NOT FOR SHOW!

February 17, 2018

Matthew 5:20 (NKJV)

“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

External show of obedience and religiosity was the bane of the Scribes and Pharisees. They were committed to showing off their obedience to the Law, but in secret, they were just normal like everyone else. Their purity and fervor were tied to people observing and acknowledging them, but when no one was present, they were not as diligent in obeying the Law. Secondly, they knew only the letter of the Law but did not know the heart of the Law. That’s why they were in so much conflict with Jesus, who went beyond the external code of the Law, into the true meaning and heart of the Law.

And so must I be. I mustn’t be one who does anything religious for show or for men to see. Your inner life must be greater than your outer life, and the things you do on the outside must only be because you’re living the conviction on the inside. Showmanship in spiritual matters is death, and when you have to perform for others, this is not the way of the spiritual man. When God’s heart has overtaken your heart, your primary concern is no longer about human approval or external compliance to a religious code, but your concern becomes only about executing God’s will. Living and breathing in the will of God is the measurement of the spiritual man and this ought to be my primary and only concern as a Child of God. In this manner, I will differ substantially from the religious Scribes and Pharisees of my generation.

“Lord, turn my eyes away from doing anything to impress anyone. May understanding You and obeying You from the depth of my heart be my uttermost desire and passion in life. May I never live out a spiritual life to show people my spiritual life. Instead, may I live a life that is in constant connection with Your heart and may my heart desire only be to walk in step with Your heart, even when it may displease the religious system of my day. This I pray, in Jesus name. Amen.”

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