THE PROFILE OF A HYPOCRITE

“It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You wash clean the outside of your cups and dishes. But inside they are full of what you got by cheating others and pleasing yourselves. Pharisees, you are blind! First make the inside of the cup clean and good. Then the outside of the cup will also be clean.  It is the same with you. People look at you and think you are godly. But on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and evil". Matthew 23:25-26, 28  (ERV)

Our Lord Jesus Christ is ever committed to rebuking hypocrites among his people. Who is a hypocrite? A hypocrite is simply a person who wears mask or hides behind a mask. A person who falsely professes to be something that they are not. A person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion or a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings (Webster dictionary). A pretender - someone who attempts to live two lives simultaneously. If there were hypocrites in church during Jesus time, I'm sure we still have many of them around today. Then the question is: are you a hypocrite? Before you respond to that question, I urge you to please read the peom below carefully. The peom was composed by an English professor and Pastor's wife - Mrs L. B. Eades (1920 - 2011)

IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE

If Jesus came to your house
To spend some time with you,
If He came unexpected,
I wonder what you’d do.

Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room
To such an honored guest
And all the food you’d give to Him
Would be the very best.

And you would keep assuring Him
You’re glad to have Him there–
That serving Him in your home
Is joy beyond compare.

But when you saw Him coming,
Would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome
To your heavenly visitor?

Or would you have to change your clothes
Before you let Him in
Or hide some magazines
And put the Bible where they’d been

Would you hide your worldly music
and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right
in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder – if the Saviour
spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing, the
things you always do?

Would you go right on saying, the
things you always say?
Or would life for you continue
as it does from day to day?

Would you take Jesus with you
everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your
plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him
meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they stay away,
until His visit ends?

Would you be glad to have Him
stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great
relief when He at last was gone?

It might be interesting to know,
the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person, to spend
some time with you."

Beloved, may I urge you to please remove your mask today and be real with God. Yes, stop the pretense and submit totally to Jesus Christ. Delay may be dangerous.

Good morning and do have a blessed day.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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