PRETENDING IS WICKEDNESS

Matthew 15:1-20

Wickedness is defined as evil by nature and in practice; highly offensive or obnoxious. Wickedness is an ungodly sin. It is what provoked the hand of God to destroy man from the face of earth during the time of Noah. Genesis 6:5, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Just as it was then, so it is still today. Today, wickedness knows no bounds. It reigns outside the church and it reigns inside the church. Within a group of believers, in the house of God or outside the house of God, if there is a request for who should be considered as wicked, so many would refuse. As a self-proclaimed Christian or born-again believer, have you ever considered or seen yourself as one who dwells in wickedness? There is none who wants to be identified as wicked yet many are actually living a life that testifies to wickedness. Let us see how Jeremiah pinpointed who and what qualifies one as wicked (especially within the church).  Jeremiah complained why the way of the wicked prospers. In Jeremiah 12:2, “He brought before God by saying to God, ‘You have planted them, yes they have taken root; they grow, yes they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth but far from their mind.’” In his question, there is a clear indication that the wicked are those who speak the Word of God but do not carry it in their mind. They are mouthful of the Word of God but mindful of their own self. Does this sound like you? It is important to be able to observe oneself in the mirror and doing this can enable the necessary correction. To operate wickedness can be extensively deceiving because one can grow and prosper but yet nothing is written over their forehead that identifies them as wicked.  This makes it more deceiving among believers of today who are having misconceptions of what prosperity is. Clearly, the wicked are those who could be highly conversant in speaking the Word of God although the Word of God is absent or far from their mind. Jesus referred to them as hypocrites when he was debating the Scribes and the Pharisees. Matthew 15:7-9, “Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Do you consider yourself as a hypocrite? Wickedness and hypocrisy are birds of the same feather; they both inhabit the spirit of pretending.

Prayer for today: Have mercy O Lord and let every iota of pretending not have a trace in me all the days of my life.