Nice Threads

Matthew 23: ²⁷ “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 the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

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Adorned with a matching tie, new shoes and socks that went with the suit, I was ready for church. I also had a new, unread Bible. When I arrived, I saw tight skirts and smelled perfume. “I have no idea what was said, but I’m sure I would fit in here” I thought to myself. “I mean I look pretty good too!”

• Why did I gather when my heart was filled with lust?
• Why did I attend church when I wanted to be in a club?
• Why did I look at GOD’s children as something I could eventually mistreat as common.

My attitude towards church was that it was a gathering made for me. If I did not like the message or the way people were dressed, I would eventually leave and try again. I found a place where I could hear about GOD and lust at the same time! What a deal! BUT GOD wanted different.

• GOD wanted me to care more about my insides than out.
• GOD wanted me to go to church caring about people not staring at them.
• GOD wanted me to seek to be cleansed from the inside.

Dead and unclean were the words JESUS used to describe the Sadducees and Pharisees. They would bring business deals, lust for power and lust for humans into the church while wearing nice garments and proud smiles. Respected in the community, they pranced before men.

GOD wants me to act different. HE wants me to go to church, ready to confess at the drop of a hat. HE wants my insides to become clean more than the outside.

• Do you pay a lot of attention to clothes?
• Are you trying to dress to please people?
• Can you stop trying to please others and let GOD clean your insides?