Coram Deo

Coram Deo means “before the face of God."

This simple Latin phrase conveys an insightful thought and godly lifestyle - simply living one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God.

It encapsulates the true essence of our Christian life and walk in Christ. In Him we live and move and have our being. We live every moment of our life before our Father in heaven Who sees all that we are and do. In everything we say and do, we behave accordingly before His omnipresence and omniscience.

Before the face of God, we live and walk with trust, obedience, truth, integrity and faithfulness under His loving and caring eyes. All that really matters is His approval and affirmation. That's why we are doing what we are doing. And we will not do things that will displease Him. And we will not be presumptuous in claiming that we are doing His will when we have not.

Before the face of God, we seek the approval of the Lord, and not the applause of others. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are unconsciously doing things with an agenda to gain the approval and recognition of some important people in our lives such as our family members, friends, bosses, colleagues, contacts, teachers or followers on social media. But before the face of God, only one Person really matters - God Himself.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us that God sees and knows everything we do.

Matthew 6:1-34

Do Good to Please God
1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

The Model Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting to Be Seen Only by God
16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Lamp of the Body
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

You Cannot Serve God and Riches
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Jesus opened our eyes to see the unseen God at work in the world around us. He told us that God our Father sees everything, and knows even our motives in our giving to the poor, our praying and even our fasting. He knows whether we have announced our generosity by sounding a trumpet; whether we have turned our prayers into a religious performance before men; and whether we have proclaimed our spirituality and prided ourselves during our fasting periods. He also knows whether we are laying up treasures in heaven; whether our spiritual eyes are good or bad; whether we are serving God or mammon; whether we are worrying about our life and our daily needs; and whether we are giving Him first place in our life and living according to His will.

Everything is done before the face of God. Living in the presence of God is to know that whatever we are doing and wherever we are going, we are under the watchful and loving eyes of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place where His presence is not.

Psalm 139:7-8
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

To live in the presence of God is to live in His omnipresence, inside and outside His Church! God is God, and He is sovereign, no limited and restricted within the walls of His Church! It is a 24/7 lifestyle and relationship. Not just during church services, praise and worship times, prayer meetings, conferences, retreats, spiritual encounters and revival meetings. It is living for Jesus every moment of our life! In everything we do and no matter where we are.

Living under His divine sovereignty is not motivated by an unhealthy fear of punishment or threats of some repercussions if we don't. God is neither a bully nor a tyrant. God is love, and He is lovingly inviting us to a life of intimacy with Him. There is no higher calling or greater goal than to offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto Him, with thanksgiving, adoration and gratitude.

Before the face of God, we are called to live a life of godliness, integrity and wholeness. It is a life that is not fragmented or disintegrated, or marked by inconsistency, disharmony, confusion, conflict, contradiction and chaos. It is a life that is consistently the same inside and outside the Church! Our private life will not contradict our public life! Not being religiously correct before men but being faithful and true before God! Not interested in doing religious actions and activities but earnestly seeking God's heart and will.

Before the face of God, we live by His Word. Our hearts are open and humble before Him. Our ways are acceptable and pleasing in His sight. Our earthly goals and ambitions will eventually become trivial and insignificant in comparison to Him. We walk worthy of His divine calling and love as we live in the light of His glory and grace!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Before the face of God, we can find safety, shelter and strength. He is always ready to help us in times of trouble. Thus we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken; even if the mountains fall into the ocean depths; even if the seas roar and rage, and the hills are shaken by violent earthquakes or landslides.

Psalm 46:1-3
1 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

Thus, it is truly a great blessing, privilege and joy to live before the face of God! It is the path of life to live life more abundantly.

Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Written on: 30 March 2018