Coram Deo=Before the Face of God

I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil-Psalm 101:2-4

Let me start by saying this: There is NOTHING done in secret. All things are laid bare before the Creator of the universe. While I have affirmed this truth as long as I can remember, until God made me His child, it never meant a hill of beans in terms of how I lived. Coram Deo, latin for "before the face of God" should bring fresh fear to the heart of a believer. It means that our entire lives, both private and public, are lived out in the sight of a blazingly Holy God.
As I was reading "Worldliness," a book of essays compiled by CJ Mahaney, I was struck by the chapter entitled, "God, my heart, and Media" written by Craig Cabaniss. Struck because it's been a very long time since I have taken inventory of my heart when it comes to my media habits. I should say, honest and Scripture-informed inventory. I, like many before me, have compared my own media habits to others, and of course I came out "better than average" against that standard. The bitter truth, however, is that the standard is not "other people," but the only objective truth known to man-the Word of God.
So what was it that struck me about this particular essay? Well, I'm glad you ask. In his essay, Cabaniss at one point writes, "Many of us don't think about actively filtering our viewing [television]. As long as we avoid the obvious traps such as pornography, we don't consider deliberate evaluation necessary. Though we may faithfully apply the Scriptures in other areas of life, we may not consciously think about how God's Word applies to our entertainment choices." While reading this, I wondered aloud what such conscious thought would look like played out in my life. I was reminded of a lyric from Da TRUTH, a Christian artist, that goes "some of what I struggle with is internal..........; that's why I GOT CERTAIN CHANNELS ON MY TELEVISION BLOCKED." It's that type of intentional, proactive thought into my intake that I need. Actually, I must go even beyond the blocking of certain channels. A particular channel may not get blocked, but there needs to be a growth in Biblical discernment that leads to my changing channels more often than I have. The apostle John noted two-thousand years ago that all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and pride in possessions (1 John 2:16). Has anything changed from that generation to this? It is against this backdrop that the Lord warns us not to love the world, neither the things in it. Let's walk through an important text concerning our walks. Ephesians 5:1-16 (all emphasis mine)
Eph 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Eph 5:3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
Eph 5:4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Eph 5:5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Eph 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Eph 5:7 Therefore do not become partners with them;
Eph 5:8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Eph 5:9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
Eph 5:10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
Eph 5:11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Eph 5:12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.
Eph 5:13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,
Eph 5:14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
Eph 5:15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
Eph 5:16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil


Wow! As I read this passage over and again, I realize God's call to discern what is pleasing to Him; at the same time, the clear description of what's displeasing to Him should rouse my suspicion in both what I watch and what I listen to. How much of what's contained in this passage do I intentionally avoid in my personal life, yet entertain myself with in depictions of the lives of others? How is my behavior much different in this, than the behaviors I typically discipline my children for as dishonoring? For example, let's say I instruct my 4 year-old not to run across the living room because it's dangerous. He proceeds to walk as fast as humanly possible instead of running. Is his speed-walking less dangerous? Is it honoring to me that he is seeking to "push the envelope" of obedience as far as he can without blatantly disobeying? On the contrary, I correct him because what he is doing is, at the core, showing his desire to disobey the spirit of my command, even while obeying the letter. Also, let's say he completely stops running, yet encourages and even finds entertainment in his little sister's running. What does that say about his heart? In the same way, I could be seen as dishonoring my Lord's commands by "pushing the envelope" of obedience by being entertained by the very things that God hates, the things that actually put my Savior on the cross. I, like the author of the essay, am not advocating the banishment of all TV, movies or other entertainment. What I agree with is that thoughtless watching is to be avoided as dangerous. The pursuit of holiness is indeed an intentional pursuit. As Cabaniss points out, "we don't accidentally drift into holiness; rather, we mature gradually and purposefully, one choice at a time."
I certainly am not exempt from the many self-justifications that are possible when faced with these Scriptural truths. I have argued, like many others, that "I don't," for instance, "watch a murder and then go out and commit one." In other words, just because I watch such and such doesn't mean I'll imitate what I see. I'm smart enough to watch TV and then determine what the Lord finds displeasing about it, and then not do it. Cabaniss states, "our sanctification aspirations should be loftier than avoiding murder." It is blissful ignorance to believe that our hearts aren't negatively affected by the programs or films we watch. Not to mention the hearts of our children and spouses. As a man, I am held accountable for what I allow within my home, not just my own eyes. How's that for upping the ante?
Although I've only scratched the surface of what's contained in this short essay, I would highly recommend you read it for yourself. I'd like to leave you with some points the author makes to help facilitate thoughtful viewing. There are many more points than you'll see here, but I'll give a bite-size chunk as an example of the valuable advice I found here.
Cabaniss gives categorical questions that we can ask before viewing (or while viewing) that can help us discern the Lord's will concerning a particular show or movie. I'll just highlight two questions from each category here:
Time Questions
1. Am I delaying or skipping something important in order to watch this now?
2. In the last week, how much time have I spent on the spiritual disciplines, building relationships, or serving in my local church compared to the time consuming media?
Heart Questions
1. Do I secretly want to view something in this show/movie that is sinful? Am I deceiving myself by saying, "I'll fast-forward through the bad parts?"
2. Am I watching because I'm bored or lazy? If so, what does that reveal about my heart?
Content Questions
1. What does this show/movie glamorize? What is valued, or considered important?
2. Would I benefit in any way from viewing this show/movie or visiting this website?

Paul's word to the Corinthians that all things are lawful, yet not helpful is an oft-used text to herald the joys of Christian liberty. I, myself have harped on this verse to advocate my freedom to watch whatever I please, so long as it's not "blatantly sinful." Think about this quote from "Worldliness," though:
"What if we began to test all our media consumption from the nightly news to our entertainment programs to our video rentals? And furthermore, what if the standard was looking for what might be beneficial instead of what might simply be permissible?" In my life, this would/will change a lot. Look back to the Scripture that opened this entry; Psalm 101:2-4
I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil
The psalmist seems to have gotten the point of permissible vs. beneficial. We live our entire lives Coram Deo, before the face of God. I pray that God would give me the grace to walk as such in public, but even more so as David in Psalm 101; WITHIN MY HOUSE. I pray the same for you as well.
Grace and Peace