Are We Honest With Jesus?
Jesus demands reality and sincerity in our words, and warns against the dangers of pretence and insincerity in our relationship with Him.
John Daniel Jones delves into the encounter between Jesus and the young ruler who asked what good thing he must do to have eternal life. Jesus challenges the young man's use of the term 'Good Master,' emphasizing the importance of sincerity and truth in our relationship with God. Jesus detests pretense and hypocrisy, particularly in matters of faith, warning against religious cant and insincere expressions of devotion. He urges believers to be genuine and authentic in their worship and communication with God.
Text
"Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"
(Matt. 19:16).
Jesus confronted this young ruler with his own words. "Good Master," He said. "Why callest thou Me good?" replied Jesus, as if to ask "Do you mean what you say?"--What is this--a true word or just a compliment? It was more than a protest against the loose use of words; it was a demand for reality. The merely conventional and formal was hateful to Jesus. He demanded truth in the inward parts. He didn't want this young ruler to use towards Him the language that should be the expression of his real soul. Reality, sincerity, was what our Lord demanded. If there was one thing He loathed more than another it was pretence, formalism; what He called hypocrisy. And nowhere is pretence and unreality more utterly hateful than in religion. Perhaps I am not forcing my text unduly if I see in it a warning against religious cant. What exactly do we mean by cant? My dictionary defines it as "speaking with affectation about religion." It means using religious terms which we do not sincerely mean. And there is a sore temptation to do that, partly because people expect to hear certain terms and partly because men wish to gain a certain reputation for orthodoxy. But it is a fatal thing to do. It is an insult to Him who is the Truth to speak to Him, or about Him, in words which are insincere.
Sermon Outline
- The Demand for Reality
- The Dangers of Pretence
- The Insult of Insincerity
- Speaking to God with insincere words
- The importance of honesty in our relationship with God
Key Quotes
“What is this--a true word or just a compliment?” — John Daniel Jones
“He demanded truth in the inward parts.” — John Daniel Jones
“It is an insult to Him who is the Truth to speak to Him, or about Him, in words which are insincere.” — John Daniel Jones
Application Points
- We must be honest with God, using words that reflect our true hearts and intentions.
- We must avoid using religious language without genuine meaning, lest we fall into hypocrisy.
- We must strive for sincerity and truth in our relationship with God, as He values these qualities above all else.