Sermon Archives
Heart Cry for God's Approval
Psalm 26Psalms - A Heart Cry to God
J. Josh Smith
September 18, 2016
Description:
If your aim is to please people, then religious hypocrisy is all you need. Hypocrisy is pretending to be someone you are not. It is going through the external motions of Christian living without truly possessing a heart that loves God. The motivation behind Christian activity void of a love for God is a desire to please man—to convince people around you that you are somebody you’re not. If, however, your aim is to please the Lord, then you must possess a heart of integrity. Walking in integrity refers to a whole-hearted devotion before God. People of integrity look a lot like the hypocrite externally; however, internally their holiness flows out of a heart that truly loves the Lord. Those who live for the approval of God walk in integrity before God.
What does integrity look like? Psalm 26 provides five marks of integrity: (1) A commitment to openness (transparency before God and other people), (2) a hatred for wickedness, (3) a love for righteousness, (4) a resolve for faithfulness, and (5) an awareness of neediness. People of integrity live in community because they do not want to hide anything. They love what God loves and hate what God hates. On one hand, they are resolved to actively pursue holiness, and on the other hand, they are aware that they cannot be holy without the grace of God.
Whom are you living to please—people or God? Answering this question will require you to evaluate the integrity of your heart. Does your Christian activity flow from a heart that truly loves the Lord? Ask God to expose any hypocrisy in your heart. Don’t be satisfied with merely pleasing people; make it your aim to please the Lord!
Keywords:
Faithfulness, Hypocrisy, Integrity, Righteousness