A devotion from our Prayer Ministry Team Leader, Lois Short
Coram Deo
The subject of this devotion will be an ancient Latin term "Coram Deo". The translation of this term is "before the face of God". This was a way of life for the early believers. Their daily lives consisted of the wholehearted pursuit of God. In everything they did and said, they were living to bring honor to God.
There are many articles on this subject. One of my favorites is
by R.C. Sproul. He says
“to live ‘coram deo’ is to live one's entire life in the presence of God,
under the authority of God, to the glory of God. To live in the presence of God is to understand that whatever we are doing and wherever we are doing it, we are under the gaze of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place so remote that we can escape His penetrating gaze. To live all of life "coram deo" is to live a life of integrity. It is a life of wholeness that finds its unity and coherency in the majesty of God. A fragmented life is a life of disintegration. It is marked by inconsistency, disharmony, confusion, conflict, contradiction, and chaos. The christian who compartmentalizes his or her life into two sections of the religious and the nonreligious has failed to grasp the big idea. The big idea is that all of life is religious or none of life is religious. To divide life between the religious and the nonreligious is itself a sacrilege. Integrity is found where men and women live their lives in a pattern of consistency. It is a pattern that functions the same basic way in church and out of church. It is a life that is open before God. It is a life in which all that is done is done as to the Lord. It is a life lived by principle, not expediency; by humility before God not defiance. It is a life lived under the tutelage of conscience that is held captive by the Word of God."
That is a real strong statement. So let's go to the word of God and see if it is true. What are the guidelines set for us?
Matthew 6:33 Amplified Bible
"But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right) and then all these things taken together will be given you besides."
The kingdom by the way is described in Romans 14:17, "After all the kingdom of God is not a matter of getting the food and drink one likes, but instead it is righteousness(that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and heart peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Amp)
Romans 12:1&2
"I Appeal, to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of all the mercies of God to make a decisive dedication of your bodies (presenting all your members and faculties) as a living sacrifice, holy, devoted, consecrated, and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs,, but be transformed(changed) by the entire renewal of your mind so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
I Corinthians 10:31
"So then, whether you eat or drink, or WHATEVER you may do, do all to the glory of God"
Well the Word of God declares we are to live our whole lives as unto the Lord. That means when you go to work, school, shopping, for a run or a walk or any other place we go in our daily lives we are to act like Christians! There should be no difference between how we act in church and out of church if there is that is a problem. Jesus gets a bad name because of how we act. Pray for grace to be Christian or "Christ-like" all the time.
Part of our family bible when the kid's were small was to ask them how they would feel if a camera was recording every word and action and would show it in church on Sunday. They were not happy at that thought, and to be honest I wasn't either! But the God of the universe does see it all and hear it all. Good thing He is full of mercy HUH! But we will give an account to Him for our actions. Read I Corinthians 5:13&14. It is something to think about.
Lois Short
The subject of this devotion will be an ancient Latin term "Coram Deo". The translation of this term is "before the face of God". This was a way of life for the early believers. Their daily lives consisted of the wholehearted pursuit of God. In everything they did and said, they were living to bring honor to God.
There are many articles on this subject. One of my favorites is
by R.C. Sproul. He says
“to live ‘coram deo’ is to live one's entire life in the presence of God,
under the authority of God, to the glory of God. To live in the presence of God is to understand that whatever we are doing and wherever we are doing it, we are under the gaze of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place so remote that we can escape His penetrating gaze. To live all of life "coram deo" is to live a life of integrity. It is a life of wholeness that finds its unity and coherency in the majesty of God. A fragmented life is a life of disintegration. It is marked by inconsistency, disharmony, confusion, conflict, contradiction, and chaos. The christian who compartmentalizes his or her life into two sections of the religious and the nonreligious has failed to grasp the big idea. The big idea is that all of life is religious or none of life is religious. To divide life between the religious and the nonreligious is itself a sacrilege. Integrity is found where men and women live their lives in a pattern of consistency. It is a pattern that functions the same basic way in church and out of church. It is a life that is open before God. It is a life in which all that is done is done as to the Lord. It is a life lived by principle, not expediency; by humility before God not defiance. It is a life lived under the tutelage of conscience that is held captive by the Word of God."
That is a real strong statement. So let's go to the word of God and see if it is true. What are the guidelines set for us?
Matthew 6:33 Amplified Bible
"But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right) and then all these things taken together will be given you besides."
The kingdom by the way is described in Romans 14:17, "After all the kingdom of God is not a matter of getting the food and drink one likes, but instead it is righteousness(that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and heart peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Amp)
Romans 12:1&2
"I Appeal, to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of all the mercies of God to make a decisive dedication of your bodies (presenting all your members and faculties) as a living sacrifice, holy, devoted, consecrated, and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs,, but be transformed(changed) by the entire renewal of your mind so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
I Corinthians 10:31
"So then, whether you eat or drink, or WHATEVER you may do, do all to the glory of God"
Well the Word of God declares we are to live our whole lives as unto the Lord. That means when you go to work, school, shopping, for a run or a walk or any other place we go in our daily lives we are to act like Christians! There should be no difference between how we act in church and out of church if there is that is a problem. Jesus gets a bad name because of how we act. Pray for grace to be Christian or "Christ-like" all the time.
Part of our family bible when the kid's were small was to ask them how they would feel if a camera was recording every word and action and would show it in church on Sunday. They were not happy at that thought, and to be honest I wasn't either! But the God of the universe does see it all and hear it all. Good thing He is full of mercy HUH! But we will give an account to Him for our actions. Read I Corinthians 5:13&14. It is something to think about.
Lois Short
