Video #4 - Hide or Seek

It is our heart that reveals what is most important to us, and our heart dictates our actions (Prov. 27:19).  Guys, I can’t emphasize enough the fact that your heart is what matters most to God.  1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us that “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”

The things that impress us do not impress God.  We take note of a persons’ dress, stature, and demeanor.  We might be impressed with their knowledge of scripture, their ability to lead in worship or their powerful presence on the platform.  We may even appreciate their service in the nursery, or volunteering to clean the toilets in the children’s department.  However, God isn’t excited about those things – if the motive of their heart is wrong.

I was a pastor for 12 years.  I stood behind the pulpit every Sunday and taught from the Word of God.  People got saved; people committed their lives to God.  I counseled on how to deal with sin issues and some individuals even experienced real change.  I married couples and buried church members.  People were impressed with my ministry – and yet all of that was a front, a fake, and a farce.

Jesus describe me so well in Matthew 23:27  …  you see, I “looked beautiful on the outside but on the inside (I was) full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean”.  Inside I was a porn addict  … and I was an adulterer.  In my heart, I lusted after other women.  I may have impressed others, but God knew better.

Psalm 44:21 says, God “knows the secrets of the heart.”  You can’t play hide-or-seek with God.  He can see clearly into every nook and cranny of your life and fully recognize EVERYTHING that’s there.  Furthermore, he knows even the dark “secrets” of your heart.  He has searched you and knows “when (you) sit and when (you) rise,” he perceives your thoughts from afar and He discerns your “going out and (your) lying down.”  He is “familiar with all (your) ways” (Psa. 139:1-4).

The truth of the matter is:  “There is no dark place, no deep shadow where (we) can hide” (Job 34:22).  No one – let me repeat this so that it’s very clear – NO ONE can “hide in secret places so that (God) cannot see him” (Jer. 23:24).  God knows all the secrets of your heart.

So, let me ask you this: Why do you do think the thoughts you think and do the things you do?  Proverbs 21:2 tells us that “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart”.  We make our choices and decisions because WE believe they are the right ones.  We walk down a particular path in life because WE think it’s the correct way to go.  We believe THAT is what will make us happy, THAT is where we will find fulfillment and pleasure.

I used to justify my sinful choices by using the rest of humanity as my excuse.  Oh sure, I would admit I was a sinner, but would also let myself off the hook because “I’m not as bad as so-n-so” and “well, at least I’m not doing that!”   King David described it this way in Psalm 36:2 … “In (my) own eyes (I) flattered (myself) too much to detect or hate (my) sin”.

Remember guys – always remember – God looks to the heart.  “You (may) justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts.  What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight” (Lk. 16:15).  He looks past the excuses and puts the motives of your heart on the scales of His Justice (Proverbs 16:2).  You can make every excuse in the book (and even write some of your own), but “does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it?  Will he not repay each person according to what he has done” (Prov. 24:12)?

As long as your reason for fighting against lust, porn & masturbation is self-focused; as long as your motivation for breaking free from impurity is centered on the things YOU want for your life,

… victory will be elusive

… Always almost within your grasp, but never quite there.

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About Steve Etner
Steve Etner is a National Men’s Speaker, Author and Purity Coach (www.thepuritycoach.com). He has authored many books, including “Extreme Mind Makeover: How to Transform Sinful Habits into God-Pleasing Patterns of Life”; “The Pure Man’s Devotional Guide: A Biblical Toolbox for Purity”; and “Are You A Super Man? Becoming God’s Man of Steel.” 

Steve’s conferences, seminars and retreats focus on what God has to say about the way we think and the impact it has on our behavior. By teaching men how to live in moral purity by equipping them with Biblical answers, Steve’s goal is for men to have a re-ignited passion for Jesus and learn how to prepare their minds to successfully overcome their temptations and thus live pure lives for Christ.