MATTHEW 15:7-9 – You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

THEME OF THE DAY.  DON’T PRACTICE LIPS-ONLY CHRISTIANITY. In today’s scripture, Jesus gives a scathing indictment to the religious crowd. He rightly accuses them of “Lip Religion” which He despised. It was this false practice that prompted Him to call them hypocrites. It would be easy to team up with Jesus encouraging Him to go after them and expose their hypocrisy.  Yet, we might want to listen to Jesus’ words before we do – “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).

It is often easier to see the sin in others and be blind to our own, maybe even the very sin we observe in others.  To be quick to see the hypocrisy in the Pharisees’ and scribes’ lips-only religion isn’t wrong. But to be slow to see the hypocrisy of lips-only Christianity within us is very wrong.  And what would lips-only Christianity look like in Christians?

First, lips-only Christianity is allowing what we say or sing be different than how we think and live.  True Christianity is “do what I say and watch how I live.”  Lips-only Christianity doesn’t “walk the talk” and is okay with that type of life.

Another characteristic of lips-only Christianity is the practice of mindless worship.  It goes something like this and predominantly on the Lord’s Day.  We see the songs, we sing the songs, and we are not engaged in the theological significance of the songs.  Worship is to lead us to encounter God and that requires a disciplined mind toward Him. To sing from the mouth and never have the heart and mind engaged must bring great displeasure to the Lord who knows our hearts and minds.

A third characteristic of lips-only Christianity is the irreverent attitude when we are addressing our God. This occurs either in private or public. Its manifestation is the lighthearted way we approach God. Remember, we are approaching the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  He deserves the humblest and greatest display of respect.

Let’s guard our hearts against-lips only Christianity.  It dishonors the Lord and cheapens our relationship with Him.

PRAYER: “Father, may my  heart and lips be one in my worship of You.”

QUOTE: “Christianity is a heart issue that governs all of our lives.”