UnashamedSample

Prayer: Lord, thank you for dying for me even though I fail you constantly.  Please reveal to me where sin has crept in and I have fallen short.  I pray that I would not just know truth but practice it.  Help me to live a life that is glorifying to you and to set an example of humility for those who are watching.  

Practice What You Preach

When one of my friends was younger, her mom used old food packaging containers as Tupperware for leftovers. One day, she opened the fridge to see a tub of Cool Whip, but it was filled with leftover spaghetti. The label did not accurately reflect the contents, so she was disappointed.

A major problem during Paul’s ministry was the hypocrisy of the Jews.  They preached strict adherence to the Law, but their conduct did not line up with their profession as teachers. Although their circumcision was a mark, or label, of faithfulness to God, their character―who they were inside―did not reflect this circumcision. The Jews’ hypocrisy was obstructing the impact and spread of the gospel. Paul preached that a completed Jew had both circumcisions, the circumcision of the flesh, which is external in obedience to the Abrahamic covenant, and an inward circumcision of the heart as submission to the authority and saving power of Jesus.  

The Law alone could not save the Jews― their sin was too pervasive and they did not have the desire to follow all of the commands. The cure to their disease was loving Jesus and accepting the righteousness he offered instead of attempting to earn it on their own. God’s judgment is determined by the posture of one’s heart, not just religious tradition. Without Jesus, every person would be sentenced to eternal separation from God because of their sinful nature.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. Looking at your life, is there a difference between what you preach and what you practice?
2. In what ways do you try to earn your righteousness instead of letting Jesus wash you clean?

What’s Next? 

1. True behavior change can only follow heart change. In your journal, make a list of the areas of your life where sin has crept in and taken root, producing rotten fruit in your life. Own that list. Don’t be afraid of it.  You serve a God who wants to take you by the hand and show you how to fix it. 
2. Pray that God would give you the desire to make necessary changes.  Pray that he would help you to love him more than you love the sin that has entangled you. Brainstorm your first steps to tackling these sin issues. 
3. Bring in a trusted friend or mentor if you need someone to help. Chipping away at sin is a continuous task, but there is not a better day to start than today. Get going!