Externally Clean, Inwardly Filthy?

Focus: Matthew 23:27-28 - KJV

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. 28. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Matthew 23:23-28

Hypocrites present holy mien whereas they are as filthy as the devil himself on the inside. By reason of their inner filth, they present unto others wickedness by placing upon them burdens they cannot bear by themselves. They know what is good to do such that when others try to malign or cheat them in the context, they resist sternly; but when the roles are reversed, they are quick to push the same treatment down the throat of others to keep them down. Their hearts are horribly wicked even though they put on cassocks and speak as if they are the main representatives of God. The Lord disapproves of such but will rather we be pure first on the inside before we make outwardly pure representation.

Nathaniel had neither met nor spoken to Christ before but when Philip invited him to meet Jesus, the same saw him and expressed delight on his pure heart to the chagrin of the man himself. Judas Iscariot was all around Jesus presenting a positive mien but full of crass wickedness and willingness to sell Him to the enemy. Jesus realized his hypocrisy, called it out to his face and yet pretended it was no big deal and had the effrontery to kiss Christ with his horrible heart, in betrayal. God sees; God knows. A kiss is definitely not an indication of love and the earlier that we know that, the better for us. But they that put up such personality are not hidden from the sight of God as He looks on the inward.

Whatever we do, God is never mocked. We can deceive everyone but He is never deceived. If we will take it to heart from today that even the slightest of our thoughts are not hidden from Him, then it becomes easy for us to yield to the Holy Spirit in our inner man to first be pure inside before we start to put on the external carriage of the holy man. One wonders why people gather and claim to lift up holy hands in one accord, yet there is neither sign nor wonder. It is principally because the hearts are never in tandem one with the other. As the one is thinking about how to slay his neighbor the other is thinking of how to cheat another in business or contract pursuit. How can we assume God will understand such wickedness?

Please pray:

Father, I thank you even though I know I am not completely pure on the inside yet to meet your standard. Please purify me with the blood of Jesus on my inside so that my heart may be like pure gold so that I might be bold to say always that my body is your sanctuary, in Jesus’ name. Please create a shield with your word over my heart so that no impurity is allowed into it ever again any longer, in Jesus’ name. Do keep me holy not only on the inside but also on the outside so that from now on, my actions meet the quality of my heart, in Jesus’ name.

Please share with others. God bless you.