‘ACTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS’ BEFORE MEN / MATTHEW 6:1

(KJV) Matthew 6:1

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

In a world driven by likes, views, and public validation, Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:1 hit with piercing relevance: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

This passage forces us to look in the mirror and ask a difficult question: Who are we actually living for?

Jesus does not condemn doing good works; rather, He targets the hidden motives of our hearts. When we do the right things for the wrong reasons—seeking the applause, admiration, or validation of those around us—we trade the eternal, deep reward of God for the fleeting, superficial honor of men.

Scripture exposes this visual-first faith as hypocrisy. To act godly on the outside while craving personal significance on the inside is to wear a mask. True righteousness is an overflow of love for God, not a calculated performance for an audience.

Jesus specifically outlines three foundational disciplines where our motives are easily corrupted:

• Giving: Offering resources quietly, without demanding recognition or keeping score.
• Prayer: Communing intimately with the Father in secret, rather than staging eloquent public displays.
• Fasting: Denying our physical desires to focus on spiritual growth, without advertising our sacrifice to the world.

This warning directly challenges modern Christian culture. It confronts our temptation to compete for recognition, boast about ministry success under the guise of “testimony,” or turn sacred worship into a produced entertainment experience. When the driving desire is to be first, recognized, or celebrated, we build with wood, hay, and stubble. God tests our work by the purity of our intent, not the size of our platform.

Let us choose the hidden place of devotion, trusting that the Father who sees what is done in secret will reward us with what truly matters: His presence.

Heavenly Father,

Search our hearts today and expose any areas where we are seeking the approval of people over Your pleasure. Forgive us for the times we have turned holy acts of giving, prayer, and discipline into a stage for our own egos.

Purify our motives, Lord. Grant us a sincere faith that does not need a spotlight to serve, a microphone to pray, or an audience to sacrifice. Help us to contentedly rest in the hidden place, secure in Your love alone. May everything we do bring ultimate glory to Your name, not our own.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1. DO NOT RESIST AN EVIL PERSON / MATTHEW 5:39
2. LOOKS LUSTFULLY / MATTHEW 5:28
3. ANGRY … RACA … FOOL / MATTHEW 5:22
4. UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:20
5. GREAT IN THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 5:19
6. THE LAW TO FULFILL / MATTHEW 5:17
7. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS / MATTHEW 5:14-16
8. PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:10
9. THE PEACEMAKERS / MATTHEW 5:9
10. THE PURE IN HEART / MATTHEW 5:8
11. THE MERCIFUL / MATTHEW 5:7
12. HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:6
13. THE MEEK / MATTHEW 5:5
14. THOSE WHO MOURN / MATTHEW 5:4
15. BLESSED POOR IN SPIRIT / MATTHEW 5:3
16. SERMON ON THE MONT / MATTHEW 5-7
17. THE KINGDOM AND HEALING / MATTHEW 4:23
18. FISHERS OF MEN / MATTHEW 4:19
19. IT IS WRITTEN / MATTHEW 4:6
20. FASTING FORTY DAYS / MATTHEW 4:2
21. JESUS … TEMPTED / MATTHEW 4:1-11
22. THE TRINITY IN EXAMPLE / MATTHEW 3:17
23. SPIRIT … ON HIM / MATTHEW 3:16
24. JESUS … BAPTIZED / MATTHEW 3:13
25. WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / MATTHEW 3:11
26. FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE / MATTHEW 3:8
27. PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES / MATTHEW 3:7
28. KINGDOM OF HEAVEN – REPENT / MATTHEW 3:2
29. WARNED IN A DREAM / MATTHEW 2:22-23
30. ESCAPE TO EGYPT / MATTHEW 2:13
31. CHIEF PRIESTS AND TEACHERS OF THE LAW / MATTHEW 2:4
32. HEROD – MAGI / MATTHEW 2:1
33. NO UNION WITH HER UNTIL / MATTHEW 1:25
34. VIRGIN … GIVE BIRTH TO A SON / MATTHEW 1:23
35. JESUS / MATTHEW 1:21
36. MARY … JESUS / MATTHEW 1:16
37. CHRIST – SON OF DAVID / MATTHEW 1:1
38. GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST / MATTHEW 1:1-16
39. I AM WITH YOU / MATTHEW 28:20
40. KILL ALL THE BOYS / MATTHEW 2:16
41. FORGIVENESS OF SINS / MATTHEW 26:28
42. SATAN / MATTHEW 4:10
43. DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS / MATTHEW 25:41
44. MONEY / MATTHEW 6:24
45. GO … MAKE DISCIPLES … BAPTIZING / MATTHEW 28:19
46. SALT OF THE EARTH / MATTHEW 5:13
47. YOU ARE WORTH MORE / MATTHEW 10:31
48. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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