Honoring With Lips

Have you ever met people that have the gift of gab, so to speak, that are smooth talkers who always seem to have the right words to say?  They seem to be able to flatter everyone with their speech, always complimenting and agreeing with everyone they talk to.  You walk away from them thinking they are nice people and even kind of envy them, wishing that you were more like them.

I thought about this today when I thought about this verse in Mark 7:6-7:

“He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees at the time, about the traditions of men and not keeping God’s commandments.  The Pharisees were the religious rulers and law givers of that day.  They made a great show of everything outwardly but inside there was no change.

Jesus said this about them in Matthew 23:27-28, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Jesus had many other things to say about them in that chapter.  If you want to know what He said, read the whole chapter.  It is easy to look at these people with a holier than thou attitude but be guilty of acting hypocritical also.  This is what happens when we claim to be believers in church but the rest of the week act like the world.  You may be paying your tithes and keeping the requirements of the law but not lifting a finger to help your neighbors.  When you do one and leave the other undone, you are neglecting God’s other requirements.  

This is something I learned this morning; the Pharisees strained their water so they wouldn’t accidently swallow a gnat, an unclean insect according to the law.  They were concerned about keeping the law, but neglected their inner purity.  They appeared holy on the outside but on the inside were full of corruption and greed.  

When we are clean on the inside through the purifying blood of Jesus, people will see it by our outward actions.  These Pharisees claimed they wouldn’t do what their ancestors did, but in all reality they were going to kill Jesus and His followers just as their ancestors did in their day, killing the prophets and other righteous people.  Hypocrites are nothing but actors and pretenders, someone no one can trust.  This is something that shouldn’t be said about believers but I know this word has been used many times pertaining to the church.  It is one thing to be accused of it but another thing if it is true.

Could the Lord say this about you, you honor Him with your lips but your heart is far from Him?  Don’t take this question lightly, it is very important.  Think about the time you spend and the things you do and what your priorities are.  How many of the things you do include the Lord, or are you just looking good on the outside, saying all the right things just trying to fit in with the rest of the church?  There is an old saying that goes like this, “you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.”  God is one you will never fool any time, He knows you inside out.  

So if you are just trying to fit in, stop playing games and get right with the Lord, you are only fooling yourself.  Repent and ask the Lord to forgive you, then forsake your sin and ask the Lord to cover and cleanse your sins with His precious blood and ask Him to be your Lord and Savior and to change you more and more into His image and likeness.  Don’t be in a hurry, take your time and let the Lord fill you with his peace, love and joy, and then you can go forth rejoicing and praising and thanking Him for what He has done.  Then you can honor Him with your lips and heart.  Something to think about!  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super day!!