Jesus said outward piety can be deceptive

Matthew 23

27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

The Pharisees were well versed in scripture and holy texts. They did many works according to the law, tithed, fasted, and generally conducted themselves in a manner that engendered deference from believers. There was much in their outwardly appearance that gave the impression of fruits by which you could know and have faith in them. But all was not well, for their inward nature could not match their pretensions to their piety and worth.

It is a warning against us as Christians becoming too bold with our proclamations of our exemplary behaviour and the righteousness of our orientation in any form of absolute. The truth is, no matter how righteous we may appear unto men, we must always be sure to disclaim our inner hypocrisy and iniquity. Let’s not forget that no matter how we grow with God and improve we are until the day we die in need of Christ’s forgiveness. That alone should quiet any statement from ourselves. Let the conduct speak for itself, and let us damp down any praise of our character when it fails to acknowledge that no good work reaches the full glory of God unless God is working through us. Which is not something we deserve praise for.

If we at any stage speak boldly about how we always speak in truth regarding faith or our conduct is exemplary we risk sounding much like the Pharisee in Luke 18: God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

How are we any different if we make similar remarks, especially as a defense against criticism? Much better perhaps to be as the publican, and never lose an opportunity to avert our eyes in humility, smite our breast and say: God be merciful to me a sinner. We may find when we speak from this place, allowing God to speak through us, the truth speaks that much louder because we have removed our ego and outward trappings from the equation.