For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.  Romans 10:3

On Christmas 2013 I gave my grandmother a journal and asked her to write thoughts on her daily devotions. The first notation talked about the “hypocrite”. She wrote the following….”A hypocrite is one who is just acting a part – they are going through a religious ritual without experiencing any reality at all!” She went on to say “The heart must be involved if it is genuine.”

My grandmother has been studying God’s word all her life, right up to her death at age 99. As a child growing up, she’d share her thoughts and wisdom with me about God’s word, so I knew I’d have a “gem of wisdom” if I could capture her thoughts before she passed. From today’s passage and her words I get the feeling there is an element of hypocrisy we often overlook….not knowing God’s word.

If we are going to live a genuine Christian life, we MUST study God’s word on a daily basis and absorb its truth. So often we get little pieces of the Word and begin to form our own opinion on what God would find good in His sight. We develop our own set of rituals, but the truth is they often don’t measure up to God’s standards.

You might be living right and attending church, but how deep are you in God’s word? Unless you know the truth, your mind and heart will be easily deceived by Satan…..giving birth to the best hypocrite on a church pew. Friend, I speak to myself as I share this message….study God’s word so you know how to live the life God has call you and I to live. We can’t go wrong when we know the truth and are a living testament of our faith in God! Blessing!