“Me All The Time”

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

     Does Matt 5:13-16 contradict Matt 6:1-4?  I get confused with this one.

Sincerely,
Perpendicular Passages

Dear Perpendicular Passages,

Matt. 5:13-16 deals with living a godly life that is prepared to glorify God; Matt 6:1-4 deals with living a godly live that is prepared to glorify yourself.  Matt 5:16 says that our lights should shine, so men can see our good works and glorify God… that means that we must be giving the glory to God and seeking to bring Him honor, even if that leads to us being persecuted for our beliefs and shunned by others (Matt 5:11-12).

On the other hand, Matt 6:1-4 deals with the man who does what is right only when it brings him praise and popularity.  That is the life of a hypocrite.  Our service to God must be sincere and honest.  The people we are in private need to be the same people we are in public – wholly devoted to Christ.

Share