Our paragraph topic is: (Their hypocritical purity) Part 2.
They knew they were correct in their beliefs, their teachings, and their preaching to the people. They had years of experience. They had years of knowledge. They had years of teachings from those who came before them to guide them along the way. Did they heed the messages from the prophets handed down from God? Did they completely understand the mysteries hidden in the writings of the Gospels? Had they strayed away from the true meaning of the message of love given by Christ? Were the Scribes and the Pharisees deserved of the critical scorn given by Christ?
Something was truly wrong for them to have such public scrutiny made of their character and honor. What had they done? What was wrong with them? The people did not really like them. They knew that something was wrong because of the harsh treatment that they received, but did not know why. But Christ looked deep beyond the surface of their exterior and saw the ugliness of what was inside. He told them: "Because you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but within they are full of robbery and uncleanness."
They were full of robbery and uncleanness inside. The things they did while no one else was looking only Christ could see the ugliness inside and the uncleanness that they carried which made them hypocrites.
What lessons can we learn from them today? Are we living the same hypocritical lives as the Pharisees? Do we dress up the outside and leave the inside full of ugliness and uncleanness, full of robbery and iniquity? We dress up on Sunday and go to church to sing and shout to God in praise and then go out on Monday through Saturday and do the same iniquities all over again. What are we living for? What do we go to church for? Truly we are human and week in our sins but we have a God who is forgiving if we are truly seeking forgiveness hoping to try not to commit the same sin again. We want to clean the inside that we may present ourselves presentable to our Father in Heaven.
We acknowledge that we are sinners. We accept that we are week. We ask for help and the strength to withstand the trials and temptations of evil for surely they will come daily. But we must assure ourselves that with the help of our Father and the help of his Holy Spirit that we can overcome the temptations we face. He will guide us. He will walk with us. He will show us the way. He will carry us until we can walk for ourselves. And when we gain our strength and can stand on our own, he will empower us to fight with him to show others how to become one with him. For together we are one spirit, one body, one person in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us the spirit of new life eternal.
Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ . The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.
They knew they were correct in their beliefs, their teachings, and their preaching to the people. They had years of experience. They had years of knowledge. They had years of teachings from those who came before them to guide them along the way. Did they heed the messages from the prophets handed down from God? Did they completely understand the mysteries hidden in the writings of the Gospels? Had they strayed away from the true meaning of the message of love given by Christ? Were the Scribes and the Pharisees deserved of the critical scorn given by Christ?
Something was truly wrong for them to have such public scrutiny made of their character and honor. What had they done? What was wrong with them? The people did not really like them. They knew that something was wrong because of the harsh treatment that they received, but did not know why. But Christ looked deep beyond the surface of their exterior and saw the ugliness of what was inside. He told them: "Because you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but within they are full of robbery and uncleanness."
They were full of robbery and uncleanness inside. The things they did while no one else was looking only Christ could see the ugliness inside and the uncleanness that they carried which made them hypocrites.
What lessons can we learn from them today? Are we living the same hypocritical lives as the Pharisees? Do we dress up the outside and leave the inside full of ugliness and uncleanness, full of robbery and iniquity? We dress up on Sunday and go to church to sing and shout to God in praise and then go out on Monday through Saturday and do the same iniquities all over again. What are we living for? What do we go to church for? Truly we are human and week in our sins but we have a God who is forgiving if we are truly seeking forgiveness hoping to try not to commit the same sin again. We want to clean the inside that we may present ourselves presentable to our Father in Heaven.
We acknowledge that we are sinners. We accept that we are week. We ask for help and the strength to withstand the trials and temptations of evil for surely they will come daily. But we must assure ourselves that with the help of our Father and the help of his Holy Spirit that we can overcome the temptations we face. He will guide us. He will walk with us. He will show us the way. He will carry us until we can walk for ourselves. And when we gain our strength and can stand on our own, he will empower us to fight with him to show others how to become one with him. For together we are one spirit, one body, one person in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us the spirit of new life eternal.
Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ . The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.
