“Doing the right thing for the wrong reason is always wrong.” The first time I heard Dr. Bryan Chapell say this it gave me pause. An extended pause. I didn’t like it because I know my motives for doing something “right” might not always be aligned with biblical truth. They might not always be the purest. Now I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Chapell.
A few years ago I had the privilege of delivering the Sunday morning sermon at a fairly large church on the west coast. My topic was God will never, never, never punish a believer for their sin. If God still punishes us, or our families, etc., for our sin, then Jesus did not bear all our sin on the cross. His punishment in our place was only partially effective. But because it was 100% effective, as a believer I never obey to avoid punishment. I obey to experience the love that He already has for me (John 15:10).
As Sue and I were walking out to the parking lot after the second service, we were following a couple that had no idea the guest pastor was right behind them and could hear every word they were saying. They were roasting me! The bottom line of their disagreement was if God doesn’t punish us for our sin, we will never be motivated to obey. This meant they were not obeying to enjoy the love of God that Jesus had earned for them, but rather their acts of “obedience” were acts of self-protection. Protection from a God who discounted the work of Christ on the cross and was still displeased with them. They were basing their behavior on a lie. On disbelief.
There is an important principle here. What if sin does not lie simply in the act, but in the reason, the motive, the disbelief behind the act? If I serve my friend, on the surface it may appear to be a right thing to do. But if my motive is to get something in return, my serving is not right. It is manipulation. It is a selfish act. It is wrong.
Jesus reiterated this principle when he said, “Isaiah was right about frauds like you… ‘These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart is not in it'” (Mark 7:6, The Message). They appeared to be doing the right thing, but for wrong reasons. They were frauds because their acts were fraudulent. They were wrong. “Doing the right thing for the wrong reason is always wrong.”
So what do we do? We act out of a desire to honor God and a motivation of love…for God and others. And how do we grow in our love? By immersing ourselves in the love God has for us…and then we find ourselves loving because He first loved us.
QUESTION: What are your thoughts? Leave a comment.
How do we know we’re obeying for the right reason? Paul said he couldn’t even trust his own motives. Are we always conscious of our inner motives and know what’s right? Or should this move us to include in our prayers asking for forgiveness both for what we know is wrong and also what we do wrong we don’t realize?
Hi Dave! You always have such good questions. Thank you. I don’t think I always realize my wrong motives…I have lived out of them for so long they have become second nature to me. That is why I believe we need two things. The first is people who will speak truth to us…without that we are always deceived. And secondly, I need lots of time in the presence of Jesus…because He speaks truth to me and I need to easily recognize his voice.
Bill, your blog this week is so thought-provoking. I do wish my motives were always pure. I take comfort that Jesus died for all my sin, even my wrong motives, and I pray for His perspective to align my motives with His. Your reminder to immerse ourselves in God’s love is so key!
Sandy!
Thanks for the comment…you really nailed a key truth that Jesus died for all our sin, even our sinful motives. Great addition.
Thanks for these thoughts. I think these ideas seem so scary because it really does take us out of control.
This is something I was just talking to our teens about last night. In fact, I started thinking of it at the “teen test.” It you say or do something with a teen to get them to like you, they can see right through it and they usually back off. But you can do the same thing WITH them as a fun thing, that brings community. It’s the same with God.
DeAnn – beautiful addition to the blog post. Not only do we know our motives are deceptive, so do others. You added depth to the importance of our inner lives, not just our behaviors.
Thanks Bill,
It might have been a good idea to make a distinction between punishment and discipline in that sermon you mentioned. Maybe you did and the people missed it. Hebrews 12 makes it indisputable that God disciplines his children, however, it is never merely punitive–punishment for punishment sake. There is a wonderful purpose in all God’s discipline and as we deepen in our faith we learn to accept it more and more and benefit from it more and more. Sometimes we don’t see our disobedience or rebelliousness. God will at times discipline us to make it plain.
Great message, Bill, on the essence of the sin of the Pharisees who did a lot of right things (and some better than any Christian today!) but for the wrong reason: their pride. It’s really helped me to discern how insidious is my pride as the prime motivator of my sinful nature and so every though, word, and deed apart from Christ! There were many “good deeds” that I did for my own glory that I thought were for the Lord – and found them lacking in good results, even sometimes total misunderstanding and actually worsened relationships! How many times have I been guilty of those Pharisee ways! And how merciful is our Lord for forgiving me and walking me back to that very humble “straight and narrow” for the right reason: His glory. Great insight here in your blog. May our Lord enable you to see many more!
Hi Bill, this was my 1st time sending a comment. Did you receive it? Did I send it to the right place? Appreciate your blog very much. I have a private Q. out of your sharing in ch. 1&2. It may take some discussion. What would be the easiest way?
You did it right!! The best way to connect with me for a private questions is to use my email:
bill@billtell.com. Looking forward to hearing from you. August I take a semi-sabbatical from email. blogs, etc., so I might be a tad slow in getting back to you…but I will.
We still have a sin nature as Paul outlines in Romans 7 and so we will always have mixed motives in this life. We will not have a better motive until we allow our minds to be renewed with the love and grace given in Christ. Then we will understand the law in its proper context and that we obey the law in gratitude for what has already been done for us in Christ. And to live out who we are in Him, and our new identity in Christ. Yes we are chastened but it is not punishment. It is molding and refining us into the image of Christ. Just as an athlete is trained for a race, so every believer is chastened by God in order to run the race properly and finish the course.
What about Philippians 1:15-18?
“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
Philippians 1:15-18 NIV
http://bible.com/111/php.1.15-18.NIV
Paul says that what matters is the gospel being preached, not the motives.