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  ARE WE HONEST WITH JESUS?
  by John Daniel Jones
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Summary: Jesus demands reality and sincerity in our words, and warns
against the dangers of pretence and insincerity in our relationship with
Him.

Topics: "Honest Faith", "Authentic Worship"
Scripture References: 1 Samuel 16:7, Psalm 51:6, Matthew 6:5, Matthew 15:8

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DESCRIPTION
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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.

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CONTENT
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"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.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/john-daniel-jones/are-we-honest-with-jesus/
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