“The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.” — 1 Timothy 5:24-25 NASB
Today, we’re going to cover the second half of this discussion. In part 1, we discussed the ‘secret sins’ we tend to commit and hide. But verse 25 here talks about the good things we do.
The way it’s worded might be confusing, so let me rephrase it for you. “In the same way, good deeds done are very obvious, and good deeds done in secret will be made obvious.”
There are some good deeds we do that everyone knows about. We go to church on Sundays, and possibly even a midweek service if your church has one. People may notice that we don’t cuss and swear much or at all. We may let the other driver go first in the circle. Seemingly little things, but these are things that people see and notice and pay attention to. People know these things about us, and that’s probably what they use to identify what and who we are.
But what about times people don’t know about? What are we like behind the closed front door of our homes? Are we the same person in our bedroom as what people see in public?
One of the first good examples for someone who has done many good deeds in secret is the wife of Charles Spurgeon. For most or at least the last part of her adult life, she was bedridden at home. But her support for her husband became known and is known long after God took her home. She was in constant prayer for her husband’s ministry, for the leaders in the church, for the souls of people who had not yet received Christ as Lord and Savior.
Whether they are true or not, there are stories told of times when Mrs. Spurgeon would sit up and listen to her husband preach a sermon in his sleep. She’d take notes on what he said, write it all down, and leave it out for him to find in the morning. And then he’d go over it while he’s awake and preach it to his church on Sunday.
She did things that nobody in London, England, or anywhere really, knew about at the time, but the impact that her prayers had on people still lives on today. She didn’t do it for glory and recognition. She did it all simply because it was right. She understood that she had been given such a quiet yet powerful ministry and she remained faithful to it.
So what about you? What about me? What do we do in private? What do we watch on TV? What’s on the radio in our cars? What are we scrolling thru on our phones?
A thought that we need to keep in mind from both parts 1 and 2 from this passage. What we do in secret will one day be made known. When it is made known, what will they find? What will people find out about you? Will it ruin you and your ministry, like Ravi Zacharias? Or will it further your Christ-like example and testimony, like Mrs. Spurgeon?
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