Actions Speak Truer

The cliche goes, "Actions speak louder than words."  It might be better said, "Actions speak truer than words alone."  Jesus told a parable about two sons who were asked by their father to work in his vineyard.  One flatly said no and the other said, "I go sir!"  It turned out the one who agreed to go never made it, and the one who refused to go at the beginning later felt guilty about it and went.  Jesus concluded the parable spoke to the self-righteous and hypocritical Pharisees in Matthew 21:31, "Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said to Him, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you."  Harlots and tax collectors were known for their immorality and greed but they repented at the preaching of John.  The Pharisees did not see their own need to repent and this exposed their hypocrisy like the second son who agreed to labour for his father but never showed up.  Actions speak truer than words.

The Pharisees emphasised the need to know God's Law, but Jesus emphasised the importance of putting it into practice according to God's revealed will in the Word - not conforming to the world or according to man's traditions.  Jesus always spoke the truth and His words were continually coupled with doing the will of the Father.  John asked a valid question of all who claim to love God in 1 John 4:20-21:  "If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? ²¹ And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also."  God's Word is not a periscope for us to peer into the hearts and minds of others and stand in judgment of them, but is intended as the divine standard for us to examine our own hearts, affections, motives, words, and deeds.  God's Word is like a sword which can pierce the hardest of hearts of sinners who will repent, and blind hypocrites use it to justify their hypocrisy.

The importance of obedience to doing the will of God is seen in Matthew 7:21:  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  God's will is not some ambiguous or mystical spiritual knowledge available to a select few, but for all who humble themselves before God in faith and obedience.  We can know and do God's will not through words or works alone, but only after we are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.  Having been transformed from within through faith in Jesus, Christians are exhorted in Ephesians 5:15-17, "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is."  God has given us understanding of His will in the Bible, through Christ's words and example when we humbly submit to His rule in all areas of our lives.

"A picture is worth a thousand words," a common cliche suggests.  "Seeing is believing," pipes up another.  Whilst we are often caught up in appearances and what think we can see and judging according to our sight, Jesus examined the hearts of men in truth.  The Pharisees cleansed the outside of the cup and appeared to men to be holy and righteous, but Jesus perceived the filth of hypocrisy within.  The harlots and tax collectors who repented and followed Christ displayed they did the will of God by repenting and turning from their sin.  Jesus didn't just talk a good game but His actions were in perfect agreement.  Words and deeds are evidence people rely heavily upon, and our actions speak truer than words concerning the condition of our hearts.  Concern over the sins of others without confessing and repenting over our own is sinful as any sin.  What do your actions say about you?