SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1221

“Whitewashed”

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So, you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. – Matthew 23:27-28

Whenever you sell a house, car, or an RV, you always ‘dress it up’, stage it, and make it as appealing and presentable as possible. Prospective buyers are wowed by the outward appearance, and they buy it at their peril if they do not have it inspected first. Inspectors look beyond appearance and assess the true condition of the property. This is how the Lord sees us. He looks beyond the outward and sees the true condition of our heart.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7

Examine your own heart. What report will Jesus give you? Will He see you as a Nathaniel or a religious hypocrite?

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” – John 1:47

This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; – Matthew 15:8

We can easily deceive ourselves concerning our spiritual condition.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick…  – Jeremiah 17:9

We can have the appearance of a religious person without the power of a relationship with Jesus. It is like seed that falls on rocky soil and lacks the depth to sustain spiritual life. Having accepted Jesus, we need to continually grow in grace and power. To do that we must put to death what is earthly in us.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit – Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 5:18

The Greek words translated ‘be filled’ are in the present imperative tense. This is not a once and done filling of the Holy Spirit. It is a continual filling and refilling as we walk by the Spirit.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. … And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit…. – Galatians 5:16-26

Without the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, we can easily be deceived by the enemy.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. – 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3-4

By the Holy Spirit, we too can look past outward appearances and discern truth. Note how Paul, being filled with the Spirit, looked intently at Elymas the magician before responding.

… Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him, and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? – Acts 13:9-10

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits… A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit… Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits. – Matthew 7:15-20

Do you have a religion or a relationship? Are you part of a religious social club or do you have a personal relationship and walk with Jesus in fellowship with other believers – The Body of Christ, His Church? Do you have ‘power for living’ by the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit?

If you desire to be more than a whitewashed empty religious person, and to be a washed white vessel for the Holy Spirit, then ask, seek, and knock. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. – Luke 11:10

May you be washed white by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior who was crucified for your sin and rose again to bring you eternal life through Him. May you be filled with power from on high by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to guide and empower you to live a fruitful Christian life while in the body and for eternity.

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father… that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being… that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority… – Ephesians 3:14-19; Colossians 2:9-11