I recently started a Bible study titled The Walk of Repentance. This is actually my third time to go through it, but it’s been a few years so I need it again, to know that I am where I need to be in my walk with the Lord.
Repentance is something people don’t like to talk about but, for the Believer, we can’t ignore it. After all, if you are born again, you had to repent of your sins but repentance doesn’t stop there. You should daily be examining your heart in the light of God’s Word and confessing the things that the Spirit convicts you of. Not pleasant I know, but necessary if you desire a close relationship with Him.
I’m preaching to myself as well. It’s easy for young people to be obsessed with work and a hectic schedule, while older people spend their time watching TV, playing golf, etc. These things aren’t bad in themselves, but they can fill time that one should be spending with the Lord.
The verse that stuck out at me this morning is Matthew 23:13: “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those that would enter to go in.”
Wow! Hypocrisy is nothing to play with. Not only will it keep you from entering Heaven, but it could hinder others from finding Christ as well. When I’m gone, I hope that the people who know me well will be able to say that I was genuine. I don’t want anything I do to keep others from following Christ. As hard as it is, I want to faithfully walk this walk of repentance. Father, give me the strength I need to do this.
This is a fine article
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Yes in Matthew 23:13 Jesus was warning about Hypocrisy and we have to constantly be on the lookout for it.
Hypocrisy has many subtil forms.
This scripture goes beyond Hypocrisy, which is indeed here.
There are three classes of people here.
Scribes: Levites, interpreters of the law, they know the letter of the law. Judges. In our day and time these would be the ministers and theologians.
Pharisees: Disciples of the law. The members of the synagoue. Some are Levites also.
In our day this includes Church members, deacon board or Pastor’s council.
Others: Pretty well explanitory. It is those who attend and/or the people who are seeking.
None of these classes are bad within themselves.
But what is going on in this verse?
Letr’s break it down.
Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of heaven.
What is the kingdom of heaven? It is salvation.
Believing on Jesus Christ, (Romans 10:9-10)
Confessing your sin, (Romans 10:9-10)
Repenting from your sin. (Acts 2:38)
Do works meet for repentance. (Acts 26:20)
Where were these people missing the mark?
The Scribes knew what the Law and the Prophets said about the Messiah that was to come. They were looking for a earthly king to deliver them. They were not accepting what Jesus Christ was teaching even though it was true. They wouldn’t allow Jesus to expound on all the truth. They put Him out of their synagogues. The Scribes would not endorse the truth.
So it is today. The Ministers and theologians so often see their interpretation of the Word Of God as the only correct one. They will not teach the Full Gospel. Some even say that parts of the New Testament are not for today. They will not endorse the whole truth. So they shut up the door to the kingdom of heaven and will not allow people to reap the full benefits. If someone in their congregation should receive enlightment on the Scriptures, bu they didn’t receive it as a pastor, they remove that person from their midst and label them as a false prophet. These ministers do it under the disguise of I’m protecting my people.
The Pharisees were the synagogue members that practice the law, some were very zealous. But some would add to the law and it would become grievious to those who obeserved them.
So it is today. We have those people who serve God and accept the Word and live it. They do not try to push their beliefs off on anybody, but they the will witness for Jesus.
But there are the other Pharisees in our midst that take the Gospel past what it was intended for and cause people not to want to come to Chrisitanity. This is called legalism.
But there is another Pharisee in the church. That goes to church but lives like the secular world, but still claims salvation. That also shuts the door to the kingdom.
The others are those the religious crowd have rejected, or they have rejected the religious crowd and those that are just sinners.
This is one way I feel about this verse.
God bless you