“You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience.” Eph. 2:2 MSG

If we had eyes to see, we would be shocked at how many Christians are sipping substance out of a brown paper bag throughout the day.  It’s true.  Many are addicted to the wine of doubt.  Sometimes we really chug on the jug of unbelief.  Other times we take tiny sips of the spiritual poison throughout the day.  So many live on the bottle of double-mindedness as if we had no choice. (Smith, 1998)  And it is killing us.  Double-minded unbelief cuts us off from the life of Christ in us like nothing else.  It keeps us from receiving ANYTHING from the Lord!  The only solution is complete abstinence. 

Today’s devotional may be the most important one, for double-mindedness is the most important hindrance to throw off.  Consider this bold statement: unbelief is the manufacturing warehouse of all our other hindrances. Show me a Christian who has an aggressive “0 tolerance” policy for double-minded unbelief, and I’ll show you a Christian who is living profusely in the power and love of Christ—coram Deo!

In hindsight, the single, most important factor that occurred in my heart when I first received the coram Deo revelation was an utter demolition of double-minded unbelief.  There was a complete coup d'état of the huge empire of doubt that had infiltrated every area of my Christian life.  Plunging into coram Deo resolve was like an atomic explosion that destroyed every brick of that stronghold with one resounding declaration:

I will doubt fully or believe completely.

Doubting truly has no room before God’s face, and that stands to reason.  If we don’t believe that God is really there or really allows us to approach His throne and get before His face at anytime, then living coram Deo is impossible.  The debilitating danger of doubt cannot be stressed enough.  Doubting completely incapacitates us from living coram Deo as we see in Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Adapted from the Coram Deo Secret
/coram-deo.html

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” Rom. 8:1

Once we embrace the strength of ongoing brokenness before His face, we will soon discover the vast freedom and easy breathing that comes from having no condemnation.  We will have no condemnation because once we begin truly relying on Christ in us to be our source for everything—righteousness, holy living, joy, wisdom, peace, our all in all—we take away the fuel for condemnation, which is the dung pile of our flesh. 

We need to see and believe that God does not despise our weaknesses. He wants us to quit despising ourselves for having weaknesses.  Despising ourselves does not lead to healthy change (repentance); only His kindness mixed with godly sorrow leads to repentance.  However, condemnation prevents these ingredients from activating and doing their work.  Many times we allow our weaknesses to expel us from His perfect presence, but He wants to embrace us and be enveloped in His Fatherly mercy and kindness especially during times of weakness.  He wants us to hear Him longingly saying with His perfect Fatherly heart, "Let My strength complete you in your weakness."  A crucial part of living coram Deo at all costs is learning to trust Him not to abandon us or despise us in our weakness. 

Jesus is our 7 x 70 Forgiver of sins.  After all, He would not ask us to forgive someone of the same offense 7 X 70 times without also extending that measure of grace to us. (Mt. 7:2; 18:22)  Jesus told Peter, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.” When Peter stubbornly resisted, Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you have no part in me.” (Jn. 13:8-10) We must routinely submit to the necessity of the Lord washing our feet even after we’ve been bathed and born again. 

When we are steeped in guilt and condemnation we are actually full of ourselves; it means we are walking according to the strength and inclination of our flesh.  We must no longer walk with mere head knowledge of the fact that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Co. 5:17)  It is time for this truth to take root in our hearts: when Jesus went to the cross, He took our old man with Him.

Adapted from the Coram Deo Secret
http://www.marisarickerson.com/coram-deo.html

“We now have freedom from the penalty of sin, freedom from the power of sin, freedom from sin-consciousness, and freedom from self-consciousness.  May, by the Spirit, we be kept in a God-conscious realm where we behold Him and get into His holiness.”             -Kathy Walters

While being broken before His face is completely foreign and uncomfortable to our flesh, it is also full of life-changing possibilities.  Being utterly honest with and empty of ourselves, means we make room to be filled with the glorious riches of God’s all-surpassing power.  Being able to cry out to God, “I JUST CAN’T—This is impossible for me,” means we are a breath away from saying the other half of that truth that brings wholeness, “…but with You all things are possible.” 

When the Lord called me to go on the 40-day fast, I had never even fasted for more than half a day at a time!  Therefore, I agreed to try it for three days in order to test the waters and confirm His direction.  But at the end of three days I broke down crying at the kitchen table saying, “God, I thought I had heard from You on this, but I guess I’m just not Your woman for the job.  I’m so sorry.”  I knew that I knew that I knew I could not do it.  So I got up and started getting ready to go out to eat when my husband got home—I was going to eat some steak!  However, the Spirit must have prompted me to pray one last prayer, “But God, if somehow by the time Woody gets home I know that I know that I know You will do it, then I’ll keep fasting.” 


By the time I was done getting ready, I suddenly realized a perfect peace had settled over me. Without understanding it, I simply knew that finishing the fast was His will and that He would accomplish it through me.  I was astounded and added for good measure, “Okay God, but just so You know, I’m going to quit at the first sign You are not with me in this.  Because I know I can’t do it.”  That was the answer God was looking for: that was the foundation of brokenness I needed in order to begin building the concept of living coram Deo.  Brokenness, realizing our utter need for God, unleashes coram Deo living.

Adapted from the Coram Deo Secret
http://www.marisarickerson.com/coram-deo.html

“…Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” 

As our various coram Deo hindrances are revealed, let’s remember He only and always has our very best in mind.  “God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.” (Ro. 2:5)  If what comes to mind does not come in a firm but kind manner, then it is not from Him.  Only the devil is the harsh, religious task-master behind the voice of the Pharisees who, “tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” (Mt. 23:4)

The devil’s callous voice paralyzes us with venomous spew, making coram Deo fellowship seem impossible for us.  The devil fears and despises a broken and contrite heart, but the Father does not.  God’s voice of discipline always draws us closer to Him and enables us to remove the load step by step like a kind Father who is hand in hand with us.  He deals gently with us and gives us grace to keep in step with His Spirit. 

Christ came that we should walk in newness of life here and now.

We simply have to get used to coming to this place often and bowing before God’s face with transparent hearts.  Let’s continually present our hindrance list to Him asking Him to save us from each one.  A tall order takes persistent faith that diligently knocks on His door saying, “Grant me justice against my adversary.” (Lk. 18:3)  His will is that we be saved completely from the penalty and the power of sin, for “the body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.  Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will raise us up through His power.” (1 Co. 6:13-14) 

Begin asking the Holy Spirit for discernment regarding where these hindrances are rooted.  Let’s ask Him to reveal the steps of deliverance He has for untangling each particular knot.  When problems arise from this day forward, let’s resolve to glance at the problem and gaze at God’s face!  Let’s gaze at His face until we know Him in such a manner that the problem will only be a pointer to God’s great resources. (Taylor 1977) 

Adapted from the Coram Deo Secret
/coram-deo.html