“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” (Hebrews 4:13 NIV).
In addition to the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel’s experience, we can illustrate this passage with an excerpt from the New Testament epistle of James…
“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:23-25).
The centerpiece of this passage is a word-picture that should be familiar to virtually everyone. For instance, this portion of Scripture tells us that God’s Word can be compared to the effect of a standard mirror upon those who gaze into it. You see, a mirror reflects what already exists; the question is, what will we do with the image we see?
Much like those who have an opportunity to observe their image in a mirror, God’s Word presents us with similar options. For instance, there are some who feel their image is already good enough and never seek to check it in a mirror. There are others who deliberately avoid mirrors because they don’t want to act upon what the mirror reveals. Then there are those who are careless, indifferent, or unconcerned about what they see. On the other hand, a conscientious person looks into his or her mirror image and acts upon that reflection.
While an ordinary mirror and the Scriptures each carry their own reflective qualities, there is one significant difference between the two. Just as a mirror confirms the reality of our external image, we can say the same for the Word of God in regard to our character, internal attitude, and spiritual life. While a standard mirror displays the truth regarding our external appearance, the Scriptures capture our internal reflection with perfect clarity.
Because of this, we can benefit from continuously looking into the Word of God just as intently as we might look into a mirror to check our personal appearance. As we read the Scriptures and prayerfully seek to apply them in our lives, we help confirm if we are truly reflecting the image of Christ or if we are reflecting something else.