Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 6:1
What are the ‘modern’ ways of practicing our righteousness in front of other people? Social media anyone? The issue here is ‘to be seen by them’. Are you practicing your faith / belief / opinion so that you can garner likes or a following? Are you posting so that you can be ‘seen’ as ‘righteous’? Or is your teaching or ‘revelation’ really deep down about gathering a following and literally garner money from it? Is that your purpose in your heart? Are you giving out supposed ‘new’ secrets of teaching of spiritual magnitude that no one else in 2000 years has discovered and that you alone have the right understanding?
Beware of these tactics …beloved. Check your heart and the motives of WHY you are posting what you are posting. Are those in your close circle who have the Spirit of God within them and have proven manifested existence of the fruit of the Spirit in their lives — confirming the supposed ‘new revelation’ or teaching? In this time MANY will come and attempt to draw you away from your ‘first love’.
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Revelation 2:4-5
How does the Holy Spirit deal with you? Shame? Guilt? Or does He work with the God given conscience He has given you and help you understand what He wants you to correct or repent from? Does His character inside of you manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)? Does He draw you further into a love relationship with Him? Or are you chastised about the adherence to the micro-legalism of the Law? Is that the way the Spirit of God works with you? Can you discern Him? Can you discern His Voice?
Friends — many will come and explain that they have the latest ‘revelation’ from God. They have discovered this ‘new secret’ knowledge and only they have discerned the ‘right way’, and now everyone else is wrong unless they begin to follow them.
Do you understand the the ‘two or three’ rule of discernment? That two or three in your ‘company’ will confirm another message.
But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 1 Corinthians 14:28-30
Those that ‘confirm’ another’s ‘word’ — have they a proven life with God in your midst over and over? Have they proven the fruit of the Spirit in their lives? Is it on display for everyone in your group to see? Humility? Gratefulness? Confession and repentance? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control?
Be awake and discern the ‘time’! Reread Mark 13:19-21. Can you hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit so clearly inside of you that you will be able to ‘see through’ the massive deception coming at you from every direction?
Work on really ‘knowing’ those in your company deeply rather than searching for the latest ‘revelation’ or teaching. Work on building the ekklesia right next to you. Work on your relationships and increasing the depth of them by the Spirit of God. Don’t seek to ‘one up’ each other, rather stay in the mode of humble encouragement waiting for the Holy Spirit to give you the words and actions to say and do.