Be Authentic (Not A Pretender)
Lessons from The Sermon on the Mount (Part 3)
“Jesus says that our disposition must be right to its depths, not only our conscious motives but our unconscious motives.” - Oswald Chambers
Following God isn’t just about what you do; it’s about where your heart is. Doing what God says is not enough. The reason you do it is even more important.
Jesus constantly calls people out who say and do all the right things but don’t have their hearts right with Him.
That’s one of his teachings in The Sermon on the Mount:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 5:17-20
Throughout His ministry, Jesus spoke out against Pharisees and hypocrites. They knew scripture backward and forward, and performatively followed the rules, such as giving to the synagogue. But their hearts were not in the right place. They didn’t mean it. To them, following scripture was a way to gain status and prestige instead of a way to connect with God.
It's not just that hypocrites do wrong; even when they do the right things, their lack of sincerity is the problem. It’s all an act, a performance to appear righteous. They care more about their reputation than their character.
Character vs Reputation
Your reputation reflects how other people see you. Your character, on the other hand, reflects how you really are. Your daily choices, thoughts, and actions create your character. It can’t be faked.
Don’t worry about building a reputation. Focus on building your character, and your reputation will take care of itself.
How do you build character?
Do the right thing even when no one is watching
Help others without expecting anything in return
Grow the fruits of the Spirit in your daily life:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23
The right motive is to follow God’s will out of faith and reverence. Follow God because that’s what you want to do. Not because other people tell you to or to be appreciated by others for it. There should be no ulterior motive in your actions.
“The characteristic of a disciple is not that he does good things, but that he is good in his motives, having been made good by the supernatural grace of God.” - Oswald Chambers
What we’re asked to do may seem impossible. That’s because we’re a work in progress. Jesus gives us a horizon to aim toward. We just have to move in the direction He points us.
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