Happy Thursday Saints.
Matthew 15:8 “THESE PEOPLE DRAW NEAR TO ME WITH THEIR MOUTH AND HONOUR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME. AND IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME…”
Some people use religious behaviours to satisfy their own conscience. And, what do we mean by ‘religious behaviours’? Any religious activities that are done without the heart. It’s more about religion than having a relationship with God. It’s more about DOING the right things without HAVING THE RIGHT HEART; performing the right actions without any desire TO BE Christlike; and looking like one is godly without having an intimate relationship with God.
According to today’s passage, people can say the right things yet still have their hearts “FAR” from God. They can even worship the Lord “IN VAIN.”
In Matthew 23:27, Jesus said to the Pharisees and the teachers of religious law, “YOU ARE LIKE WHITEWASHED TOMBS WHICH LOOK BEAUTIFUL ON THE OUTSIDE BUT ON THE INSIDE ARE FULL OF THE BONES OF THE DEAD AND EVERYTHING UNCLEAN.”
It’s what’s “INSIDE” that counts. Religious behaviours and activities that “LOOK BEAUTIFUL ON THE OUTSIDE” mean nothing to God when we don’t deal with what’s inside our hearts.
Referring to their hearts, Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 23:26, “FIRST CLEAN THE INSIDE OF THE CUP AND DISH, AND THEN THE OUTSIDE WILL ALSO BE CLEAN.”
The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. Take note of what Jesus said must be done “FIRST.” When we get our hearts right first, the outside will also be right.
This is very different from what many try to do to change. Too often, we try to clean the outside first. So we make a ‘TO DO’ list of things that we have to get done so that we can feel better about the things that we are unwilling to acknowledge and change INSIDE OUR HEARTS.
We must keep first things FIRST and work with God to get the issues of the heart right before we do anything else.
Have a fabulous day. God bless and lots’a love,
Warren
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