Thursday, July 26, 2018
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He's only in our office for a few days each year, but we think about him a lot. He's our auditor-the man who comes to check up on us financially after each fiscal year. It's important that a ministry have an annual audit we think. We're committed to always taking the high road and we try to be stewards of God's money that has been sent through His people. Everything needs to be handled by the highest possible standards. Now, the auditor will publish his statement after his review, and if he finds any weaknesses, he publishes those. I'm really thankful that we continue to get a good clean audit, but that's because we're thinking about the auditor all year long. I mean, here we are trying to decide the best way to record or document something. We always ask, "Well, what does the auditor want?" See, that helps you make right choices. You keep in mind that accounting that you're going to have to give.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Auditor's Review."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Hebrews 4:13. It says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Okay, there's an audit coming. We must give account, and it's different from a human auditor's review. The human auditor comes in and randomly selects transactions to see how they were handled. Jesus' audit is not selective. It says everything is uncovered and laid bare with Him.
Your human auditors might never find that questionable or wrong thing in your life. Your mate may never know, your kids may never know, your parents may never find out. You may be able to impress all the auditors at church, at work, your friends, but their audit is not the one that matters anyway. They're not your God. They don't determine your eternal rewards. They don't determine heaven's consequences or discipline.
It's God's audit you need to be planning for and living for. He knows what you're doing financially, sexually, verbally. He hears every conversation, including the abusive talk, the critical talk, the dirty talk, the lies, the backstabbing. Are you going to be called into account for what He's seen, what He's heard you do. And God knows why you do what you do. First Corinthians 4:5 says, "He will expose the motives in men's hearts."
See, the all-knowing auditor will confront you with the pride, and the bitterness, the jealousy, the selfish ambition. Even good things will be canceled out because they were done for the wrong reasons. He knows what you're doing. He knows why you're doing it.
Thankfully, the auditor's review is wonderful news for some people. For He's going to richly reward those who have lived with love and integrity and purity. Maybe nobody else will notice. Maybe your human auditors don't even appreciate it much. Maybe no one even knows the good things you've done, but the auditor who gives eternal rewards; He's noticing it all. We can't see our organization's human auditor most of the time, but we still make a thousand little daily decisions in light of his upcoming review. Should you and I do any less for the auditor whose audit matters forever?
You can count on it. The books of your life will be opened and you will have to give account. The auditor will play no favorites. He will not miss a single transaction. It only makes sense to always live aware of His presence, always aware of his standards, always measuring by His measuring, and always seeking to please the Savior whose audit affects your eternity.