Avoiding Hypocrisy in Our Religious Activities

Performing religious activities is not the same as having love for God. Anyone - including hypocrites - can perform religious activities. It is only when the love for God is already present - demonstrated by a person's obedience to God, his purity in life (including his motives), and the love he has for his neighbor - that the religious activities can become pleasing to God.

The Basic Principle

[Though the word "hypocrite" is not found in this introductory verse, the verse focuses on the motivating principle that often guides hypocrites in the way they do things. The three examples given below are typical, and represent everything that might fall into the category of "religious activity."]

1. What motive must we avoid, when we perform our religious activities and "good deeds"? Why? Matthew 6:1
   
   
   
   
   

   Note that the "good deeds" aren't "good," if done for the wrong reason!

   God promises to reward us. But getting a reward is not our motive. Rather, it is out of love (for both God and neighbor) that we want to do these things.

When Helping the Needy

1. How do the hypocrites do it? What is their reward? Matthew 6:2
   
   
   
    
2. How must we do it? What does God promise us, if we do it this way? Matthew 6:3-4
   
   
   
    

When Praying

1. How do the hypocrites do it? What is their reward? Matthew 6:5
   
   
   
    
2. How must we do it? What does God promise us, if we do it this way? Matthew 6:6
   
   
   
    

This passage contains a wealth of other information about praying:

• Our prayers shouldn't be characterized by repetitious babbling, like the pagans do - v. 7-8.
• We are given a suggested model that we can use as a pattern for how we pray (often called the "Lord 's Prayer") - v. 9-13.
• We are warned that we cannot have a proper relationship with God, unless we are willing to have a proper relationship with other people - especially in the area of forgiveness - v. 14-15.

When Fasting

This refers to abstaining from food, and was often done during an extended time of prayer, or as an expression of repentance and humility, etc. (It doesn't mean "going on a diet"!)

1. How do the hypocrites do it? What is their reward? Matthew 6:16
   
   
   
    
2. How must we do it? What does God promise us, if we do it this way? Matthew 6:17-18
   
   
   
    

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This concludes our study on the topic of "hypocrisy and sincerity."

However, it does not conclude our putting to practice what we have learned. For us who are not hypocrites, practicing what we learned is a life-long endeavor!

Dennis Hinks © 2007
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