18/12/2019
THE WOEFUL LIFESTYLES OF THE HYPOCRITES.
Mark 7:6
"He 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."
Hypocrites are never sincere people.. They give false testimonies about themselves. They may likely say the truth but not from the depth of their hearts. They pretend to be what they are not, claims to be what they are not up to, and even condemn and judge people on what they themselves are guilty of.
Hypocrisy is one of the major lifestyles of the scribes and the Pharisees, which made Jesus to lament and even gave warnings in reference to their lifestyles. Hypocrisy made them to be religious, shallow and empty; which almost made them to turn the truth upside down.. They used the tradition of men to replace the Word of God, though they still quote the Scripture to defend their hypocrisy. They have no genuine relationship with God....
In Matthew chapter 6:1- 8, Jesus gave warnings concerning the hypocritical lifestyles of the Pharisees and their ways of worship and service(s) to God which are not acceptable... Jesus said if you want your service(s) to God to be acceptable, then you must not practice the way of the Pharisees..
They know how to quote the Scripture but they don't practice it. They know the laws and commandments of God but they are not doing them. They only honour God with their lips, but their heart is far away from God.. They only loved to be seen of men in their deeds so they can be praised and exalted and honoured. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God..
Jesus said No! Don't practice their lifestyles, don't practice their ways, don't follow their pattern of worship and service to God.. Their ways are ruinous and deadly. Their services are not acceptable to God. They have laid up their own religion and traditions that does not bring anyone closer to God. Take heed and beware of their ways..
They have woes! Jesus laments in Matthew chapter 23.. In verse 13 "But woe unto you"... Verse 14 " Woe unto you "... Verse 15, " Woe unto you".. Verse 16, "Woe unto you.." Verse 23, "Woe unto you.." Verse 25, "Woe unto you.." Verse 27, "Woe unto you.." Verse 29, "Woe unto you.."
We can see from the above verses, that hypocrites have a lot of woes. The hypocrites therefore, are living a woeful life.. Jesus is lamenting!!
Matthew 23:27
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness."
Jesus described these hypocrites here as the white sepulchres which within them are full of dead men's bones and uncleanness. What does that mean? It means that these hypocrites dress modestly, they appear to be godly and clean outwardly, but their hearts, secret lives, character and behaviors are dirty and unclean.
Titus 1:16
"They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
When we visit the cemetery, we normally see how the graves of some late people are decorated and designed outwardly. They look nice, beautiful and clean.. But when we check the inside, we can only see the decayed body and the rottenness of the bones there. Despite the outward beauty and decoration, the inside is still deadly and harmful, ruinous and bad..
Such is the case of some people who have taken holiness to be just removal of earrings and worldly attires. They have made modesty religious and does not care about the inside.. They say to people "how do I look? I am holy, can you see the way I dressed? Can you see my appearance? I am not worldly and jezebelic in appearance, can't you see me?....
They advertise themselves. They exalt and promote themselves. But alas! Their hearts and secret lives are very dirty and ruinous... They are just like the white sepulchres as described above, clean and beautiful on the outside but dirty and decay in the inside.. They only love to receive praise and exaltation from men.. Like the Pharisees, they practice self righteousness... They are not mindful of heaven, they are not ashamed of their hypocritical lifestyles. They are just playing religion.. These are the ways of the Pharisees that Christ is warning us about....
Woe unto them! And except you repent and begin a genuine relationship with God and begin to practice holiness within and without, the Kingdom of God will be far away from you...
What about those who claims that God only looks at the heart? You can do whatever you like and appear anyhow you like as far as your heart is right with God, who told you that my friend? Your outward appearance and behaviors, do they just come from your head? Is there anyhow or way you can appear or behave that you did not think before you do it? This is self deception of course! You are just practicing religion without righteousness..
The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.. What comes out of a man's heart defiles the man. Christ laments, "But woe unto them!"
Dearly beloved, let us repent NOW! Hypocrisy is ruinous and deadly. It does not pay at all. God is the God of truth and sincerity, He can never be mocked.
Luke 13:3
"I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
May God have mercy on us in Jesus' name. !! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
