The Whole Duty of Man
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
When Mary anointed the feet of Jesus a few days before He was crucified, she used a precious and costly bottle of spikenard. Yet not everyone applauded her sacrificial gift. Judas Iscariot complained that they could have sold it instead to use the money for the poor. Generosity, however, was not his true motive. John tells us, “This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein” (John 12:6). But at the time, the other disciples were not aware of Judus' sin. They trusted Judas with all their money, not realizing that he was stealing from them.
Like all sins, the sin of Judas was eventually revealed. We may think that we have hidden our sin from everyone in the world, but God sees. We may think that we will be able to avoid the consequences of our sin, but God knows. We may think that we have convinced those around us through our hypocrisy, but God reveals all in His time. As Moses warned long ago, “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).
Realizing that the all-seeing God, who knows not just our deeds but our thoughts and motivations, will be our judge should lead us to fear and obey Him. This is the conclusion Solomon reached at the end of his exhaustive search for the meaning and purpose of life. As Christians, we know that we stand completely justified before God. This should lead us to an even greater desire to live in such a way that is honoring to Him and in accordance with His revealed commandments.
Growth Principle:
Since God sees every secret thing, we should desire from our innermost being to honor Him.