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So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:28 NASB

Just some thoughts before I get into this study. I know that how we live our lives and should be a reflection of our relationship with the Lord. As the word says we are made new, we have a new life. We walk in a new and living way, We are or should be renewing our minds through the washing of the water of the word.

Jesus actually said that men of the world will glorify God the Father, because of seeing our good works. He also said that men will know/see that we are His disciples by the love that we show to one another. In this respect yes, what the world sees is important for us to remember. I guess that the question would be, what constitutes the showing of love towards one another, and what good works, that the world might see and glorify God?

It is important because if the Spirit is to draw people to God through the demonstration of love between believers, and the good works that we do we ought to know what they look like. Because if we do not know how can we distinguish between what Jesus says to us about the world seeing our good works, and what this verse above from Matthew 23.

First we have to look at what Jesus was talking about the to the Pharisees and the like. They were doing things that God had said for them to do, but it was all about being seen to do what is right. The truth that Jesus was bringing out was that the motives were wrong. So even though it looked like right it was wrong. Outwardly everyone could see that they were doing according to the law, but that is not the same place that their hearts were at.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:25-28

This is called being religious. Being more concerned with the outward appearance that how clean our hearts are. We as humans are not very gracious. A person can try to do a good things from the heart with the right motives and get it wrong. We will focus on the outward wrong rather than the heart attitude of what was trying to be done. We see the bad so much larger than the unseen, where it is coming from, the heart attitude. It is easy to do, because it is natural to go by what we can see rather than believe what we cannot see.

Samuel had this experience when he was told to go to Bethlehem, to the house of Jessie to anoint the next King of Israel, years before he would become king. God does not look at the outward appearance but upon the heart of a person.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 NASB

To you and me all we can see is the outward appearance. The phrase, ‘what you see is what you get,’ is rarely true. We just see what is on the outside. What is done, what is said, what we see. We make judgements about people based upon this. God says No! Do not do that. This is hard, there are groups that put great emphasis upon being seen to do what is right. Both corporately and individually. In the Christian world there tends to be an attitude of we need to see the fruit, because that will show what is in the heart.

That can be seen as true, but it is the wrong way around to look at it. If all that we are looking for is the fruit, I know and have seen that we can often be looking for the wrong fruit and miss the real fruit. But let us go back to Samuel.

These sons of Jessie were all good specimens of men. Tall, Strong, good looking, Majestic, because that is what we want in a good king. Someone that we can instantly look up to. God said to Samuel, do not look at any of these things, the outward appearance. God was kind of saying to Samuel Close your eyes as they are not of any benefit to you, for carrying out  My will. Using your eyes will not help you to find what I want you to find. Do not look at the physical, because that is not what I look at.

God said I look at something that you cannot see. I look upon the heart of a man. I see what are the motive and intentions of a man’s heart. David described as a man after God’s own heart. On the outward appearance David was not King material, but he loved and trusted God. He had killed a lion and a bear to protect his sheep, but to look at him you would not have though that he was capable. But he loved and trusted God.

David had plenty of opportunities to do things in the wrong way. I have to qualify this, because from a human standpoint, he may well have been justified in taking the life of King Saul, but he did not. David would not take things into his own hands and touch the Lords anointed. God looks upon the heart. David was a better man, a better king than Saul before he became a king. He had a heart for God, and through his life he messed up, but he had a heart for God.

Rubber hits the road! We can look at someone a Christian and see them do something and say that is not very Christ like, and begin to doubt that person’s faith and belief system. God looks upon the heart! It may be that they treat someone wrong or say something in a harsh way. God says do not look upon the outward appearance, I look upon the heart.

How does that line up with what Jesus was saying about the religious leaders of His day? They were doing things that seem right. More than that, they were doing the right things to prove themselves right. It is an attitude. Doing the right things to be seen to be doing right. That is religious.

Here is the difficult part. We can do things wrong with a right motive or heart. We can do the right thing with a wrong motive or heart. Which is the best? Obviously in a perfect frame of mind doing the right thing with a right motive and heart would be great. But we are human beings with moods, emotions, attitudes that we have grown with/learned. Some time we just mess up. That does not mean that our hearts are messed up. It does not mean that our faith or belief system is not right. Sometimes we just mess up, just as King David did.

Think about this next fact of the Bible for a while. David committed adultery, and murder to try to hide the adultery. He went on to marry Abigail the child died. Then her next son was Solomon, the richest wisest king that ever lived, apart from King Jesus. Jesus was descended from a from a relationship that began as an adultery. Adultery was seen as so bad in the eyes of God that the penalty was death by stoning. Yet the Bible calls David a man after God’s own heart.

God Looks upon the heart, this is true. There is another aspect to this under the new covenant. It is closely connected. It has to do with righteousness. If we look at righteousness in regard to David. Some of the things that he did were not righteous. There were times when he did not act in faith, it did not mean that he lost his faith, he just did not use it. We are in the new covenant made righteous by faith. This was the same as before Jesus. Being careful here, because by faith people were counted as righteous in the Old Testament. It had nothing to do with obeying the law. outward acts, or appearances.

The apostle Paul knew all about this as he tells us about Abraham being counted as righteous through his faith. Paul tells us that Abraham was accredited righteousness through faith in the promises of God. So when Paul tells us that there is non righteous, he means that no one is or can be righteous by doing, by obeying the law. That is true and so that means that all of the righteous people that were under the covenant of the law and before that, had righteousness credited to them by God.

Why? Because God had a plan to bring the whole world back to a place of relationship with Him, so before that plan came into fruition all righteousness was a credit for a future time when Jesus paid the price for all Sin from the beginning  for eternity, forever.

How is this connected? Well God showed that before Jesus, His plan was to redeem the whole world. Everyone’s righteousness was credited to them through Faith. The trouble with religious leaders  at and up to the time of Jesus, their acts works were  not acts of faith. They were just outward acts to display their own righteousness.  

In the Church today we have many different views about what is right and wrong as far as righteousness is concerned. Some people talk about the grace shown in the saving of a person, then go on to instil a rigorous systems of belief that they have got to live right, it is not just enough to know that you are saved. A bit like that which happened to the Galatians; Ok now you are saved, you have to adhere to every letter of the word, the law. I know that they were being pressured into following the laws concerning circumcision, but elsewhere to other churches they are warned against the same thing, concerning eating of food, marriage, some things about idols, praying. Amongst other things. All of these are outward exhibitions to show righteousness.

All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.” for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:12,23

There is nothing that we can do to show our righteousness, we are righteous because God has made us right with Himself. That is what righteousness is, right standing with God. This is God’s plan he wanted to restore our relationship with Him. It seems that some people want us to get to know God by accepting His forgiveness. Then say this is what to do to continue to know and be in relationship with God.

Some of these things are on the surface they seems sound things. But there is something about it that does not ring true. Read your Bible, Pray, have a devotional time every morning.

These are all good advice but to kind of turn them into a law that will keep us in right relationship with God. IF WE DON’T we will fall out of relationship with God. this is a lie. We do need to do something to keep us in relationship with God. It is a relationship, relationships are two way. Yes we do need to pray and read the Bible, not doing these things does not take away the righteousness that God has given to us.

Our relationship with God is not dependant on outwardly showing that we are godly by trying to do everything right. God accepts us even though we cannot do everything right. Yes we are trying to do right, but our relationship is not dependant on those things.

Our relationship with God has nothing to do with outward appearance. It has everything to do with the heart.

God bless you and thanks for reading

Charlie

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. Romans 15:4-7

I know what Paul said to Timothy about scripture being good for teaching, admonishing, correction, and reproof. This passage talks about God being one who gives perseverance and encouragement. There are many more verses in the Bible that show who God builds us up and gives us strength, through encouragement than through rebuke.

Especially in the new testament it tells us over and over to bear with, build up, encourage, help each other. The thought of What James says about considering it all Joy when we go through various trials, it say the testing of our faith produces endurance. The connection is this, we get perseverance and encouragement from God that enables us to stand during any trial, then we are able to endure the trial.

knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:3-4

Perseverance is not our ability to weather the storm in our own strength, the perseverance we are talking about is a God given perseverance, and encouragement. It comes through the Word of God. Hallelujah The word of God is for our perseverance and encouragement, not for judgement and condemnation.

Two times in one verse there is a reference to the Word of God. ‘What was written,’ and ‘encouragement of the scriptures. ‘The scriptures, it is talking about the old testament here, (what was written before), was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and encouragement. There is much more that can be said about these verses from Jerimiah, But lets just take encouragement from them.

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord , ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord , ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord , ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ Jeremiah 29:11-12,14

God is for us! Romans 8

A thought about what perseverance in this context is, meditating upon the word of God day and night,(perseverance), we get encouragement through the scriptures. Encouragement for what? Encouragement never comes for no reason. It says that we might have hope. In Jerimiah God says about the plans that He has for us, they are for a hope and a future. Hope is for something good.

The opposite to hope is despair, expecting bad, or wrong. Thinking that there are no good choices to make. God only wants us to have a hope, not only that He has a future planned for us, Here in this world, in this life. There are plenty of verses in the Bible that talk about despair. Mostly to do with people getting to a place of despair before they finally call upon the Lord. That cannot be what God wants

There are some that will tell us that we cannot move forward in the Lord until we get to that place of brokenness, Then and only then can God do the work by restoring us. That does not sound right to me. It does not sound like the mighty God that I serve. That is like telling me that God wants and needs us to be broken, and in despair before He can do anything.

Some will tell us that God cannot use us until He has broken us and rebuilt us. Again that does sound right to me. I do know that is almost impossible for God to use a broken vessel, that He needs to mend it before He can use it. He is an expert in mending broken vessels. He is not the one who breaks us.

We get broken by the choices we make. Then it seems that some people blame God for breaking them. We get broken by not walking by the Spirit and doing what He is leading us to do. God gave us a free will to choose whatever we want to do. God will not ever violate that free will. He will and can make circumstances work out to protect us and work together for our good. We have to stop blaming God for the consequences of our choices, words, and actions.

Jesus warned us that we would have opposition, that we would be persecuted, and killed. If we have wrong way of looking at things we could say that these are things that are consequences of choices to walk in the way of the Lord. That could be a valid way to look at things, but not everybody goes through the same trials and tribulations for the same reasons. Those people who do the wrong stuff to us have got their own free will and will have to suffer their own consequences for their  actions.

I want to encourage us in the Lord. How can we stand and not become broken vessels that God has to pick up and mend. I think that as His children we have the responsibility to walk in a way that would not cause us to come to a place of brokenness. Maybe God has other things to do that are more important than having to put us back together, but He is always ready to help. Things will come against us at times but the truth in the Lord Jesus is that we have the victory.

For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Psalms 51:16-17

I have some issues with some of the teaching that I have heard on these verses the words of David. They have been used in this context of God breaking us. The truth is David  ignored the conviction of his own heart, then was confronted about the sins he had committed. Through self-reflection he became broken, realising the depth of his sin. Consequences of his actions. So David wrote this saying, “A broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, you will not despise. David was broken but He had the confidence to sacrifice his brokenness and come to God. In brokenness we can become prideful and not want to come before God, so it is a sacrifice of the heart, the flesh, that we need. Our hearts can become a stumbling block in the way of our relationship with God.

This is David recognising that as it says in Romans 8, that nothing can separate us from the love of God. no matter what we have done God will not turn His face from us, a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart god will not despise. He is saying that, “I messed up, now I understand how much, even so Lord I know that you will not turn me away.” David knew God and knew His word. There are other times when it says that David encouraged himself in the Lord.

Let me encourage you. If we meditate on the Word of God we will find encouragement. In that encouragement we gain strength. In that strength we will find Joy. In that joy we will find peace. The word of God says, Jesus said multiple times, ‘do not worry.’ Philippians 4 say Be anxious for nothing. And tells us how to gain that peace.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

This could actually be saying, if we look at it from a negative thought process; if you allow yourself to be anxious, and do not pray or humbly petition God, we will not have the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds. I prefer the way that scripture puts it, because it encourages me.

The truth is if we persevere in the meditation of the Word of God, we will be encouraged, strengthened. and equipped to stand against anything that our enemy the devil tries to throw at us.

Charlie

But you are A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession , so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; for you once were not a people , but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy . 1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB

Look at these verses there is no negatives. We are Chosen, we are royal, we are holy, we are owned by God;- that means that God has out His stamp of approval upon us. God took u from nothingness, emptiness to being Something, the people of God. We are the people of God. We are the children of God; for His Spirit bears witness with our Spirit that we are. We have received mercy for ever.

The devil is defeated. We are victorious in and through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is not our convicter, but our comforter. He will come and whisper in our ear something as simple as, “just trust me.” God’s word says that we should be no longer conscious of our sin but have a righteousness conscience.

Other people maybe conscious of our short comings, The enemy will make good use of the to try and bring us into conviction. We are set free from all of that Paul gives to us God’s view of us.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Y our sake we are being put to death all day long ; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39

The Holy Spirit is not the one who convicts Christians. The Holy spirt is our helper, or comforter, our teacher, our power. We have to stop blaming the Holy Spirit for making us feel bad. this is done by our own hearts, and consciences. And some other outside influences. Not the Holy Spirit, through whom we are supposed to have confidence in our faith in the FINISHED work of Jesus Christ.

I encourage you to do as Paul says. Even when things are not going how we think they should. When our hearts bring us down to the point of breaking. We can look up, take a hold of the Word of God, and stand in it. We can take hold of the hand of the Spirit and allow Him to lead us.

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Philippians 4:4

The Lord Bless you

Charlie

But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you. John 16:7-15

Some Christians mistakenly think that it is the Holy Spirit’s role to convict us of our sin. Actually I think that most Christians think this way!

I heard something that was preached on this and decided to study it out for myself. I found that what I heard from this teacher was actually true. When I say that the Spirit is convicting me of sin, I am accusing the Spirit of doing something that He cannot and will not do. Doing something opposite to what God the father and Jesus the Son is doing

That is a bold statement, but please bear with me.

I looked up the word conviction in a dictionary and it is interesting There are 3 definitions, 2 are close almost the same.

1 : a strong belief or opinion political convictions. 2 : the state of mind of a person who is sure that what he or she believes or says is true She spoke with conviction.

3 : the act of proving or finding guilty in a court: the state of being proven guilty, then Judgement is passed and punishment dealt out.

We say that the Spirit convicted me of sin of wrong thoughts or actions, How can this be? Because as a believer I have already been forgiven of ALL my sin. There is only one sin that the Spirit convicts of.

 As John tells us the Spirit convicts the world of sin, because they do not believe in Jesus. If we believe in Jesus. Of righteousness because God proved the righteousness of Jesus by tacking Him back to heaven. Of Judgement because the world and the ruler of this world has been judged already.  Conviction, realisation of what is right and judgement, condemnation.

 The Spirit has already done it’s job to us. As Jesus proclaimed as He was dying, ‘It is finished.’

God says that He has, Removed our sin from us, as far as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12

God does not even remember our sin. That is the marvellous, wonderful truth we have through Jesus’ sacrifice. One sacrifice for all sin, for all time. If you keep on being reminded of sin that you have committed in the past, it is not the Holy Spirit reminding you.

It is more likely that it is the enemy reminding us, to condemn us. To make us feel condemned and unworthy and down on ourselves. Telling us that God will not be happy with us. He will not want to hear from us, and because we keep failing God will not answer our prayers.

“I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25 NASB

And even in the new testament, the statement is repeated twice in the book of Hebrews. If God does not remember your sin, how is He going to be reminding you of it, convicting of your sin?

“for I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12 NASB

And their sin and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Hebrews 10:17-18 NASB

What Jesus tells us in John is about the Holy Spirit convicting the world of sin. You cannot as a born-again Christian apply this to yourself.  You are not of the world.

Jesus goes on to explain what the sin is, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit is for. Concerning the sin, because they do not believe in Me. If you believe in Jesus, then the Spirit is not the one convicting you of not believing in Him.

And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. John 16:8-11

The only sin that the Holy Spirit convicts of is unbelief in Jesus. If you believe in Jesus the is no longer any conviction/condemnation, because,

 The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death Roman 8: 1-2

More tomorrow  bless you

Charlie