Being the person God created…

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. (Luke 12:1–3)

Hypocrisy is when a person says one thing but does another. This word is usually attached to morals. Example: A driver honks and screams at cars for changing lanes too fast, then cuts across three lanes without using his signal lights. In broader terms, it is giving rules for how others should live, but breaking those rules in my own life. Jesus says this sort of life eventually is exposed.

Christians are often called hypocrites. We know how God wants us to live, talk, even think, yet we do things, or say things, and even think the opposite. While that sort of problem has an explanation, so does the cure. First the explanation:

But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:20–24)

We who have a saving faith in Jesus Christ are given a new nature to live by, and though the old nature is termed ‘dead’ (that means ‘separated from God’ rather than unable to act, talk, and think), we do have a choice, not an excuse. It is simple:

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:14)

We need to change our thinking: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

Anyone who uses the accusation of ‘hypocrite’ know the difficulty and challenge of changing how to think or even admit the need to change. This not an excuse, but it is a matter of faith. Do I believe I know better than God? Do I even know what God thinks about concerning what I pray about? I have a friend who says, “Why pray when you can worry?” illustrating how easily it is to be a hypocrite if worry is a person’s habit of life.

Humility pops into this equation too. If I think I am right all the time (pride), listening to God’s view and putting it into practice is not easy. I have to see myself as weak, needy, and often downright stupid. This is not popular in a world that tells us we need to have a positive self-image. God’s ways are not our ways. Pride blocks them.

God, You know every thought I think or whisper and what opposites exist in what I say compared to how I live. You call it how You see it. I’m not to be as the Pharisees, but to be like Jesus, and the only way to do that is to keep my sins acknowledged, confessed, and abandoned, then be filled with Your Spirit and walk that way with no provision for the flesh. You give me what is needed. My choice is to believe You and live like it. 

Marks of no faith or true faith…

Oh that I had in the desert a travelers’ lodging place, that I might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all adulterers, a company of treacherous men. They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the Lord. Let everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, for every brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity. Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, they refuse to know me, declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people? Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him. Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this? (Jeremiah 9:2–9)

Some of our friends have been violently persecuted by family members when they left family tradition and became Christians. Imagine what anguish this would cause. Imagine the way they would feel had they not changed faith but were treated like that anyway.

This passage describes God's response to those who claim to know Him but do not. They show their lack of faith by the way they treat others who make the same claim. From this, the simple application is “examine the way I treat other Christians.”

The NT description of measuring true faith is the same:

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. . . . We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:10–18)

Love is an action word, not an emotion or mere talk. It is about meeting needs. It is also about loving enemies as well and not taking revenge when mistreated.

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17–21)

Being this kind of person is a daily challenge. To me it includes the crazy driver who cuts me off in traffic, the clerk who short changes with a smirk, the belittling remark of another Christian about my ministry, and the unkind reception of a relative to gifts. Love all, even enemies.

Jesus, You love like no other and set the high example for me. Bless You for not only showing how but making this amazing love for others possible.

Changed lives…

I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. For he said, “Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely.” And he became their Savior. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, of Moses and his people. Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit, who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to make for himself an everlasting name, who led them through the depths? Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. Like livestock that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name. (Isaiah 63:7–14)

As a new Christian many years ago, my mentor had me do a Bible study on sin. I don’t remember the details of that lengthy study, but realize the wisdom of this assignment. Instead of responding to conviction of sin with honest confession, it made me realize how often I made excuses for it. 

That happens, sometimes with deliberate deception in order to cover it, and sometimes with a sincere belief that whatever was done was okay. These days, I think of a non-Christian who takes great effort to do and say the right things. Another person is a Christian but takes the glory for all his skills to the point of bragging about them. As these things happen, I feel sadness. Both are stressed with their actions and attitude and yet cannot see (or admit) that they are doing the wrong thing by being insincere. 

My role? Pray. One is oblivious to her hypocrisy. The other is hearing rebuke but his pride holds tight to his own power to do good.

Jesus, it has taken me years to see how I’ve done both. My pride in myself has blocked my relationship with You. Once I could see and honestly deal wit it, what a difference. As I’ve told these two, being weak and unable is actually better than thinking I can do it all without You. In feeling and admitting, I rely on You and then discover more love and power than I’d never know otherwise. Your ways and Your will are always a joyful surprise. I’d love to see You in action in the lives of these two people. Right now, both seem oblivious, yet You are God who can reveal truth and change hearts. May they hear You and be transformed.

God is not a genie in a bottle…

 

Those who are critical of the church and call ‘Christians’ hypocrites may not realize that not all who label themselves with those terms may not be the genuine thing. Jesus warned that those who call Him “Lord, Lord” and did things in His name could be those without a relationship with Him.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21–23)

While people pray to God for help in trials, or put their faith in Him for protection, healing, and many other things, this may not be saving faith. The following passage explains that some who claim to be believers are actually not His people. It begins with Jesus walking across the water and the crowds following Him and asking why He came there…

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 

This question is a clue to their motivation. They were more interested in having their physical need for food met than their spiritual need for a relationship with Him.

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 

Faith is about our eternal destiny, not about having a full belly, or as that implies, the ‘good life’ here and now. It is about trusting Jesus, no matter what.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:24–40)

Genuine faith is not something anyone can conjure up. We are told to have faith yet it is in what we cannot see — not a full pantry nor the good life, but in Jesus for eternal life. That means dealing with the sin that separates us from a Holy God. Scripture is clear; the offer is made, but without His grace and mercy no one is able to say yes to it…

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. (John 6:44)
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” (John 6:63–65)

PRAY: Lord, Your Word tells me to beware of false teachers whose god is their belly. By tolerant acceptance, genuine Christians so easily get lumped into the ‘false’ category. My task is to be so much like You that I shine like stars in this dark world. Enable me to shine for You this day. Amen.

Living by grace

 

A friend and I discussed the current trend of Christians to avoid certain “sinners” whose behavior is obviously sinful. We both agreed that sin is sin. Christians can gossip, be judgmental, ignore needy people, and do things that the Bible also calls sin, but overlook some of those things and pounce on some we don’t do. We agreed that Jesus ate and drank with “sinners” that many of us refuse to associate with, and are not happy about bring ‘high and mighty’ — when we all fall short.

The gospel comes into play in nearly every situation. We cannot save ourselves, so what makes any of us think and act as if we did? Some call it ‘holier than thou’ and more accurately, ‘hypocrisy.’

Today’s reading begins by saying God’s tenderness toward the lowly is “rooted in His transcendent self-sufficiency.” I’m not like God, not self-sufficient. I need Him because any goodness I could claim is not even close to being like Him.

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isaiah 64:6)

Those who put their faith in the Savior enjoy “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22–23) and none of us can claim that we did it ourselves.

Faith puts me in the family and kingdom of God, but it is not my nature or doing that makes that happen. I have no right to boast. Where would I be if Jesus had not come into my life? I shudder to think at the possibilities.

The Word of God tells me to treat people as Jesus treats me. That means I cannot look down my nose at those who sin — which is everyone. All fall short. All need Jesus. As my lunch friend said yesterday, how will they hear about Him if our snooty attitude keeps them from being around us?

Piper quotes this verse:

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:17–19)

The goodness of God comes out of His character. My salvation has given me a new character. The old one hangs around and can mess me up, but I’m to live by that new nature by the power of the Holy Spirit whose goal is to transform me into the image of Christ. One of His traits is to welcome sinners, not shun them, point fingers at them, or put them in a category where they are totally untouchable.

My hubby attended the funeral of a coworker yesterday. He was not a believer. His ‘celebration of life’ was held in the restaurant of a pub. No evidence of faith could be seen, but hubby went, said a few words about the man’s working life, and a few words about faith matters. No one responded to the latter, but hubby went to mourn with them anyway. I’m thankful for his example.

PRAY: Jesus, the world is filled with sinners. Some seem totally disinterested in being anything different, but You died for them too. And You want me to live for them as well. Justice for the orphans and widows, and love for the refugees and aliens who need to know that they are welcome, not just here in our lives, but also to know Your invitation to join You in Your life. Help me live the gospel, knowing I cannot be like You without yielding all of my life in the grace that You give.

Who is doing the work?

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

This interesting NT passage begs the question: what is my part in doing the work and what is God's part? How do I know for certain that God is working in me? The answer may be obvious to some, but there are other verses that make this question more complicated.

Another passage from the OT quotes the people asking God a question and then His response. They said, “Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?” God answers:

Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? (Isaiah 58:3–5)

They were going through the motions so it looked like obedience, but God could see the motivation of their hearts. Their fasting was useless, even harmful.

I’ve tried to illustrate this with taking a pie to a new neighbor. I could be truly wanting to welcome this person and demonstrate the love of God, or I could be seeking a compliment on my pie-baking skills. However, the last time I said this, those listening tried to make my selfish reason a virtue! They did not see it as God saw the fast described in Isaiah 58:3. Were they blind to the subtlety of walking in the flesh that is intent on glorifying self?

God’s grace is a gift that enables us to do His will. It is like the hand in a glove. We do the work, but He supplies the will and the ability. This should make me say things like:

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)
For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (Colossians 1:29)
For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ. (Romans 15:18–19)

God wants me to press on by grace and in the motivation and power of the Holy Spirit, not according to my flesh, whether the latter is overtly selfish or hides that motivation under a pious pretension. I am not to think highly of myself but be content and even glory in my weaknesses that His power may rest on me. In other words, being Spirit-filled and enabled may mean that I am not even aware of His power. Only others will see Him because He is my focus.

PRAY: Jesus, faith is conviction about what I cannot see, not a vision or focus on what I want or how I am performing. It is a deep desire for Your will to be done, along with the understanding of my great need for grace. Apart from You, this glove is totally useless.

 

The see-saw of pride and humility. . . .

  

Writers are taught to write what we know. Christians are taught to share in the same way. I cannot share a doctrinal truth if it is unknown to my heart or not practiced in my life. In other words, I must walk the talk. Today’s reading says my goal is to share with others in such a way that the glory of God has satisfied the longings of my own heart. If what I tell others betrays that God has not met my needs, my words would be dishonest, even deceitful. If I want people to believe me, Christ must be real to me when I tell them about Him.

Last week a group of my quilting friends became upset with political shenanigans. I suggested that when they went home, to get a Bible and read Psalm 2. If reading this did not bless and calm my heart concerning the current political scene, then I would have no right to tell them to read it and be calmed in their hearts. I must ‘practice what I preach’ and avoid saying, “I know we are supposed to do” such and such but not be doing it.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1–12)

Telling others to do what I don’t do myself reveals fleshy and sinful motives. In the case of these religious leaders, they wanted to be seen, exalted by others, put on pedestals as if better than anyone else. Purely pride. But pride in me is not the way to glorify God. I know. I’ve been there, breaking my arm as I pat myself on the back.

What makes me sad is that others are sometimes reluctant to recognize human weakness that enables godly people to rely on Him. My sister once admitted her inability to a group of other Christians and they said to her, “Oh no, not you, Janet.” She didn’t know how to respond to that reaction to her admission of being unable and her desire to glorify the Lord. They saw her strengths but refused to recognize where they came from.

PRAY: Jesus, I know You were often in this awkward place. You equaled yourself with God yet also said You did only what He told You to do. That enraged those who merely talked but did not do what they told everyone else to do — and they eventually crucified You. I’m not nearly so solidly like You. Help me to not only be gracious to those who have a problem with honest admissions of weakness, but to always remember the truth of it — You are my everything and apart from You I can do nothing.

Fasting is not always about food…

 

The Bible speaks about fasting as a way of self-denial to focus on the Lord, particularly in prayer. It is said to be humbling as well as an occasion of repentance and complete dedication. Like any other pious activity, it can be imitated in the flesh and used to draw attention to “how devoted I am” or how religious. This hypocrisy is rebuked a few times. The OT says:

‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? (Isaiah 58:3–5)

This passage goes on to say that a true fast is one in which the intent is to minister to needy people. It includes prayer for them, but also action whenever possible that takes care of needs.
The NT rebukes fasting also. Note that Jesus did not forbid it, but strikes out against the fleshy motivation that seeks honor for outward actions that appear to be pious…

And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:16–18)

Jesus always looks at the heart. I’m planning dinner for a family this weekend and as I searched for recipes, found myself thinking, “This dessert is impressive” or “That salad looks heavenly” when I realized this dinner was not to impress them with my culinary skills; it is to feed them and be hospitable to them. This attitude does not fast from food on my part, but denies self-glory. It is obedience to Christ who calls me to love His people.

For me, the actual fast where food is not eaten is very difficult. Not long into it, I get such a severe headache that I cannot continue. Forgetting self in other ways is more achievable, but I still need to rely on the Holy Spirit. With God’s help, I can spend a day making food, etc. and praying for friends and others much more effectively than denying food for myself.
That said, Jesus denied food. His situation becomes an example for me, not about fasting as much as it challenges me to not rely on physical sustenance or my ‘I-wants’ as much as on His Word.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:1–4)

His self-denial was Spirit-led, not motivated to impress others or seek any other personal gain. He became hungry after the fast lasted a long time, revealing the depth of His focus. The devil appealed to His humanity, the human need for food, but also challenged His identity and power as God the Son. Jesus responded by truth from Scripture and with that, the devil had to try a different tactic.

The hypocrites do not get a word (rhema) from God to fast and are not led into self-denial where they face temptation. Besides that, fasting just to impress others has already brought them into disobedience. And like the tempter, when that does not work, sinful people come up with other ways to impress people (like spectacular stunts or great financial gains).

Jesus’ answer to such nonsense is simple and profound: If you want life, real life, listen to God. Rhema means a word fit for the moment. It is about guidance for each situation. As the next two temptations and His responses reveal, seeking any sort of self-glory is not what God wants from His sons and daughters. I’m not to test His love with demands to prove Himself or any form of  ‘gimme the world’ prayers.

PRAY: Jesus, You make it clear that real life involves taking up my cross (death to self) whether it is in fasting or spending time and effort with others, or anything else You ask me to do. It also involves listening. You will give precise directions, sending me into the wilderness or elsewhere, and You will also give me answers when the temptations come, answers that make the devil give up and leave. Thank You.

 

Integrity is vital

At times I’ve tried to speak kindly to people that I don’t feel kindly toward. If another person always talks and never listens, I might act as if I care about all their stories but really don’t. If another person lies to me, I might be polite, but inside I’m not trusting them. If another person goes through the motions of paying attention but is not really listening, I often stop talking just to see what they will do.

I know that Jesus did not have this dual thing going on. He never sinned in pretense — to care when He didn’t because He always cared. He also knows what is in every heart and does not trust Himself to those who fake it. He deals in truth. As the NT says:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

Reading this shows the connection of inner character and outer behavior. If they do not match, then it is called hypocrisy or lack of integrity. Connecting that to ‘pretending to be nice’ means that I am not true to myself or to my inner feelings. The solution has two aspects.

One is to be true to how I really feel. Sometimes that is hurtful, but it can also be helpful — only if negative feelings are true about the other person and they are spoken in love like Jesus speaks. His words that expose my sinfulness are loving because He knows the destruction power of sin. He does not want me to go merrily about my bad attitudes so He speaks to me about them.

However, there are times when speaking to another person about their sin is not appropriate and it is better to talk to God about it and let Him deal with them. This means listening to the Holy Spirit to make sure I’m not being silent for the wrong reasons, such as fear of losing a friend.

When John wrote, “I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father” (2 John 4) he was likely referring to gospel truth and the ‘children’ mentioned had faith in Christ, confessed their sins, and were growing more like Jesus. What stands out to me is that he rejoiced in this. If my attitude of “walking in truth” makes people joyful, that is a good thing. Some will not respond this way though because the truth is: unbelievers will hate those who have faith even to persecuting Christians in various ways.

All of this applies to how I think of Jesus. I can say that I know Him and trust Him, but what do I really think? Several verses tell me that His name says much about Him besides that He is truth. He is also Immanuel (which means, God with us (Matthew 1:23) and Light, and the only Way to the Father. Do my thoughts and actions match? Can I hide anything in my head or heart from Him? Not only that, if I say He is “Master” or “Lord” but am not obeying what He commands, do I really think that my Christian words can hide my thoughts from Him? My actions will eventually reveal them because if I really think He is my Lord, I will do what He says. And one of the things He says is:

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

This phrase “the abundance of the heart” is not about the fleeting things that fly in to tempt me, but about what my mind dwells on. If it is not on Christ and on doing the will of God, it is apt to be my will and my way — which translates to selfishness and sinful disobedience. Trying to look good on the outside does not cut it if my heart is unkind or even nasty. This is just one way I can call Jesus Lord but not do as He says.

PRAY: Jesus, more and more I’m seeing how thoughts connect to actions and how they need to match. This is not just about negative junk that needs to be confessed, but about truth concerning You that needs to be shared. I need wisdom and discernment from You to match how I think with how I behave and how I respond to others.


 

Bondage of Hypocrisy

 

Years ago, we hosted a youth group in our home and taught them about Jesus. Four teens from one family told me that when their father was on the phone, they could tell who was on the other end by the way he talked — someone from the church or one of his buddies. His hypocrisy confused them and made following Jesus difficult.

MacArthur’s devotional tells of New Zealand shepherds who use specially trained, castrated male sheep to lead other sheep from holding areas into the slaughtering room. They are called “Judas sheep” showing how we associate Judas with deception and death. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss and became the epitome of hypocrisy.

Hypocrites are pretenders. They seem interested in noble things, like following Jesus Christ, and demonstrate an outward allegiance to Him. Judas did that, and even to the last, not like others who followed for a time and then deserted Him after He exposed their hypocrisy:

“But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. (John 6:64–66)

Judas appeared to by holy. At the last supper, Jesus said one of them would betray Him but no one guessed it would be Judas, even though he was more concerned with the money bag than anything else and eventually sold Jesus to line his own pockets.

This man did not truly believe. When Jesus was arrested, he had remorse, yet instead of seeking forgiveness, he hung himself rather than admitting his shameful betrayal. His life is a warning, not just to those who fake faith, but to Christians. We can have this notion that appearances are more important than transparency. However, many others can see through this sham. I know how important it is to keep short accounts with God and guard my heart.

Yesterday, someone said to me that their biggest concern for the church was ignorance of Scripture. My first thought was:

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12–13)

That middle phrase, “discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” is a vital reason for being a student of the Word. It exposes my motivations and shows me when I’m trying to run my own life . . . which is the essence of sin. Like the five-year-old who said to me, “But I’ve never murdered anyone” we tend to make extremes the sin, extremes that we do not do, but the Bible exposes all sorts of stuff that we might not otherwise realize is an affront to the holiness of God.

We watched an Agatha Christie movie last night and most of the characters were horridly gossiping yet saying how others were horrible gossips. It was as if they never looked in a mirror. It wasn’t amusing and a reminder to me how pointing my finger at someone else means the other fingers are pointing back at me.

PRAY: Lord God, purify my love for You and protect me from any lack of integrity for it would put that label of hypocrisy on my life too. I cannot say others are selfish when I am selfish, or others are thoughtless when I am preoccupied with me, myself, and I. Keep my eyes and concentration on You and grant me to always want to read Your Word, desiring it like a babe desires milk and realizing I cannot live by bread alone also. Guard my heart from being led astray by subtle temptations of personal gain rather than desiring that You be glorified.

THINK: Read John 12:1–8. How did Mary demonstrate her love for Christ? What objection did Judas raise? What was his motive? How did he try to make himself look good?