Secret Service

Summary

Christians have a Savior who lived sinlessly, served quietly, and gave sacrificially. Genuine disciples of Jesus do the same. Our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak. All too often, Christians pursue right actions and perform good works with wrong motives. They sin by serving loudly and only give in order to obtain something from others, namely, their approval. At its core, this unhealthy desire for the approval of men evidences a lack of faith in the gospel. Jesus warns men to avoid practicing their righteousness in order to be seen by others whether that be serving, giving, fasting, praying, etc. We are not to announce with “trumpets” good works we do or show discomfort in our sacrifice in order to receive personal glory from others. Only what we do for God’s glory, away from the eyes of men, will be rewarded by our Father who sees all of our private actions and knows the private motives of our hearts behind them.

---