Faith Capsule: Are you one of those who want to show on the outside while the inside is far from God?

Matthew 23

Many are very impressive on the outside but the inside is nothing to write about. The outside presents God but the inside exempts God. What man sees about a believer is not same as what God sees. Also, how God sees man is not same how man sees man. Are you one whose outward appearance looks impressive to man by virtue of their commitment but far from God? Jesus identified a group of people whose life style matches impressing man but not God as hypocrites. In the days of Jesus, He talked about the scribes and the Pharisees stating, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.” The Pharisees were one of the major sect or special – interest groups among the Jews during the days of the New Testament. Pharisees, meaning separated ones, believed that religious rituals and separation from sinners were the way to please God. Matters such as the laws of tithing and ritual purity were very important to the Pharisees. Are you one who shows God on the outside while the inside is far from God?
Are you a modern day Pharisees that will offer more than what is requested for the outside while the inside is not being attended to? Today, every believer does have a need for serious self-examination. Man can be deceived but God cannot be deceived. It is possible to come in to fellowship presenting self on the outside as holy while the inside is dirty and far from God. It does not matter how long man gets away with hypocrisy but it is important for man to know that nothing is hidden from God and God does not overlook sin. It is evil to have inside that is far from God. Man should know that “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” (Ecclesiastes 8:11)
Paying attention and asking God like the psalmist did is a way of getting one back to God. Psalm stated in Psalm 19:12-13, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.” God is a God that does not look from outside to inside, but rather looks from the inside to the outside. It is time for self-examination in order to be on the Lord side.

Prayer for today: As God to deliver you so that sin will not have dominion over your life.