Text: Mark 7:5-15
Christians are a chosen
generation and a peculiar people. Our lives should attract and draw out those
in darkness into the marvelous light of the gospel. But when our lives
contradict what we profess and preach, we become hypocrites and the hearts of
sinners we are to win for the Lord become more hardened to the gospel.
It is not sufficient to cast out
devils and do miracles in the Lord’s name and preach fiery sermons to sinners.
Many who do these will be denied by the Lord on the last day because of the
secret sins they indulge in and the evils they harbor in their hearts.
Our public and private lives when
brought into examination at any time should receive the approval of God. We
must not honour God with our lips and distant our hearts from Him. A double
life is a life of hypocrisy and God disapproves it.
Hypocrites, no matter how much
respect they command because of their eloquence or oratory, hospitality and
charity and regular observance of Christian ordinances, will not receive any
commendation from the Lord.
Some so called believers are
hypocrites because they are ashamed to be identified with the Lord; they wrap
their Bibles when going to church to avoid being ‘embarrassed’ by people
around them.
Though they have received many
blessings from the Lord, they cannot tell others about Christ with confidence
and boldness. The Lord says, “But
whosoever shall deny me before men, him or her will I also deny before my
Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33).
THE TRUTH MEDIA
...building the body of Christ