Danger from within

This study of spiritual dangers turns from threatening things ‘out there’ to inner threats, the stuff that is in my heart. The first one on the list is lack of integrity . . .  or what most people would call “hypocrisy.”

Hypocrisy can go both ways. As a Christian, whenever I act as if I am not a Christian then I’m being a hypocrite to the truth. However, this is not the common understanding. Hypocrisy is normally defined as the pretense of having a virtuous character, a moral and religious life that I do not really practice. It is putting on the appearance of goodness, but not being like that on the inside.

Jesus went after the religious leaders of His day for this lack of integrity: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:25–28)

These people seemed to think they were doing the right things, so part of Jesus’ condemnation was their blindness to their own spiritual condition. They had been greedy and self-indulgent for so long that they didn’t seem to be aware of their sin or their pretense.

That is the very worst of this spiritual danger — being oblivious to my failure to ‘walk the talk’ and to live up to what I say I believe. However, hypocrisy does not always involve oblivion. Sometimes life puts me on the spot where I can tell people how good I am, or I can be honest about my struggles with sin and selfishness. The choice is letting people think I am doing fine, or letting them know the truth.

This morning I received an email from another person in the seminary class I’m taking. He said, “Your posts and replies are always thoughtful, gracious and profound.” Here is an opportunity for spiritual danger. I could believe the ‘always’ part, pat myself on the back, and assume that I never again have to pray, rely on the Holy Spirit, and even sacrifice a great deal of time and effort so that what I write is honest and from the heart. Whenever I start trying to project virtue like “thoughtful, gracious and profound” there is danger that I’ve forgotten how thoughtless and shallow I am without Christ.

For me, hypocrisy involves failing to remember and share that the Christian life is both the righteousness of Christ and the greed, uncleanness, and lawlessness of that old sin nature. While I can walk in newness of life because God is gracious, I can also walk as that ‘dead in sin’ person that now stubbornly clings to me and tries to pull me back into darkness. Pride and the sense of “I ought to” wants only the former to be seen in me — to the exclusion of humbly admitting that I am not always living under the amazing power of the Holy Spirit in obedience to Jesus. I’d like to, but to act and speak as if I am would instantly put me in the dangerous place of living a lie and being a hypocrite.

Take a long look at Jesus

Appearances can be deceptive. We had three men come to move us. Had I seen them walking together downtown, I might have been afraid. They were certainly “rough around the edges” yet they knew what they were doing, worked hard, and moved with great care.
 

Looking past the surface is challenging. Sometimes appearance is not the only problem. Having a preconceived idea of what someone should be like can mess me up. Also, if I think a nice-looking person will have a personality to match, I could be wrong. 

When it comes to evaluating the Lord Jesus Christ, many have a mixture of ideas about Him from varying sources. The paintings say He should be tall, muscular, even handsome and definitely with a halo around His head. Or He should always be loving and kind, never scolding anyone for evil. Others think He must be a prude and that His followers have no fun. These perceptions cannot be backed up from the written record, but they (and other misconceptions) are held by many.

When Jesus came and was announced as the long-awaited Messiah, the Jews were expecting a man who would deliver them from Roman oppression and political domination. They looked for a hero and when He spoke and acted contrary to their expectations, they crucified Him.

They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” (John 19:3–5)

Pilate’s advice, though unheeded, is good advice. Take a good look at this man. He is not guilty of the blasphemy as you have accused Him. He is innocent.

Had Pilate figured it out? Did he realize this was no mere man? Did he understand that this Messiah was God in human flesh? Likely not. 

The Bible says that seeing the true nature of Jesus Christ is not within normal human capacity. It is a discovery that comes with considerable outside help. When Jesus asked His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:15–17) 

Yet God (and Pilate) say, Behold the man! Take a good look at Him. You will not figure out who He is without divine help, but that good, long look is far more apt to get you that revelation than deciding ahead of time who He is, whether from a cursory glance, or a rumor, or a preconceived idea.

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Lord, I vividly remember that day when You walked into my life with the revelation that You are God in human flesh, the God who loves me and gave Yourself for me. Each day You reveal to me more of who You are and more of Your glory and grace. Thank You.

To Live is Christ — means looking beyond appearances

Our vacation spot in AZ has us thinking we would like to return next year. We found an online site that lists rentals by owners. Each ad has full information with photos. We lined up two condos to view and had a peek yesterday.

The first one looked good in the ad. The price was affordable and the pictures appealing. When we got there, it was a huge disappointment. After, I went back online and looked at the photos. They made me think a little differently about the verse I’ve been reading.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Obviously this is a warning about misjudging human beings by their appearance. However, people are not the only things I can misjudge by how they look.

A child’s book (I cannot remember the title) depicts temptation as a bright and appealing light that floats in front of the child and leads her into a cave. Then the light goes out and the child is trapped in the darkness. How many temptations are like that? They look good to begin with but they lead into spiritual darkness and even physical danger.

Human value systems can be the same. We heard a sermon two weeks ago about the “greatest problem in the American church today.” The preacher said it was the rugged individualism of the American dream — gone wrong. This ideal began by a bold desire to make a better world, to adventure forth and improve the lives of all, but it has become a self-centered, me-ism that is only interested in independently improving the lot of me, myself, and I.

For many, this value system looks perfect and they are caught in it. It is not what it appears. The Bible defines sin as doing our own thing, doing whatever pleases us without regard for God’s values or the needs of others. God sees the heart of the matter, but people can easily miss that in the name of independence and the American dream.

To live is Christ makes me think about the values of the Lord Jesus. He did not get caught in contemporary thinking even though He was involved in the lives of those around Him. He knew the heart of God and saw there what is really important. Some of those values are in what we call the Beatitudes.

Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! (Luke 6:20–22)

To many, the outward appearance of these values is totally insane. Who can possibly consider poverty, hunger, weeping, and persecution as good things and be joyful about them? But Jesus, who sees the heart of God, knows a deeper purpose. The Father’s intention is not to make people miserable, but to bring us into a kingdom that not only makes sense of the negatives in this life, but gives them purpose to shape our lives and deal with our sinful self-centeredness.

More and more I am feeling a deep hunger to know the heart of God. Things like children dying from cancer and thousands dying in earthquakes make no sense, have no purpose, at least outwardly. Yet the Bible says that God is sovereign and in control. His plans are not our plans; His thoughts are not our thoughts. We see only the outward and become confused and doubtful. Jesus sees His Father’s heart and that vision gave Him the courage to say, “Not my will, but Thine be done” and go to the cross. This seemed to make no sense to His disciples at the time, but it became their redemption and mine.

I know that I can be fooled by appearances. People and many other things are not always what they seem. Instead, of letting the externals affect my responses and choices, I want to seek the heart of God.

Get my heart right

Is there such a thing as a “bad” good deed? Or a “good” bad deed? Can I mess up and actually mean well? Can I do what looks good to others, but it is sin in my heart?

I am sure this is true, at least in some cases and for several reasons. One of them is that, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). In the mind of God, whatever comes from the heart determines the “goodness” or “badness” of my actions. This judgment is based on what He knows, not what other people see or think.

Jesus said something similar in Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
God knows my heart. He expects what is in there will come out. That is, because Jesus is there, He expects to see evidence in my life. However, if I’m angry, or sad, or jealous in my heart, no doubt that will come out also.

But life is not always that straightforward. What if I do something that strikes others as wrong? I’m not talking about actual wrong, like murder, adultery, even speeding in a school zone. It’s more like when I offer my opinion, or do some type of service and others think that I am saying or doing the wrong thing. It happens.

Jesus is a strong example of this. He “went about doing good” and “never sinned” yet was criticized by many, even called demonic by some. He did good as God measures good, but much of it was misinterpreted and called “bad” by others.

On the other side of the coin, those same people did what looked “good” in their own eyes. They were religious, gave alms to the poor, prayed on the street corners, and seemed devoted to God. Yet Jesus told them they were a “brood of vipers.” He knew that their hearts were not right, that it was all show and no spirit.

Today’s devotional verse says, “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers” (Romans 1:9).

The author thinks that this usage of “spirit” is the same as when we say someone does something with a great deal of effort, like a football team who plays with great spirit. Maybe. But it could also mean that the innermost part of Paul (who wrote that verse) is the source of his service and prayer. He is not doing it to look good on the outside, nor is he doing it out of a sense of duty or obligation. Instead, the inner man, the redeemed man who is filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ is in control of his life. That part of him that connects with God and is deeply aware of right and wrong, that part where faith begins, is his motivation.

I’m convicted by this. Sometimes the Holy Spirit moves my spirit to talk and act, but sometimes I just do what is expected and am not fully engaged in it from the heart. Instead, my actions are motivated by my fleshy and sinful self.

If Paul was motivated in that way, this verse would not say what it does. For instance, people seldom pray for others without ceasing unless God moves them in their prayers. Paul was moved by God. He did not serve in the flesh; yet sometimes I do. God is my witness. He knows, and I know from observation and personal experience, that I might appear to be doing good, but my heart is not in it.

This is an example of a “bad” good deed. It might fool some people, but when I do it, I know it and so does God.

From this, I hear His word to me today: “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality” (Colossians 3:23-25).

Appearances can be deceiving

November 11, 2008

When we lived in California, our children wanted to visit Disneyland. As we entered the gates, it looked like a beautiful resort, but disappointment soon hit. Most of the vegetation was plastic. The lineups for the rides and attractions looked short, but their coiling length was hidden inside their entrance gate. While the children enjoyed themselves, I felt somewhat cheated. Appearances can certainly be deceiving.

My husband tells of meeting a woman when he was in his single days. She was about as perfectly attractive as a woman could be. He was dazzled – until she opened her mouth. Again, appearances can be deceiving.

In Mark 11:12-14, Jesus curses a fig tree. I’ve never understood this story until this morning. The passage says, “Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, ‘Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.’ And His disciples heard it.”

My study Bible tells me that fig trees are harvested twice a year. While it was not the season for figs, that particular tree had lots of leaves. The notes say that the figs grow with the leaves, so this tree was in leaf and ahead of season in that department. It should have had figs along with its leaves but did not. In other words, its appearance was misleading.

With this, the Lord reminds me of the times that I’ve caught myself in church putting a big smile on my face and trying to look joyful when I was not. What was I trying to do? I have to admit that I wanted others to think that I was spiritual when I was anything but. Appearances are so deceiving.

Jesus cursed the fig tree for its “hypocrisy” and gave an object lesson to His disciples, me included, about the seriousness of faking it. True spirituality produces fruit. Faking it produces what might look like fruit, but Jesus knows what is and what is not genuine and I know it too. Such nonsense is merely leaves.