Lukewarm #18

Well folks today is the last Lukewarm. On Monday I will come up with something new. I hope you have enjoyed the lukewarm series and remember it is meant to be used for self-examination. I am by no means the judge...God takes care of that.

Now for today's devotion.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren't very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn't be more wrong.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matt. 23:25-28

Examination of ourselves is very important. Jesus words can hit us quit hard this morning. Who are we fooling? God knows all about us. On the outside we can look very spiritual but the inside...the heart is what is the main concern. If our hearts are right with God everything else will be clean. Have you ever caught your self reading about the Pharisees and thinking "What is wrong with those people?" I sure have. But when I sit back and think about it, many times I am just like them!!! Selfish, wanting recognition, worried about following the law instead of growing in my relationship to Christ....Wow what about you??? Again this morning I want to end with a question....when you examine your life and compare it to an unbeliever is there much difference??? Christ was radically different and if we are to be followers of Him we should be radically different than the rest of the world!

Have an awesome weekend and live for Jesus!

Tom