0725 The Spiritual life over the Pious Life

Worship Call 0725

Friday September 9th 2022

The spiritual Life verses the pious life

Worthy Brief - September 9, 2022

Robert, bring forth treasure! 2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. When the apostle Paul compared our lives to clay pots, he focused not on the earthen vessels, but rather the contents of those vessels. Jars of clay deteriorate over time, become chipped, cracked, and eventually broken. However, the real value of those ancient pots was not in the clay containers themselves, but in what they contained. We human beings tend to focus on the frailties and imperfections of our decaying "vessels", looking, characteristically, on the outward form rather than the substance within. But the inward reality is what matters to God, and ultimately, to us as well, since that reality is His living Presence within us; a treasure of wisdom, power, and love with inestimable value. Robert, the Lord's evaluation of us is not by outward appearance, which is corruptible and deteriorates with time. His indwelling Spirit, His Living Word, and the dynamic intimate relationship into which He invites us--- are where the real treasure lies! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George & Obadiah (in Baltimore), Baht Rivka (in Israel) and Elianna (in Texas)

Matthew 6:1 (NASB95) — 1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

38.14 μισθόςb, οῦ m: a recompense based upon what a person has earned and thus deserves, the nature of the recompense being either positive or negative—‘reward, recompense.’ δοῦναι τὸν μισθὸν τοῖς δούλοις σου τοῖς προφήταις ‘to give a reward to your servants the prophets’ Re 11:18; ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ‘because your reward in heaven is great’ Mt 5:12; ἕκαστος δὲ τὸν ἴδιον μισθὸν λήμψεται κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον κόπον ‘and each one will receive his own reward in accordance with how he himself has labored’ 1 Cor 3:8; ἰδοὺ ἔρχομαι ταχύ, καὶ ὁ μισθός μου μετ̓ ἐμοῦ ‘behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me’ Re 22:12. In the context of Re 22:12, μισθός may be understood as either a positive or negative reward.[1]

One thing that we should note. While there is the grace that believers claim which they hold up and claim as they go about their lives with not thought about eternity and standing before God. Heaven is a place of great inequality. I have heard it said by another

“I don’t care about rewards, all I want to be is with my Jesus.”

Your Piety is not only ignorance but it leaves you in arrogance and in eternity it will leave you naked standing before God with nothing to show for a life that should have been lived for Him.

The winners and losers in the eternal state will be clearly seen by rack and privileges that one possesses within the resurrected Body.

I would venture to guess that all of us will have at least some regret at the Judgement seat of Christ coming to realize that this life is the window of opportunity which many are just letting it pass by

This is another smack in the face of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day and our day as well and those who place their piety and personal saintliness above the Spiritual life in Christ.

6:1–4. Jesus first spoke of the Pharisees’ almsgiving. Righteousness is not primarily a matter between a person and others, but between a person and God. So one’s acts should not be demonstrated before others for then his reward should come from them (vv. 1–2). The Pharisees made a great show of their giving to the needy … in the synagogues and on the streets, thinking they were thus proving how righteous they were. But the Lord said that in giving one should not even let his left hand know what his right hand is doing, that is, it should be so secret that the giver readily forgets what he gave. In this way he demonstrates true righteousness before God and not before people, so God in turn will reward him. One cannot be rewarded, as the Pharisees expected, by both man and God.[2]

Point of Doctrine:

1. there will be no rewards given at the Judgment seat of Christ for personal piety.

2. Personal piety will be found to be wood hay and stubble.

3. Personal Piety did not get you saved, and personal piety is not the way we live the Christian way of life.

4. Where personal piety is a no mark of being saved there will be many prime and proper people who will suffer eternal condemnation.

Matthew 5:20 (NASB95) — 20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

John 3:3 (NASB95) — 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 6:2 (NASB95) — 2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocritesdo in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

88.228 ὑποκριτής, οῦ m: (derivative of ὑποκρίνομαι ‘to pretend,’ 88.227) one who pretends to be other than he really is—‘hypocrite, pretender, one who acts hypocritically.’ ὅταν δὲ νηστεύητε, μὴ γίνεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταὶ σκυθρωποί

Matthew 6:16 (NASB95) — 16 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

In theater places an actor was accustom of playing two or three roles and they would wear different masks when portraying the different roles this is what Hupokrites mean wearing different masks.

The religious leaders wore different masks. they were superficial as religious people are today who have multiple faces. One for Church. One with a different social group and another for another occasion but each one covers the true face of what one truly is.

You made it your business to connect with others that is what you are laboring to do. Your work may be or not be commendable to others,

but it certainly is not with God. Your religion and personal piety is not accepted by God as being that which is rewardable.

Matthew 6:3–4 (NASB95) — 3 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

This carries with it two positive outcomes to the giver and the receiver.

When it comes to the receiver, there will be know obvious target for one’s thankfulness and appreciation.

As much as the ego wants to receive the appreciation, the accolades and the glory that goes to the Lord sometimes we have to pry ourselves out of the picture careful that God will get the glory.

A family does not know where one’s next meal is coming from. The Morguage is due and a man holds the final notice in his hand. And then a envelope with money in it shows up in the mail box or somewhere that the man could not find it.

No one is around to thank so the man fall on his knees thanking God.

The giver is blessed for having the right motives when giving in secret. For the true motive is to glorify God and not self. It is so that God’s Glory may be lifted up rather than one’s own ego. And while there may be no immediate rewards, we are making an investment, for our rewards in heaven is being stored up until the day that Lord is revealed.

There are churches I am told that makes it a big show when it comes to giving even as far as to designate lines for giving. Line 1 would be a dollar line. Line two is the five dollar line three the ten dollar line.

My question is how does the pastor of such a church reconcile this passage right here.

Not only given but the praying.

The alter in any given church in my opinion stands more of a stumbling block than it is a place of worship, not only are people called to come up to the alter to give for the whole audience to observe the alter call is for those who want to come up and take a knee before God. and who do they do it in front of? The whole congregation.

Why?

Is there any merit?

How do you reconcile this next verse?

Matthew 6:6 (NASB95) — 6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

I think it may have been Tim who introduced me to a wonderful book called the inner Chamber by Andrew Murray.

The inner chamber as Murry describes it is the place by which one meets morning by morning alone with the Lord for pray and meditation with the Lord that sets the pace to walk with the Lord each day.

The Pharisees would plan their pray time throughout the day when things were the busiest in and around the market place to pray for the show of piety.

In contrast where did Jesus go?

Usually to the mountains where his disciples would have to go looking for him.

The disciples did not have to say,

“Hey, where’s Jesus? Oh, it’s noon time, he’ll be down in the market square praying for others to see.

Matthew 6:7 (NASB95) — 7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

This is repetitive prayers such as we use what is been called the Lord’s Prayer. Matthew 6:9

Matthew 6:9 (NASB95) — 9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Notice Jesus did not say,

[1]Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 490). United Bible Societies. [2]Barbieri, L. A., Jr. (1985). Matthew. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 32). Victor Books.