How many times have you looked at someone's appearance and labeled them?
-Every day. We do this almost without even trying. It is our social habit to judge based on outerwear.
How many times do we see someone in certain apparel and label them as a "good person" or "bad person"?
-Once again, every day.
The problem with this is that we cannot see the heart, the life, the soul that lies underneath the outerwear. We can only see the top surface that so easily hides the true meat of the person.
Matthew 23:[25] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.[26] Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.[27] Woe 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.[28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
God, however, doesn't look at the outerwear. He can see right through the dingy, dirty clothes and heavy baggage. He can see right past the fake, white, spiffy looking hypocrisy that is hiding a dirty heart.
1 Samuel 16:[7] But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Don't try to fool anyone. God has to change the heart before he changes your shirt. -(a line from a Casting Crowns' song)
When you have an inward faith, your outside will shine.
Matthew 7:[20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
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