Learn From a Pharisee

I've been thinking about Matthew 23 this week where Jesus talks about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. These are four lessons I learned. To get the most benefit out of this post, read the whole chapter for yourself.

1) It's your walk, not your talk.
It's very easy to talk about the right thing to do, but it's another thing to do it yourself.
If someone listened to what you said and applied it to their life, would it be the same as if they copied what you do?
The same goes for witnessing to people. You may be great at talking to people about God, but if your life is not a good testimony, you'll do more damage than good.
Do your actions match your words? Do you say one thing and do another?

"All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." verse 3

2)It's what God thinks that matters.
Why do you do what you do? Do you do good things to impress people? It's not enough to do the right thing. Our motives are important. We need to do the right thing because God is watching. Would you be involved in ministries and helping people if no one ever found out about it?
Forget about what others think and live to please God. Check out your motives!
"All their works they do for to be seen of men:" verse 5

3)It's the servant who is the greatest.
Are you a servant? Do you have a servant's heart? Are you focused on others and their needs or only on yourself and what you want?
"He that is greatest among you shall be your servant." verse 11

4)It's what's on the inside that matters.
My husband has a greenhouse, and right now it looks really nice. He has just put a new netting on as the last plastic covering ripped. One week I kept getting comments about how good it looked. I told my husband and he replied, "Yeah, it looks good, but on the inside it's not doing well!"
The plants are not doing well as there are bugs that are eating them, but on the outside it looks great.
Is your life like this? Do you look like you're doing great, but really you are not walking with God? Are there sins only you and God know about that you're not dealing with? It is what's inside that really counts.
"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.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." 27-28
Is your heart right with God?