Bible League: Living His Word Then he said to them, "You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God."Most people want to look good in public. Most people want to appear to be upstanding, upright, and respectable. For some people, however, the appearance projected to the public is all that matters. For some, the appearance is everything. It's a mask necessary to cover up the real motives of the heart. The Pharisees in Jesus' day wanted to appear righteous in public, wanted to project a love for God, but God knew what was in their hearts. He knew that what they really loved was praise from people (John 12:43) and money (Luke 16:13-14). The world, however, honors what the pharisaical do. The world honors those who put on masks and construct fronts designed for public consumption. The world honors them because the world only cares that it looks good, not that it is good. The world goes along with the show because the world wants the approval of those that exalt themselves in public and lift themselves on high. If you want to get ahead in the world, then you should never look behind their masks and fronts and you should never question their motives. God, on the other hand, hates what the pharisaical do. God detests the masks and fronts whose only purpose is for show. God detests them because He wants what is good, not what merely looks good. God is more gracious to the wretched sinner who truly repents from the heart than the self-righteous Pharisee whose heart never repents for anything. Indeed, God will justify and exalt the sinner, but condemn and humble the Pharisee (Luke 18:13-14). If you want to get on God's good side, then you better drop the masks and fronts and you better straighten out your motives. God wants true disciples who do His will from motives that are sincere and genuine, not Pharisees who put on public shows of righteousness for the praise of people and the benefits they confer. God detests the artificial impressions that are highly esteemed by the world, but are born of motives that are actually evil. We should examine the motives of our hearts on a regular basis. We should ask ourselves why we do the things we do. Are we true disciples, or just a bunch of Pharisees? Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJeremiah 43, 44, 45 Jeremiah 43 -- Johanan Disregards Prophecy, Takes People to Egypt; Jeremiah Warns NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Jeremiah 44 -- Jeremiah Predicts Conquest of Egypt, Disaster in Judah NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Jeremiah 45 -- Jeremiah Instructs and Comforts Baruch NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Hebrews 3 Hebrews 3 -- Jesus Our High Priest; Danger in Unbelief NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.Insight Paul writes against any philosophy of life based only on human ideas and experiences. Paul himself was a gifted philosopher, so he is not condemning philosophy. He is condemning teaching that credits humanity, not Christ, with being the answer to life's problems. That approach becomes a false religion. There are many man-made approaches to life's problems that totally disregard God. Challenge To resist heresy you must use your mind, keep your eyes on Christ, and study God's Word. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Isaiah 44:3 I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. As well chain the eagle's wing to make it mount, as doubt in order to increase our grace. It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul at first; and it is not a legal bondage, but gospel liberty which can restore the fainting believer afterwards. Slavish fear brings not back the backslider to God, but the sweet wooings of love allure him to Jesus' bosom. Are you this morning thirsting for the living God, and unhappy because you cannot find him to the delight of your heart? Have you lost the joy of religion, and is this your prayer, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation"? Are you conscious also that you are barren, like the dry ground; that you are not bringing forth the fruit unto God which he has a right to expect of you; that you are not so useful in the Church, or in the world, as your heart desires to be? Then here is exactly the promise which you need, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty." You shall receive the grace you so much require, and you shall have it to the utmost reach of your needs. Water refreshes the thirsty: you shall be refreshed; your desires shall be gratified. Water quickens sleeping vegetable life: your life shall be quickened by fresh grace. Water swells the buds and makes the fruits ripen; you shall have fructifying grace: you shall be made fruitful in the ways of God. Whatever good quality there is in divine grace, you shall enjoy it to the full. All the riches of divine grace you shall receive in plenty; you shall be as it were drenched with it: and as sometimes the meadows become flooded by the bursting rivers, and the fields are turned into pools, so shall you be--the thirsty land shall be springs of water. Daily Light on the Daily Path Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 1 John 5:11,12 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. • He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. • Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. • Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 1 Corinthians 15:43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; John 14:3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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