Memorize: Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matthew 23:28
Read: Matthew 23:24-28 (KJV)
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Bible in one year:
Hosea 5-9,
John 11:45-12:8,
Hymnal:
Sing Hymn 12
Message:
“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Matthew 22:39
For us not to lose our reward from God, we need to pay close attention the words He uses when He speaks to us. The words in the above scripture say, “Love you neighbor as you love yourself." and not “Act as though you love your neighbor as you love yourself." l have come to observe that the Christian life of many professed Christians has become a stage play. They act out characters that are completely different from who they really are. If God was to show the state of your heart to those you relate with, Will they still see you the same way you have always portrayed yourself to be?
God does not recognize humility by how many people you call “sir" or “ma"; He looks into your heart to see if you have a humble heart. He does not recognize love by the sweet words you say; He checks your intentions. God cannot be deceived, and even if you deceive your Pastor, my God sees your heart and knows those who are His and those who are not (2nd Timothy 2 :19). I wonder why a person will try to look holy when looking holy does not count at all before God? Looking holy will not take anyone to heaven, but being holy will. Which is most important to you: how God sees you or how your fellow human beings see you? To me, it does not matter how holy people say l am; l am only interested in what my God says. Sometime ago at a Christian conference, the organizers asked that soft music be played while we all meditate. While meditating, I went into a trance and saw myself in a place that looked like the throne room of God. All the angels were so pure that they were transparent, and l looked extremely dirty in their midst. When l at out of that trance, l determined that if I was to enter that room again in a trance, I would not look the way I saw myself that day. I was already a holiness preacher by then, and people all around said I was a holy man, but that did not matter to me. All that matters to me now is how Jesus sees me. Stop pretending to be holy; rather, live a holy life for real!
On the other hand, some people dress and act like unbelievers, and then they turn around to say their outward appearance does not matter; because God looks inward. This is true, but what is on the inside will show on the outside. Stop deceiving yourself; if you like to look and talk like an unbeliever, then you are just the same as them. It is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Your outward life needs to reflect the transformation you claim has occurred inside your heart. Is your life reflecting this transformation?
Action Point: Pay attention to how God sees you and not what people think of you.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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