Father of Sin

 John 8:44 (ESV)
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies

The Pharisees were the religious sector of the Jewish culture. They were charged with knowing the law and teaching it to the people. The problem with the Pharisees is that they were a bunch of hypocrites. They demanded that everyone else keep the law, but they were somehow immune or above having to keep it themselves. They finally came face to face with someone who would tell it like it is. They looked good on the outside, but inside they were full of sin and unrighteousness. Jesus did not mince words with them. He spoke the truth, and they were convicted and became defensive. They prided themselves on their lineage was traced back to the Patriarch, Abraham. The truth of the matter was they were not living the faith of Abraham. Claiming Abraham was their Father, Jesus denied that claim and revealed to them who their real Father was. Their spiritual lineage was rooted in sin, and their hearts were full of it. They were children of the devil, because sin still lived in their hearts. If they were to believe in the Son, then they could claim to be children of Abraham’s seed. By creation, we all are children of God, but the fall of Adam and Eve brought sin into the human race, and Satan is the Father of sin. Therefore, if we allow sin to abide in our hearts, then the devil is our Father. Jesus tells it like it is, but does not leave us without hope. Believe in the Son, believe in Jesus, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. We can be adopted into the family of God, and we can come boldly to the throne of grace, and call Him Abba Father!

Outward Appearance

 1 Sam 16:7
 for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Things don’t always seem as they appear. It is in our nature to make an assessment and judgment on things that we observe. We do it all the time. Our judgment is based on past experience and what we have accepted as a norm for our culture. When we see a well-dressed person, we judge that they have means and care about how they look and present themselves to others. There may be other reasons why they dress up, but we make assumptions. Likewise, when we observe someone who is unkept and dressed in ragged clothes, we assume that they are possibly homeless and don’t have a place to care for their needs. 
The Bible talks about, “You shall know them by their fruit.” In context, scripture is talking about those who appear to be religious or say they are followers of Christ, but inwardly they are raven wolves. The Pharisees are a prime example. Things don’t always seem as they appear. Some will use this scripture in Samuel to say it does not matter what you look like on the outside, but the reality is that it does. Paul was careful not to be a stumbling block to others and was mindful of his influence for Christ. It is not God’s intention that we cast away outward appearance, It is important that outward appearance be a positive influence to the world around us. How we dress, the places we go, and the things we do matter. But God sees through our appearance, and sees the heart. We can’t fool God by trying to look good on the outside. He knows the desires of the heart and will speak to us first about our behavior, spirit and attitude. His first desire is for us to manifest the fruit of the Spirit and live our lives consistent with His word. David did not seem like a likely candidate to be King, but God had His hand on David, and looked at David’s heart. We may not seem to be the person for the job, but God, who knows the hearts of men, can take what appears to be weak and make it strong. 

Bear Witness to the Light

 John 1:7,8
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

As Christian, we are to be Christ-like. It is through the life we live and the example we show others that we let the light of Jesus shine through us. We were once sinners, lost and blinded by sin but now have come to the true Light and Christ is the light that lives in us. We are now to be a reflection of that Light. When people in the world look at our life do they see a Christ-like spirit? Are they able to believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior when they see the way we live? We are not perfect, and Satan will use our humanity to discourage us from letting the light of Christ shine through us. We are to bear witness of Jesus, not to demonstrate how good we are, or brag on our spirituality. The true light that is seen by others is not necessarily in the things we don’t do, but in the things we do. This does not mean that committing sin does not cause others to stumble, but our true witness for Christ will demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit, and bear witness of the true Light. The Pharisees lived life spotless on the outside, but most of them were full of darkness on the inside. They bore witness to legalism and works of self righteousness. Jesus desires that we live godly and righteous that our life may glorify the Father in heaven and bear witness of the Light within us.

Crucify Him

 Luke 23:21
 But they cried, saying, crucify him, crucify him.

A week ago, the people were praising Him, “Hosanna! Blessed is the king that comes in the name of the Lord.” Some say that these were the same people now crying out to crucify Him, crucify Him! I like to think that they were not. The crowd last were filled with hope and anticipation that Jesus would be their deliverer. I believe many of them were heartbroken to see their hopes dashed by the events that were happening. Those that were crying out for the blood of Jesus to be put to death were those who felt threatened by His popularity and the large following He was gathering.  The Pharisee, Sadducees, Sanhedrin, and many of the religious sector who were blinded by their own self righteousness and greed for power. They were convicted by the life of Jesus. The crowd last week were fearful for their lives to be identified with Jesus, and I believe, feared repercussions from the religious leaders. But, their refusal to stand up for Jesus made them part responsible for Jesus being crucified. They may not have cried out, “crucify Him!” but like Peter, they were guilty of forsaking Him. His death on the cross was necessary for the salvation of mankind. It was prophesied many hundreds of years ago. We don’t have control over the events of life and what happens tomorrow, but we can still do what is right today, and live a life that is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Many still today are nailing Him to the cross and crucify Him afresh and anew. But we can take a stand for God and take up the cross and follow Him.

Form of Godliness

 2 Tim 3:5
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Being religious is a good thing. It implies that you have traditions and rituals that are important to you.There are many religions in the world that have a point of view about God, and who He is. Christianity also is a religion that people down through the centuries have made it their tenant of faith. The problem with just having religion is that it can become just a form of godliness. Like the Pharisee, Jesus said, “ …ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.” (Mat. 23:27). Paul writes to Timothy to warn him about people who are calling themselves followers of Jesus, yet live lives that are unholy and corrupt. He gives a big list of things that they are doing that are not consistent with holy living. He says, they resist the truth and have become reprobate concerning the faith. Men who once knew the Way have turned to their selfish desires and have made mockery of the faith. They worship, and may even name the Name of Jesus, but their hearts are far from him. The warning is given to us, to always worship God in Spirit. It is the power of the Holy Spirit living in our lives that turns religion into a relationship. The song writer pens, “The power, the power, gives victory over sin, the purity within…”

The Religion of The Pharisees

Mark 7:1-13

Religion can be define as, “something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience”. In respect to a religious organization, religion is seen as, “a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects”. The beliefs and practices are generally derived from a source that is believed to be from some higher power. Often this source in spoken through some human who proclaims to be God’s messenger to mankind. The essence of a true religion is based on the validity and authenticity of the messenger. Is he truly God’s mouthpiece, or is he a false prophet that is diluted and full of self grander?
The Pharisee’s proclaim a religion that originated with Abraham and Moses. Based on the veracity of God’s Word, the messengers were true men of God. But, the Pharisee’s twisted their words to serve their own purposes. Jesus, undaunted by the Pharisee’s accusations faced them with their hypocrisy and called it for what was, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own traditions… Making the Word of God of none effect”.

Fault Finding (vs.2)
• Remove the beam from your own eye first
• Often practice to excuse one’s own failure to live right
Faithful to Traditions (vs.3)
• Understanding the rightful place of traditions
• The hands are clean, but the heart is dirty
Far from God (6)
• Giving only lip service
• Motives are self-centered- not done to the glory of God
False Worship (vs.7)
• Vain worship- pretense of worship
• That they may be seen of men
Failure to Keep God’s Commandments (vs. 8)
• Laying God’s Word aside for a rule book
• The power of God’s word is non existent
Forgetting the essentials (vs. 10, 11)
• Substituting “Corban” as an excuse not to follow the essentials
• What does God require? “Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly
Freedom from the Yoke of Bondage (Galatians 6:1-14)
• No longer in bondage to regulations- Not saved by works
• Freedom to follow the check of the Holy Spirit
• Love and liberty to serve God unhindered by the root of Sin