Let's examine ourselves

I was doing my daily devotion and came across this verse, and I stopped in fear and apprehension to examine myself. Thought it'll be good to share it with others too.

This is taken from Romans 2:17 - 34. Paul was talking to the Jews, but it is equally applicable to us Christians today. Change "Jew" and read "Christian" and it's a sobering and frightening verse indeed!

Do we, by our behaviour, cause the unbelievers to profane the name of our Father in heaven? Do we brag about our relationship with Christ and that we know God, yet have no love for others?

Do we teach ourselves and examine ourselves in light of the commandments of Jesus?

Are we dishonest in business, or in the office? Do we bend laws or even break them to get more profit for ourselves? Or does our integrity shine like a bright light to others, so that they may praise our Father in heaven?

Do we condemn those who fall into sin and commit adultery, yet look at members of the opposite sex lustfully ourselves?

Do we tell others how much we abhor idols, yet steal from the house of God in tithes and offerings?

Do we break the commandments of God?

God is zealous for the glory of His own name.

Malachi 1:14 says "For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations." Let us not be the cause of the unbelievers profaning the great and holy name of the Lord our God.

Let's examine ourselves.

Romans 2:17 - 34
17Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; 18if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

From Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary
2:17-24 The apostle directs his discourse to the Jews, and shows of what sins they were guilty, notwithstanding their profession and vain pretensions. A believing, humble, thankful glorying in God, is the root and sum of all religion. But proud, vain-glorious boasting in God, and in the outward profession of his name, is the root and sum of all hypocrisy. Spiritual pride is the most dangerous of all kinds of pride. A great evil of the sins professors is, the dishonour done to God and religion, by their not living according to their profession. Many despise their more ignorant neighbours who rest in a dead form of godliness; yet themselves trust in a form of knowledge, equally void of life and power, while some glory in the gospel, whose unholy lives dishonour God, and cause his name to be blasphemed.

In plain modern-day English, Matthew Henry's explaination will read something like this:
The apostle Paul talks plainly about the sins of the Jews. (We modern day Christians are no different I think). They were quick to profess their God, but their religion is mostly self-glorifying pretending.

True religion is this: We believe in God humbly, and are thankful to Him and glorify him more with our love, lives and behaviour, than with our words.

Proud and vain boasting in God (even to unbelievers), and the quick outward profession of his name, without the life to back it up, is pure hypocrisy. Even if our lives back us up, we should still not be vain and boastful, but loving, humble and lowly in heart even towards unbelievers.

The great evil that these proud boasters do, is they dishonour God because they do not live according to what they profess. Their lives do not match their lips.

They look down upon the unbelievers and ridicule their dead religion, yet they themselves trust in a form of knowledge that's equally lacking in life and power. Others glory in the gospel but they live unholy lives, which cause unbelievers to blaspheme the name of God.

Reading this put great fear into my heart, as I can see myself in that description in some ways. Let's all examine ourselves.