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Key Bible Verse: Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.'" (Mark 7:6) Dig Deeper: Mark 7:1-23

[The Pharisees] had no problem using the coin to shop or to facilitate whatever kind of purpose they desire, yet the moment the coin didn't align with their likes, they had "convictions."

I love my Democratic brothers and sisters, many of whom chose that party because they are passionate about the poor. Their convictions find their place in Scriptures where God commands his people to engage the poor. But what I want to ask my Democratic neighbors is that if I took a peek at your tax statement, would I see a genuine commitment to the less fortunate, or would I see someone who, like the Pharisees, talks a big game but doesn't live out their political declarations?

Many of my Republican friends speak out against abortion. This too is a deeply biblical conviction that we all should embrace as followers of Jesus. But it's one thing to speak out against abortion; it's a completely different thing to come alongside young pregnant women and offer to foster or adopt. To simply articulate our pro-life belief but not roll up our sleeves and offer positive alternatives is to play the part of hypocritical Pharisees. The easy thing is talking and voting; the hard thing is being personally invested.

—Bryan Loritts in A Cross-Shaped Gospel

My Response: What would it look like to consistently live out my political and moral convictions?

Thought to Apply: The church must remember that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.—Martin Luther King Jr. (clergyman, civil rights leader)

Adapted from A Cross-Shaped Gospel (Moody, 2011) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.

Copyright © 2012 by Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

Father, give me a clearer and deepened understanding of what Jesus meant by "give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God" (Matt. 22:21).

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