Hypocrisy is distasteful! (R) (5/7/2023)
Isaiah 29.13 "The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men."
A hypocrite is a person who says one thing, but means another in their hearts. They claim to love, but in their hearts they actually hate. They appear genuine and yet dishonest. What their mouths speak is different from what is in their hearts. That’s how Israel was, singing and worshipping God with their mouths, and yet God saw totally detached hearts. They had settled for rules of men in worshipping God. That was a mismatch.
To God, what matters is what is in the heart, not what the mouth speaks, unless the two match. What is in one’s heart reflects the real character of the person and that’s what God prefers. So many profess and invoke God’s name in their lips, claim to fear Him but their hearts are far from it. No wonder the fruit of their lives shows a different person.
God prefers that we reflect who we really are, and not remain in between. The sharp rebuke to the church in Laodecea shows how distasteful a lukewarm state is to Him. We would rather be hot or cold. God, the searcher of men’s hearts, knows each one of us as we really are before Him. Not everyone who says to Him ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. There are those who claim to love God and yet living their own ways. God calls us to be honest before Him. What would He say of you?
Revelation 3:15-16 "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-- neither hot nor cold-- I am about to spit you out of my mouth…"
Shalom children of God.