Recently the general public was surprised by the news that the government has been collecting emails, the contents of cell phone calls, Internet searches, as well as other types of personal data trails and storing them in gigantic data banks. This large-scale surveillance operation is being conducted with the purpose of protecting citizens from those with serious intent to harm them. The purpose is a good one, but you can imagine how this surveillance could be easily abused by someone in power.
There is another surveillance system in operation that far exceeds in power any used by human government. This system has the capabilities to gather and store every bit of information about every thought, word and deed that has ever taken place. It is a “complete” surveillance system, even detecting the innermost thoughts of the heart. Not even the cleverest person has found a way to avoid even the tiniest part of his or her life from entering into its knowledge bank.
The Authority in charge of gathering this information will never abuse the power this knowledge gives. He will use it in complete righteousness. In fact, the Authority in charge is pure, absolute, incorruptible goodness — He is God.
The Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:33The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3)). This might come as something of a shock to you that God sees all and knows all. He knows your friends and your enemies, your likes and your dislikes, what makes you happy and what makes you sad. He knows all that can possibly be known about you. He also knows your sin — its guilt and its shame — whether committed in public or private. He knows it despite the desperate attempt of human hearts to cover it up in a thousand deceitful ways. A person might fool himself into thinking he is not a sinner, and he might fool his friends, but he will never fool God.
God wants all members of the human race to come to the honest realization of their sinfulness in order for them to see their need of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. At the cross, the Son of God gave His life in order that souls who come to Him in faith might be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life. When God forgives a person, He doesn’t forgive some of their sins and remember others. He forgives their sins in all their totality for the sake of the Lord Jesus. “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17)). The gifts of forgiveness and eternal life are the greatest gifts God could possibly give, and they are freely given in grace the moment a soul believes on the Lord Jesus. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life” (John 6:4747Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)).
However, those who never come to Christ for forgiveness will eventually come into judgment for their sins. They will one day be part of a vast multitude who must appear before the great white throne. This immense number of people will consist of all the men and women who died without repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. On the throne will be none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Each one present will have their lives examined according to God’s perfect knowledge. No cover-up will be possible. Deceit will be useless. Sin will be shown for the evil it really is. Then every member of that vast throng will be ushered out of His presence forever to share in the company of the devil and his underlings for all eternity. Before that day ever comes, won’t you repent and turn to the Saviour so forgiveness and heaven might be yours?
Wouldn’t it be awful if a sinner’s mouth were completely shut with nothing to say for themselves? You’ll see an example of how God might choose to do that in Our Amazing Brains.