Straight Talk
Mark 7: 5Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
I just love the way Jesus cut right to the chase! He didn’t waste words. He got right to the point! He didn’t play games. He just told it like it was.
How refreshing! In our attempts to “be nice” sometimes we can mislead people as to the purpose of our intentions, our motives or in the understanding of what we are saying. A lot of people present themselves with plastic smiles and they slip on their invisible mask each morning before they leave home. Sometimes you don’t know what someone thinks or what they are really saying. I think this course of behavior leaves wide open spaces for miscommunication, misunderstanding and confusion.
It is so easy to judge others. However; it is impossible to judge another without either lifting yourself up in pride above the other person or abasing yourself beneath the other person. Think about it. That’s why there is only one judge and He is the Righteous Judge. It is better to feed on the tree of life and leave the tree of the knowledge of good and evil alone! Only God knows the heart of a person.
Romans 2: 28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Religion and self righteousness are synonymous. The devil loves religion. Christianity is a relationship with a saviour, not a religion. Christianity is loving the one who first loved us. Too much emphasis is put on the dos and don’ts. I am convinced that a person who grows in their relationship with the Lord will gain greater insight and understanding to the grace of a loving God, thereby, being transformed from the inside out by the power of God. Why do we want people to come to a forgiving saviour and then immediately place demands on them that the Word plainly says they cannot keep? (The reason the law was given was to bring man to the end of himself; so that he saw his need for a saviour). To think any other way is pure and simple; self righteousness.
There are a lot of hurting people who are looking for answers and yet they refuse to turn to the church because of the “nose in the air” pious attitudes of the self righteous. This is sad. I’m sure it grieves the heart of God. When are we as the church going to be willing to say what we hear the Father say and do what we see the Father do? When are we going to quit playing church and realize that we are in the last days and “people” are on the mind of God. We should always have an answer ready for those who may ask us about the hope that is in us! An answer full of the love of God, without respect of persons, without partiality and without judgement and condemnation.
Let’s not kid ourselves. The world is looking for a way out of their mess. The world can see right through hypocrisy. The world is looking for the real deal. They are looking for the genuine. They are looking for a saviour. They are looking for someone that “knows” Him. They already know they are sinners. They already know about guilt and condemnation. They already know themselves on deep and intimate levels. What they don’t know is that God truly does love them and died for their sins and was raised for their justification.
2 Corinthians 5: 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Let’s not just honour God with traditions and formalities; let’s honour Him with our whole heart. Let’s honour Him by believing His Word. Let’s honour Him by seeking Him and really getting to know Him through His Word.
It’s so much easier to tell someone about someone that you actually know.
We are like a lighthouse, and the more aquainted with Him we are, the brighter we shine…….. The brighter we shine, the more opportunity for Him to be lifted up and draw all men unto Himself.
