There are people who tell others that they stand for truth and what is right. However, when you take a closer look at their lifestyle, what they say and how they behave don’t line up. Their actions and their beliefs contradict each other.
Jesus encountered individuals like that when He walked the earth; they were the leaders of the religious groups. Today we will look at one group: the Pharisees. They were students of the Law of Moses, and they challenged Jesus at every opportunity. The Pharisees were an influential religious group who believe in strict adherence to the law and oral traditions. They confronted Jesus at every opportunity. Jesus told the people: “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:27-29 NLT). They were hypocrites.
One Bible definition of hypocrite is someone who pretends to be righteous, godly, or virtuous while their heart and actions are not aligned with God’s will. How can we identify these traits in others and ourselves? A hypocrite’s heart is far from God. They say one thing with their lips, but they do not honor God in their hearts. (Matthew 15:7-8) A hypocrite is judgmental; the focus on the faults of others even when they are further from God than the person they are correcting. (Matthew 7:3-5). The Pharisees were proud; they held themselves in high esteem while looking down on others. (Luke 18:9-14). It is easy to see the Pharisee in others but let us not follow their example; let us examine ourselves to identify the Pharisee in us.
Thought for Today: Friend, don’t be a hypocrite.
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Have a blessed day and walk in faith and victory.
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