FOOD FOR TEENS: VIRTUE SIGNALING

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, you would observe that there was just one category of people with whom He would always clash with, these were not the “sinners” nor the “gentiles”, these were the teachers of the law, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the scribes and lawyers, the ones who were the most knowledgeable in the issues of the law and you would ask, why was he so opposed to them? Matthew 9:10-13. He answered the question clearly in verse 12 and 13; because they claimed to be righteous, they didn't really need Him, but in truth the law couldn’t make anyone righteous; therefore they were hypocrites pretending to be what they weren't.

Virtue signaling simply put is being an HYPOCRITE, for example in the U.S, there has been an uproar at the alarming rate of undocumented migrant crossing into the U.S from Mexico and other countries, the boarder states governors have been on the forefront on the issue and putting pressure on the federal government to close their boarders but many people who were not affected have castigated these governors for asking that the boarders be closed, then one of the governors took some of these immigrants on a plane and sent them into one of the rich communities inside the country, these same people who claimed to want these migrants to come in did not allow these people even stay 24 hours before they were evicted from their community and even promised to sue the governor for bringing them into their community.

How about people who say abortion is health care? That every woman has a right to decide what happens in their bodies? They even call it women's right, How about those who claim that sexual relationship between same sex is love, insisting government should let love win, so when some government gives in and allow abomination like same sex marriage, you see them celebrating with banners carrying messages like "LOVE WINS" and stuff like this that makes it seems like they are fighting a good course. What about feminists those who claim to be fighting for women's right but what they really stand for is the destruction of the traditional family structure as God has instituted, where women feel they have exactly the same level of authority as the man in the home, therefore marriages are not able to hold for long, divorce rates are spiraling out of control but no one seem to care. Do you know why virtue signaling is so dangerous? they have a form of godliness (2nd Cor 3:5), if you are blind you will think they are fighting a good course but it is all a charade, they know that what they stand for is evil.

This was exactly how the Pharisees conducted their affairs during the time of Jesus, they seemed to have a form of godliness, but they perverted the law for their personal gains, for instance Matthew 15:1-9, I love how F.B Meyer explained this in his commentary; “The legal washing of hands before eating was especially sacred in the eyes of the Pharisees. “He who does not wash His hands before eating,” says the Talmud, “is as bad as a murderer.” Jesus had no sympathy with a system that reduced religion to a slavery to outward forms. His new kingdom was in the heart, in loving sonship to God, and in faith. All outward observances had value only as expressions of the inner spirit. He waived aside their deadly pedantry and told His hearers to care above everything for the cleanliness of the heart." Another example can be found in the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, both the Priest and the Levite saw the wounded man, but they looked the other way, it took a stranger to offer assistance, how about the parable of the publican and the the Pharisee who went to God in prayer but only one obtained mercy and it wasn't the Pharisee.

Jesus really exposed their hypocrisy in Matthew 23:1-16, “Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!"

The whole point of this article is to admonish you dear teenagers, never expose yourself to any Christianity or religion that does not start from the heart. Jesus said they worshipped Him with their mouths but their hearts were far away, which made them unacceptable before God. Once you begin to practice such kind of religion, you have allowed yourself to be deceived. Did it surprise you that these same teachers of the law, looked for several opportunities to kill Jesus? They stood at the door of the kingdom but they refused to go in and refused to allow others go in, these kinds of religion is the most dangerous place anyone could be. Jesus said He will spew anyone who is lukewarm, the question now who is lukewarm? it is one who is hot outwardly but cold inwardly. Avoid hypocrisy by making excuses why you cant do the right thing, that's how virtue signals work, they act like they would have done the right thing but for one reason or the other they won't.

Please be a christian first from the heart before any other thing, no wonder Romans 10:9; tells us that with the heart man believes, so that the light of God can really shine from within you to the whole world.

God bless you, happy thanksgiving and see you next month.