People Who Live in Glass Houses Should Live Pure Lives

In his essay, Of Repentance, Michel de Montaigne wrote, "Everyone may juggle his part, and represent an honest man upon the stage: but within, and in his own bosom, where all may do as they list, where all is concealed, to be regular- there's the point. The next degree is to be so in his house, and in his ordinary actions, for which we are accountable to none, and where there is no study nor artifice. . . . And it was a worthy saying of Julius Drusus, to the masons who offered him, for three thousand crowns, to put his house in such a posture that his neighbours should no longer have the same inspection into it as before; ‘I will give you,’ said he, ‘six thousand to make it so that everybody may see into every room.’"

Montaigne was making reference to the fact that some individuals act and speak one way in public but behave quite differently in the privacy of their own home. It is sad to say that even some Christians may fall into this category. They nod their head yes and shout "Amen!" when the preacher preaches against pornography, the use of beverage alcohol, and marital infidelities. However, they may have in their home video libraries, soft-porn R-rated movies or in their cupboards, a bottle of brandy "to help when they become emotionally frazzled." They may appear to be the perfect husband, wife, or parent around the community in which they live, but within the confines of their homes, they may be abusive or shrewish. People, as Montaigne points out, may not always be what they seem.

We should not be entirely surprised with this for even certain of those who were closest to our Lord were not always what they appeared to be. Judas Iscariot seemed to have fooled the other disciples as to his true character and Peter, one time, played the hypocrite by being friendly and eating with the Gentile Christians until Jews from Jerusalem arrived. He separated himself from his Gentile brethren for fear of how the Jews would react. Evident from the Scriptures is that God was aware all along of their inconsistencies for the inspired writers were guided by the Holy Spirit to write what could have been known only to God. Only God would know that Judas had given his heart over to Satan. Only God would know that Peter’s reason for avoiding the Gentiles was fear. God knows everything. He does not need to learn anything. The Psalmist penned, "The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works." (Psalms 33:13-15 NKJV) God knows each of us for what we truly are not what we may appear to be to others.

Montaigne reported that Julius Drusus was not bothered by the thought of others seeing him when he was in his home. He must have lived his life so consistently that he had nothing to hide even in the privacy of his own home. Could the same thing be said of you? Are you glad that no one can see what you are really like? If you are living a pure life pleasing to God then you too, like Drusus, would not be bothered to live openly before others. Every Christian should live his or her life as purely as possible at all times and if they did so it would not matter if they lived in a glass house.