Hypocrisy

”…Acknowledge…God…and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.” 1 Chronicles 28:9b

Say all the right words

Make them sound good

Do all the right actions

Smile when you should…

 

But REALLY--

Where is your heart?

What are your motives?

What is your attitude?

Where is your focus?

 

Do you seek praise from people

Instead of from God?

Are you truly loving others

Or just trying to “look good”?

 

Is your joy swallowed
In empty selfish pride?

Do you fear that others will one day find

Who you really are inside?

 

Have you truly fallen
In love with the Lord,

Loving and serving because

His love alone spurs you on?

 

You can deceive others

But God"you can never!

He’s always searching your heart

For true love that comes from HIM.

Author's Note

Hypocrisy keeps us from trusting fully in God’s righteousness for salvation, and thus also from enjoying the fulfilling, saving relationship with Him that He wants to have with us. You can receive salvation from sin and eternal death only through having a real relationship with Jesus Christ, which means that you are depending completely and only on His sacrificial death for sins to save you.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Don’t fall into the deception of the Pharisees, about whom Jesus said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Matthew 23:25

If you truly love Jesus, it should be very obvious! Jesus says, “If you love Me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15

Otherwise, “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead…Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” James 2:17-18