Living the New Normal in Christ

Over these recent years, months, and days, perhaps like me, you've been challenged in understanding what normal means anymore. Am I the only one? Oh, wow. No, I'm not. Okay, that's good. Perhaps our society and our nation are forgetting, but we must not forget what normal means. Today, we will consider what normal means, and I've entitled the sermon, Living the New Normal in Christ. According to Merriam-Webster.com, normal most often means conforming to a type, to a common standard, or a regular pattern. It can also mean not deviating from a set norm, or rule, or principle. Normal can also mean anything that occurs naturally. All these are possible aspects of the word normal. And of course, we all likely understand, from our own experience, that what is considered to be normal or ordinary can vary. It can vary between people and groups and nations, and of course cultures. If you have an opportunity to actually leave East Texas, you know we do things differently, some other parts of the country, or even the state. For example, visitors to the United States find that Americans are not normal, in some of their ways and customs. From a 2018 insider.com article entitled, 24 Things That Are Considered Normal in the United States, but the Rest of the World Finds Weird, here are some weird things we Americans do. I'm only going to give you a few, not all 24. For example, we use money that is all the same color. That's different in other parts of the world. Americans put lots of ice in their drinks. Yes, I know. I've seen you. Americans hang flags, American flags everywhere. On their sheds, on their houses, on their barns. What would they ever do if they come to Texas, too? We do it with Texas flags. In the United States, it's normal to expect free refills everywhere we get a drink. We also use lots of water in our toilet bowls. We use gallons, as opposed to other nations, it seems. We walk around with drinking huge cups of coffee. Other parts of the world, they have a nice little espresso, and they get up and they go on their way. We have to have the big gulp. Taking leftovers home from a restaurant is considered weird in other parts of the world. Tipping the waiters in other parts of the world is strange and unusual. In fact, it's even considered rude in other parts of the world, not in our country. Throwing baby showers is quite unusual. Again, in other countries, they see that as rude and self-serving. Working constantly in the United States with very little vacation time is weird, because other countries get as much as six weeks paid time off in other countries. Just briefly, I just wanted you to realize and remember that not everyone in the world is as normal as you and me.

Of course, the point is this. My point is, what we and others call normal is often dictated by the standards, practices, or beliefs commonly shared among a people or culture or region. Nowadays, though, what's considered to be normal or not normal has gone far beyond matters of food and drink, hasn't it? It's not too far-fetched to say that in the United States, nearly anything once considered not normal must now be accepted as normal, including lifestyle choices such as same-sex marriage and transgenderism.

And what is or should be considered normal has become nearly impossible, if not impossible, to discuss because of the divisive political and social climate we are now living in. And so, yes, it's easy to feel or to think that nothing is normal anymore, as in the book of Judges, it seems that everyone is doing what is right in his own eyes. That's Judges 21-25, if you need the reminder. I wonder if perhaps nothing is normal is now the new normal. Nothing is normal seems to be the new normal.

But I hasten to add this. At the same time, we must be careful not to cling blindly to whatever we feel or whatever we think is normal, just because it's something with which we're familiar or comfortable, because it's something we know and we like. After all, normal does not necessarily mean a morally good or right thing. For example, in the United States, slavery was once considered normal and was even a legal and lawful institution. It's true. Go back and reread your American history. It's there. And yet today, no one would even consider slavery as a normal or good thing. And slavery's evil lingering effect still fester in our society. And in Russia, another example. In Russia, some people look back fondly upon those good days of Joseph Stalin. Stalin was one of the most ruthless dictators of the 20th century and responsible for murder of millions. I've read anywhere from claims of 3 million people to 60 million people he murdered during his reign. In fact, the Moscow Times reported recently that 70% of Russian respondents agreed in 2019. I think this article is in April. They responded this year that Stalin played a positive role for Russia. Stalin's previous record approval rating stood at 54% in 2016. Now it's 70%. That's rather disturbing to me. Again, my point is, normal does not always mean good. And we need to remember that and accept that. Normal does not always mean good. Humanly speaking, normal is an ever-changing and slippery thing. So whose standards of normal should be guiding our lives? And I'm sure we know the answer. God's standard of normal is revealed in Scripture. God created humanity. He knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows what he's doing. God knows what's best for us. Let's be turning to Proverbs 16. Proverbs 16, For human beings to define for themselves what is normal, what is right or wrong, good or evil, as we see occurring more and more today, it may seem to be a good thing, it may seem to be a right idea. Let's vote and decide what we're going to do. But doing that sort of thing means that things are not going to end so well. Proverbs 16, verse 25, probably well-known Scripture here. Proverbs 16, 25, There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is a way of death.

Conversely, or in addition, I should say, notice verse 20 right above, same chapter, 1620, He who heeds the word wisely instead will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he. We're told to go to God for direction. Relying solely upon oneself to decide what's normal and or moral is not wise. And I'd hasten to add, neither is entrusting the opinions of others, or trusting the opinions of a vote, a majority. That doesn't initially mean a wise and good thing either. Let's also turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 10.

2 Corinthians 10 verse 12. Here, Paul tells us that those who live according to even their own mutually derived standards, they're not being wise. In other words, they're being foolish. 2 Corinthians 10 verse 12. Paul writes, For we dare not class ourselves and compare ourselves with those who commend themselves, who decide for themselves. This is a good thing. We're doing the right thing. But they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves, and I might add, apart from God, are not wise. It is not wisdom. Instead, turning now to 13 verse 5, 2 Corinthians 13.5, instead, Paul urges us to evaluate ourselves, especially with regard to matters of faith, with regards to matters of our belief and obedience to God, and to do so using God's standards, not our own. And, of course, this is a scripture we were reminded of to be examining ourselves with leading up to Passover. And, of course, we must keep examining ourselves even after Passover is over. 2 Corinthians 13.5, Paul states, Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Prove it. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? Yes, unless indeed you are disqualified. Christ is in us. We must let God's Word and His Holy Spirit, with Christ living in us, help us to examine ourselves continually to make sure we are living by God's standards. So, in these times we live in, we who are called to follow Jesus Christ, we really need to keep our wits about us. Don't let the world get to us and drive us nuts. I think that's one of their goals. We must keep our wits about us and stay focused on God and to the instruction of His Word. We must not allow the pervasiveness of human reasoning, what I call the propaganda of the left, or the propaganda of the right, or the manipulation of our feelings and emotions to twist our hearts and our minds away from God and His standards, His standards of what truly is normal and morally good and evil.

So, what are God's standards for living a normal life? Can we point to a particular set of verses? I hope so. God's standards for living a normal life are His Ten Commandments. In the most basic form, to understand how we are to live, we turn to God's Ten Commandments. You know where they're located? They're recorded first in Exodus 20, verses 3-17. Exodus 23-17. That's when God delivered them to the children on the 50th day after they left Egypt. That's according to Jewish tradition. That would be on the Feast of Firstfruits, Pentecost. They are listed a second time in Deuteronomy 5, verses 7-21. Deuteronomy 5, verses 7-21, a second time. That's when Moses reviewed them with the children of Israel just before they entered the Promised Land. That was at the end of their 40 years of wandering. I hope I said that right. Wandering, not wondering. Wandering in the wilderness. Maybe wondering why they were there. I think they knew. Moses made it very clear. How important are God's commandments? I really can't explain it. I can't adequately explain just how important God's commandments are. They are a matter of life and death, of course. But let me show you, if you turn to Psalm 119, verse 161. I can't necessarily tell you, but let me show you. Psalm 119, verse 161 is where we'll start.

Psalm 119, and we will be reading through verses 161-168. King David wrote this longest of Psalms. That's her tradition. The style matches other Psalms. It says he wrote them, and I believe that's my belief that King Solomon wrote this. I didn't say that right. King David wrote this Psalm 119. When I read these verses here, 161-168, I'm comforted knowing that just as we feel aligned and under attack at times due to our convictions, due to our belief in God and our faith in God, I find in these scriptures that David also suffered unjustly at times. He also fell under attack and persecuted. He also found real comfort and hope in God's commandments. God's commandments are a good place to go for strength and comfort and peace of mind. Again, let's read these verses. Let's read these verses, and I think you'll see what I mean. Now, he begins talking about princes who persecute him. Maybe we could replace princes with leaders, people in charge, people in control of our lives influencing us. David writes, princes persecute me without a cause, but my heart stands in awe of your word. He's singing this song of praise to God, God's word. I rejoice at your word as one who finds great treasure. I hate in a poor lying. Much of the many lies and things we hear being spoken in society today. I hate in a poor lying, but I love your law. Seven times a day, I praise you because of your righteous judgments. Great peace of those who love your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. I would say nothing, not even strange ideas of what normal means nowadays. Nothing causes them to stumble. Lord, I hope for your salvation, and I do your commandments. My soul keeps your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. I keep your precepts and your testimonies, for all my ways are before you. He walks before God. And so do we. David found strength, peace, and great hope in God's commandments. And so should we. And so can we. Now let's also turn and look at Matthew 19. Back to Matthew 19, Matthew 19, verses 16-19. Jesus Christ emphasized the importance of keeping the commandments of God. Matthew 19, verses 16-19.

In fact, what we learn here, the commandments were required for the receiving of eternal life, of salvation. Matthew 19, verses 16, breaking into the narrative here.

So he said to him, Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, and that is God. It seems Jesus is perhaps unbeknown to this man asking him the question. He's noting the accuracy of the man's words and calling him good. Because, you see, of course, Jesus was Immanuel, God with us. He was good. He was God with us. But continuing on, Jesus said, But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. And the man said to him, Which ones? And Jesus said, You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and your mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. And so, Jesus made clear to receive eternal life and salvation, keeping God's Ten Commandments must become normal for us to do. Keeping God's Ten Commandments must become normal for us to do. Matthew 22. Let's turn forward a few pages. Matthew 22, verses 36-40.

Again, Jesus declared the need to keep God's commandments. Matthew 22, verses 36-40. Again, he had another question, and he condensed his answer to these two summary and imperative statements. Authoritative statements. He was asked, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Very clear just how important they are. Now, over in Romans 13, verses 8-10, the apostle Paul also declared their requirement of keeping the Ten Commandments. I'm saying Ten Commandments because there's an idea out there, a wrong and not normal idea out there. It says, we only need to keep nine of the Ten. We don't need to keep the Sabbath. Hence my stress on Ten Commandments. Here in Romans 13, verses 8-10, notice that Paul was addressing the church in Rome. The church in Rome was a congregation primarily composed of Gentiles, not Jews. So he's writing to them, verse 8, Oh, no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, he gives examples, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, all are summed up in this saying, namely, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Clearly, Paul taught that the Ten Commandments are for all people. All people. They are to be normal for all people. The Apostle John, in 1 John chapter 3, 23-24, now, please. 1 John chapter 3, 23-24.

John exhorts us to keep God's law as well. He writes, saying, In this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ. How can you believe in Jesus Christ and God if you're not keeping all the commandments? He says that we should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave us commandment. He who keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. By this we know that he abides in us by the Spirit whom he has given us, or which he has given us. Let's also read 1 John 5, verse 2-3. 1 John 5, verse 2-3. And by this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And all his commandments are not burdensome. Well, and his commandments, it says, are not burdensome. None of them are a burden. Love is a verb of action. It's an action verb. It's a verb of doing. And love is equated with keeping God's commandments. God's standard of normal, God's normal, requires that we relate to God and to others according to his law of love. The Ten Commandments. To make sure my point is quite clear. God's Ten Commandments express and define what normal ultimately and truly is. The Ten Commandments are the universal, borrowing my definition from Webster, the Ten Commandments are the universal common standard or regular pattern God established for humanity to keep. The Ten Commandments provide us the norm, the rule, the principle, that normal that we can live so that we might have a better and happier life now and for all eternity. It's a very beautiful gift God has given us, his Ten Commandments. So, seeking guidance from Scripture and keeping God's commandments must become for us the normal thing for us to do. But do you and I truly believe this?

If we do, then we'd be doing it. And we are doing it. Do we use the Bible and God's commandments as our basis of normal in helping us to examine and evaluate and make the choices we face? This is a serious question. Or, do we at times treat God's word and authority somewhat carelessly, with a little less thought than we should, or perhaps not with the full respect for his authority and those laws that we should have?

Every day we must make decisions. All the time. We have to make decisions we really don't want to make, frankly. But every day we must make decisions. We must choose sides. We must support a cause. We must take a stand. We must take an action. Every day, peers, friends, family, teachers, coaches, bosses, doctors, advertisers, pundits, those people that talk a lot on radio and TV, even politicians and many others, they are all urging us to follow them. Follow me! How often, though, do we turn to God and the Bible to seek God's will and direction?

For example, would we or do we search God's word for guidance in deciding whether or not to get a tattoo? I know some of us would never even consider that. But we might know somebody that is thinking about it. If they came to you for advice, what would you say? Of course, all the really cool people wear tattoos. Well, no, they don't. It's actually starting to fall out of favor, just so you know. What about in choosing the songs we enjoy or the movies and TV shows we watch? You know, Satan broadcasts his attitudes in music and movies and TV shows, things we put in our head. It may seem like a little thing to be concerned about, but it's not such a little thing when it's affecting our attitudes and moods and values. Do we simply make our own choices about things and then assume? Assume that God approves of our decision? Assume means to make a guess based on little or no evidence.

I'm having to check myself to make sure my assumptions are correct. I'm having to make sure I go back to Scripture, and I suspect that might be something we all find ourselves needing to do more of at times. Assume means to make a guess based on little or no evidence. Do we go to God's word for guidance and lifestyle choices? Lifestyle choices, such as whether we... about smoking. Is it okay to smoke? I think a lot of us have made a decision about that. But what about vaping electronic cigarettes? That's very popular. Vaping is very unpopular. What's your stand on that? What's your opinion on that? You may not be wanting to do that yourself, but what might you tell others? What about using illicit drugs? That's a lifestyle choice. Carrying a gun is a lifestyle choice. What do you think about that? What does God's word say about that? What about dating or marrying outside the church?

How about on where we stand relative to abortion or LGBTQ issues? Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. Actually, T is now... we're being told means transitional. And Q actually means questioning. People are wondering, is this what I need to do? Well, what's our stand? What do we think? Do we assume we know what God says, or have we really scoped it out? Have we really studied? We need to make sure we know what we know and why. Or, on the other hand, do we simply believe and do what we think, based on worldly influences, and then expect God just to go ahead and bless us no matter what we choose to do? Do we study God's scriptures to learn how to observe God's Sabbath and holy days? Are we still doing it reverently before God? Do we study scripture to understand better how it is we are to worship and revere God? Or how to get along with family and brethren and resolve any problems, any troubles we might have with one another? Do we seek God's instruction and conform to His ways? Or do we do what we have always done just because we think it's okay, or what we're doing? Well, it's good enough. I have to ask myself, is good enough going to cut it? One day I need to go to scripture and make sure. Good enough? Does it sound like a very good answer to me right now? Do you and I really care about what God says?

If we do care, and I know we do, I know we do care, then all of us must make it our normal practice to study and search God's word for His instruction and His guidance. Now, we must do this prayerfully and with a humble and a teachable heart. I stress teachable because I've met some humble people, and sometimes I even considered myself humble, but then I recognize myself and others. Maybe I'm not quite teachable, though. I might be humble and act the right way, but maybe I'm not as teachable. That's something we might all think about. We need a humble attitude and a teachable heart, and our motivation for going to God's word should not be based on pride or desire to prove ourselves right or that we're superior to other people. We go to God's word because we're striving to love God, and we're striving to love our brothers and sisters and our neighbors better. I want to understand and live in accordance with God's definition of normal, with God's standards for loving your neighbor and for loving God. Now, the Bible will not specifically address every question and every dilemma we face, but that's where we ought to go first to begin to understand what God would have us do. Proverbs 1.7 tells us, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge. It's really where we need to turn our thoughts and our eyes to first when we feel a need to get God's direction and guidance and some of the challenges and choices we face in life. We should also seek sound wisdom and counsel from God's ministry. The elders of God's church have some training, experiences, and understanding and depth of God's word that will prove helpful. There are other godly men and women who have proven themselves wise in God's word and way of life. My point is, we need not be alone or feel that it's all up to us alone when deciding how to live a normal life of faith and obedience to God. God has placed us in a family. We are not alone. We are facing some really challenging, mind-numbing questions. We can turn to one another and find those within the church, God's body of Christ, who can help us and give us some assistance.

There is also another aspect of normal that is revealed in Scripture. There is another aspect of normal that we must not neglect. That normal is the typical human response to God and His commandments. What is the typical human response to God and His commandments? To His word? Rebellion. Disobedience. Something called sin. Lawlessness. Again, remember what we know. Normal does not always mean good. Sin is a normal that is not a good. We are familiar with what happened in the Garden of Eden, how Satan influenced Adam and Eve. They disobeyed God and chose to define for themselves what is good and evil. In every human being, including ourselves, share their same carnal, self-centered, rebellious nature. I've noticed even among those who don't think they have it, they don't think they have human nature. Well, as the world around us makes clear, humanity still wants to follow in the ways of Adam and Eve, deciding for themselves what is good. We should be very thankful to God and Jesus Christ because they love us and they haven't stopped loving us. They are faithful to bring to fruition their plan of salvation. Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the gift of God's Holy Spirit, we can strive against sin. We are promised that we can overcome it and so receive eternal life. That's very good news. The Father has called us now, and we are to be putting off the ways of our carnal, fleshly nature, what we might call the old normal. We are to be putting on the mind of Jesus Christ, what we might call the new normal, the true normal.

Romans 7, verse 18-23, I'd like to remind us that this is not a pleasant struggle. This struggle to live by a new normal versus the old normal is not a pleasant struggle at all. It's very frustrating. Paul makes that very clear. I just want to read a few scriptures of his description here. Romans 7, 18-23. Paul describes what must become a normal part of our lives upon conversion. What Paul is describing here, Romans 7, 18-23, is actually what must be normal. It's becoming normal for us in our lives of conversion. Paul writes, beginning verse 18, For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells. For to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, or the good that I want to do, I do not do. But the evil that I will or want not to do, that I practice. Now, if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin. It is sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills or wants to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. And again, I say, all who struggle to obey God experience this same struggle. We share in this. This is part of our new normal in Christ. And don't we understand what Paul is saying here? We understand it. But with Christ living in us through the Holy Spirit, we can conquer our wretched human nature. Let's continue reading now, verse 24 through 25. Paul says, oh, wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. That's who. Jesus Christ. So then with the mind I myself serve, the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. By practicing living faith in Jesus Christ, we will endure to the end with hope and salvation, that hope and victory over sin. This, also, that hope is also part of the new normal that is God's way of life. That little phrase, the new normal, has become quite popular, I've noticed, over the past ten years. It's something that's popped up within the last ten years. We hear it a lot. In fact, we might have even picked it up without knowing it, and we use it ourselves. I've heard you say it. But if you go back and you find out it wasn't a common phrase more than ten years ago. In fact, OxfordDictionaries.com defines the new normal this way, and it fits with what we do upon conversion and acting upon our convictions to follow God in Christ. It defines the new normal this way, and the new normal is defined as a previously unfamiliar or atypical situation that has become standard, usual, or expected. Isn't that what we're doing? We're living a new normal in Christ. A previously unfamiliar or atypical situation that has become standard, usual, or expected. Repenting of sin, believing and obeying God, living a new life in Christ, battling against sin with God's help, hoping firmly in the salvation of God. All of that becomes our new normal when we truly walk in the way of God. God's previously unfamiliar way of life to us must now become our standard, our usual, our expected way to live. The new normal is living the new way of life in Christ. Through repentance from sin, and through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Isn't it good to know there's normal? And God has made us part of that normal? We didn't ask for it, but He chose us. It's very humbling and very encouraging. But to maintain this new normal, we must continually eat of the bread of life. And that's why we've been talking a lot during these spring holy days and this season, reminding ourselves. That's why we must stay near to God through prayer, fasting, studying, eating God's word, meditating, filling our hearts and minds with His words and thoughts and thoughts. With all things that are good and edifying. Only then will we be motivated to put into practice love towards God and love towards our brethren and our neighbor.

Now, at the same time, we just can't focus on one thing. We've got to be following the new way, but then making sure we're not going back to the old way. That old normal. At the same time, we're trying to practice this new normal, we must guard ourselves to never slip into spiritual complacency or laziness. We can find ourselves in that spiritually lazy position if we catch ourselves faking normal or practicing spiritual pretense. We want to avoid faking normal or practicing spiritual pretense.

I've discovered the phrase faking normal from a book written by Elizabeth White. I think she published it in 2016. Her book was entitled 55 underemployed and faking normal. In her book, White addresses the plight of women, predominantly, who, after working all their lives, are now approaching retirement age, but they have no plans for their future financial security. They're caught up in looking financially sound. The appearances and spending money at the fancy restaurants and the rich cars and all these things, but they're becoming more and more desperate because they see their future coming. Their lives are getting older. They're not going to be in the workforce much longer. Retirement is coming, and they have no plans for their future financial security.

White, in her book, urges women to stop the pretense of appearing wealthy and financially secure while actually being barely able to pay their bills and in living in fear and dread of the future. I think we can understand how that we can get caught up in living in pretense.

In her book, she argues that we be honest with ourselves and with others. She urges women, especially, who find themselves in this predicament, that they stop faking normal and that they choose to deal realistically with life's challenges.

I didn't read the book. I read a summary. I was captivated by the title. But what she's really talking about is the author's call to put away pretense and to stop faking normal rang a bell in my head. It rang a bell reminding me of a sober need to make sure that our spiritual lives are not based on pretense, that we're somehow not faking normal with God. It reminded me, and I'm thinking it probably reminds you, too, of Christ's warning against spiritual pretense, what he called hypocrisy. When it comes to living the new normal in Christ, we must be careful not to deceive ourselves, whether knowingly or oftentimes unknowingly.

Instead of faking normal spiritually, we must strive to be sincere and honest with ourselves and especially honest with God. Let's go back to Matthew 6 and just look at a few examples of what Christ was talking about. Just to remind us of where we might not understand we're not being as honest with ourselves or things we haven't done and we don't want to do. Might be a better way of looking at this.

Matthew 6, verses 1-2, here Jesus is giving instruction that we had called about God's new normal for charitable deeds, regarding how to handle charitable deeds as opposed to the carnal and faking normal righteousness of religious hypocrisy.

Jesus writes in Matthew 6, verses 1, He says, He expects us to do charitable deeds, you notice that? He expects us to be doing charitable deeds, but you don't want to do it motivated by the desire to be noticed. He says, Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet, we'd say nowadays bang a drum, before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory, attention, and favor from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, verse 3, but when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

And so Jesus decried those who draw attention to their charitable works by making a show an appearance of righteousness, when in fact they are actually faking normal. They're faking godly righteousness. The new normal Jesus taught is to take care that one's works of charity or love are done to the glory of honor of God, not to ourselves. We don't do it for ourselves, we do it for God's glory.

And the same holds true for the hypocrites Jesus describes in verses 5-6. St. Chapter, Matthew 6, 5-6. Jesus states, verse 5, When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets.

Why? That they may be seen by men. Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go to your room, and when you shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And so again, these men, these people, were making a show. They were making a show of praying in public. It seems they prayed less to be heard of by God, but even more to be seen and recognized for their supposed piety, their religiosity.

Their motivation was pride and vanity. They are actually faking normal and godly righteousness. That's not what God wants from us. Jesus unveiled the pretense with the contrast he makes to his new normal of praying. If you really want to be heard of God, if you really want to be focused on God, then do it privately, humbly and sincerely to God who hears and forgives abundantly. Let's turn to a final example in Matthew 7, verse 5-9. Mark 7, next book. Mark 7, 5-9.

Mark 7, 5-9. Here we learn that Jesus was questioned about the Pharisees tradition of washings. Now, this was a tradition that they had apparently come to value, in some ways, more than God's commandments. They made a big mistake. For the Pharisees, washing was the normal and godly action one must absolutely do. Verse 5. Then the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? And he answered and said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as is written, This people honours me with their lips, but their heart, their heart is far from me. And in vain they worship me, teaching, as doctrines, the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do. And he said to them, All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. They were not wise and good place. And so again, we see that Jesus condemned self-righteous pretense. In this case, the tradition with its stringent demands of washing had come to replace, and perhaps unwittingly so, their obedience to God's commandments, which commandments define true normal, true righteousness.

The point is, again, we must turn from faking normal in all the sinful and self-deceiving ways of our carnal human nature, and turn to following God, and so live God's normal, that new normal in Jesus Christ.

And so it is, brethren, if we stay close to God through prayer and the study of His word, and if we strive with God's help to make His standard of normal the new normal in our life, then we will be living a life that pleases God, and that certainly improves us and develops our relationship with God. Moreover, we will be on the way, and always on the way, to eternal life in the Kingdom of God. On the other hand, to live a life of faking normal, of spiritual pretense and complacency to God and His commandments, we will find ourselves in a way that leads to death. We must not value our own beliefs and our own opinions more than we do the word of God. God wants you, me and all humanity, to enjoy life fully, and according to His normal, and not to our own sinful and ill-conceived ideas that are by no means normal. So, the question is, will we live the true normal of faithfulness to God and Jesus Christ, or will we live the false normal of the world and what we think and what we assume is pleasing to God? The choice is ours to make. Now is our time to act.