"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also." [Matthew 23:25-26 NASB]
The Pharisees were like the cup. They gave the appearance of goodness and holiness, but their heart was far from God. It is not always easy for us to tell the difference, because "God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." [1 Samuel 16:7 NASB]
Sunday morning church is a lot like Facebook. We post pretty pictures of happy people, all dressed up with their hair brushed and their smiles on. We never post pictures of ourselves just crawling out of bed, or in mid-argument with our spouse. We never post videos of ourselves throwing a tantrum because we didn't get our way. And we do our best to hide the shameful acts that we don't want anyone to see.
It's the same with church; we smile and act like a saint when we are at a church meeting. But they don't see what you are like at home.
If you are to live a life free of hypocrisy, then your behavior when you're at home and nobody is watching should be the same as your public behavior in a Sunday morning church service. Even the most vile sinner can maintain a facade for a couple of hours, when in public. But the facade must eventually fall, because the inner man must be revealed.
Jesus said, "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders." [Matthew 15:18-19 NASB]
I recently met a church leader in a small group setting. Less than five minutes into the meeting, he let slip the F-bomb. He laughed about and said, "It's okay, we're all men here." Essentially what he said was (my paraphrase), "I can prove I'm a real man because real men cuss". I didn't judge his salvation. Although, by his words, he revealed a weakness in his sanctification. Perhaps he was a new Christian just come from an environment where profanity was expected (in which case he should not have been in a leadership position). By the way, I'm not just being prudish. The Bible teaches, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." [Ephesians 4:29 NASB]
The point is, whether it be words or deeds, you can't just clean up your act and expect to be clean in God's sight. God looks at the heart, whether it be for judgment; "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God," [Romans 2:5 NASB] Or salvation; "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;" [Romans 10:9 NASB]
It is hard for us to know our own hearts. We are capable of great self-deceit. I pray with Paul, "that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints," [Ephesians 1:18 NASB]
I urge you to pray that God will reveal your heart to you. Be open to His Spirit, and allow Him to conform you to His image.
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