Matthew 6:1–15 < Gospel Righteousness That Shines in Secret >

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📖 Matthew 6:1–15 < Gospel Righteousness That Shines in Secret >

15 If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

✨ Righteousness Before People or Before God?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus asks a piercing question:
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them” (Matthew 6:1).

In Jesus’ day, many expressed their devotion through giving, prayer, and fasting.
Yet Jesus looks not primarily at the actions themselves, but at the motives behind them.
Righteousness aimed at human approval has already received its reward.

The same danger exists for us today.
Even within the church and in spiritual settings, we can subtly seek the attention and affirmation of others.
But the Lord delights in faith that is genuine and offered in secret, before God alone.

✨ Giving and Praying in Secret — God Sees

Jesus teaches that when we give, our left hand should not know what our right hand is doing.
This is a call to abandon calculated faith that seeks visible reward.

Prayer follows the same principle.
It is not meant to impress others, but to flow naturally from a living relationship with God.
Prayer offered in a quiet, hidden place may seem insignificant or lonely,
yet that place is at the very center of the kingdom of God.

God, who sees what is done in secret, responds with grace.
This is not a wage earned by works, but an answer given by mercy.

✨ The Lord’s Prayer — Learning to Pray Through the Gospel

The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9–13 reveals the essence of true prayer.
It is not a formula to manipulate God, but a gracious framework that aligns our hearts with His will.

“Your name be hallowed” is a confession that the ultimate purpose of our lives is God’s glory.
“Give us today our daily bread” is a declaration of trust—choosing to live each day by grace.
And the prayer for forgiveness, coupled with forgiving others, reflects the new relationships formed by the gospel.

✨ Forgiveness — Where the Gospel Becomes Visible

After teaching on prayer, Jesus places particular emphasis on forgiveness (Matthew 6:14–15).
This is because forgiveness is not optional fruit, but a defining mark of those who have been saved.

We forgive because we have first been forgiven by God.
The deeper we grasp that grace, the more we are led into a life of forgiving others.
Forgiveness, then, is a response of faith to the gospel.

🙏 Prayer

God who sees in secret,
teach us to seek Your face rather than human approval.
May our giving, praying, and living flow from gospel-centered motives.
As those who have been forgiven, grant us the grace to forgive others.
Help us today to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness.

🔍 Application

Today, act with awareness of God’s presence rather than people’s opinions.

Begin your day—even briefly—by praying the Lord’s Prayer in a quiet place.

Bring any lingering bitterness or wounds before the Lord, and take the first step toward forgiveness.

💡 Meditation Point

Matthew 6 calls us to lay down a faith that seeks to be seen,
and to embrace a faith lived before God alone.
The light of the gospel that begins in secret will ultimately illuminate our entire lives.
Today, live by grace alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone.

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