretend to be spiritual when you are not. The devil will know sooner or later.
We thus find that man's deception is always directed toward fellow men. Man does not know the state of your heart. Man cannot say of a certainty that this brother or sister is truely saved. Man cannot really be sure that your love toward him is true or merely superficial. The perception of man in this area is highly limited.
All sorts of people now find it easy to appear spiritual. Who's the real you? Are you living a double life? A saint in the church but a sinner otherwise. Is your life a testimony to the people around you?
The truth of the matter is that we all know where we stand. Some of us just don't like admitting it or we hide from it. If you are truely spiritual, you know it. If you're not, you also know it. There is no such thing as a perfect person but are you deliberty deceiving yourself or those around you? Who's the real you? You know the truth and so does God. With God as your guide, only you can decide for yourself to live a truely authentic spiritual life. |
