Title

Who Are You Really?

Scripture
Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
(Matthew 23:28)
Devotional
What do those who know you the best think about you? What does God think about you? Do you find yourself constantly having to find new friends because the better people get to know you the less they think of you?

There is nothing sadder or more wearisome than trying to live a life that is a lie. An outward appearance of righteousness is temporal at best. Sooner or later the real character will be exposed. With God, it is always sooner. He knows our true character. We can never fool our Creator.

The better we become at living a lie the more apt we are to believe our own lie. Our hypocrisy and lawlessness will sear our minds and hearts to the point of being oblivious to our true character. For this reason we must continually examine ourselves. There is no greater fool than the fool who fools himself.
Thought For The Night

“Would-be theologians ... must be on their guard lest by beginning too soon to preach they rather chatter themselves into Christianity than live themselves into it and find themselves at home there.” Soren Kierkegaard as recorded in his Journal (July 11, 1838).

Evening Text
Matthew 23:28: “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
 
Looking for Answers
 
Evening Study Guide
Defining: Hypocrisy is derived from Greek hypokrisis; the act of playing a part on the stage. It is the pretension to qualities that one does not possess.
 
Referencing: “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good,” Romans 12:9
 
Applying: Be authentic; be real by being transformed into the genuine likeness of Christ Jesus.