In my opinion, the Sermon on the Mount is the most profound set of standards that has ever been written. When Jesus talks about giving, he says,
"But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." (Matthew 6:3)
This principle does not just apply to the way that we give to people in need, but also to how we give any kind of offering to God. We aren't meant to do good deeds just for the public to see, and more importantly, we are meant to hide our righteous acts even from ourselves. We are very good at remembering all of the things that we have done for God, and rarely hesitate to pat ourselves on the back for the times when we do what we are "supposed" to do. What we don't realize is that in doing this, we are trading the righteousness of Christ for our own righteousness. This is not good enough for the life that Jesus has called us to. He requires us to hide our good acts from ourselves, and to find holiness only in Him. Whether we are living in perfect obedience, or are struggling with a chronic sin, we must approach Him in prayer daily, asking to be covered in the only source that can give us new life--the righteousness found in the blood of Jesus Christ.
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