Introduction:
The distortions of righteousness ALWAYS involve two realms.
There is the realm of belief, and there is the realm of practice.
Those two realms are inseparable. They can be distinguished but they are never divorced.
We live what we believe. What we believe will always find expression in the ways that we live our lives.
Our thinking, attitudes, and words, reveal our doctrine.
Our behaviors reveal our doctrine.
The six examples that Jesus gave in chapter 5, focused on what had been taught. Christ’s corrections certainly gave voice to what true righteousness looks like in practice, but it was doctrinal correction that was taking place.
When we get to chapter 6, the focus is now on PRACTICE.
What does false righteousness, what does hypocrisy look like in the common practices of man’s religious life?
HOW DO HYPROCRITES PRACTICE GENEROSITY?
HOW DO HYPOCRITES PRAY?
HOW DO HYPOCRITES FAST?
WHY DO THEY DO THESE THINGS? FOR WHOM DO THEY DO THESE THINGS?
Christ chooses three common practices of the Jews, and He contrasts the kind of righteousness seen in the scribes and Pharisees, with the kind practices that true righteousness — salvation’s righteousness — will produce.
BUT AS WE SEE IN EACH OF THESE THREE EXAMPLES (6:1-18), CHRIST IS NOT SIMPLY CONTRASTING WHAT IS WRONG WITH WHAT IS RIGHT, HE IS EXHORTING HIS DISCIPLES TO PRACTICE THE RIGHT.
These three examples are not just condemnations, they are exhortations. The first one has to do with giving.
How does salvation transform generosity?


• ALERTNESS REGARDING SIN (vs.1)
One way that salvation transforms generosity is we have a new AWARENESS that in any act of apparent righteousness, there can be evil motives.
Salvation makes us AWARE that there are praiseworthy motivations (for everything that God calls us to do), and there are motivations that cannot be praised — they are not God glorifying.
Now, we might have had some common grace knowledge of that prior to regeneration, but the new nature, and the presence of the Spirit of God, and the gift of the Word of God, produces a brand-new kind of awareness. It is an awareness unique to God’s people — it flows from the desire to glorify God.
We know we can please or displease God in the areas of service, or in spiritual disciplines assigned to His people — and we care to please Him.
WHICH IS WHY JESUS BEGINS WITH A WARNING.
“Beware” is an imperative. It is a command to alertness. It means that we are conscious of something, we are awake to something, we are on guard against something.
• IT IS A UNIVERSAL AWARENESS
“PRACTICING YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Not just in the immediate matter that He’s about to discuss, but in ALL THE MATTERS He’s about to discuss.
“Practicing” — Doing, performing, producing
“Before” - ἔμπροσθεν - ① pert. to a position in front of an object
So, you are putting your product of righteousness, your doing of righteousness, BEFORE — in front of — MEN.
This speaks to focus and awareness. You are aware of PEOPLE as you do it.
You have THAT AUDIENCE as the FOCUS of your attention.
Just think about that for a moment. Who are you most aware of when you are performing, doing, acts of righteousness?
Are you aware of men, or are you aware of God?
Θεάομαι – aorist passive infinitive – to be noticed, to attract the attention of someone.
YOU ARE AWARE OF PEOPLE AS YOU DO WHAT YOU DO, AND YOU DO WHAT YOU DO TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THOSE PEOPLE, TO BE NOTICED BY THOSE PEOPLE, FOR THE EYES OF THOSE PEOPLE.
QUESTION: HOW DOES THIS DIFFER FROM “LETTING YOUR LIGHT SHINE?”
John Stott — “At first sight these words appear to contradict his earlier command to ‘let your light shine before others, that they may see …’ In both verses he speaks of doing good deeds ‘before others’ and in both the objective is stated, namely in order to be ‘seen’ by them. But in the earlier case he commands it, while in the later one he prohibits it. How can this discrepancy be resolved? The clue lies in the fact that Jesus is speaking against different sins. It is our human cowardice which made him say ‘let your light shine before others’, and our human vanity which made him tell us to beware of practising our righteousness in front of others”
This warning is to be applied to EVERYTHING WE DO IN THE NAME OF God.
This same principle — the truth that Jesus was teaching in the sermon on the mount — is applied to Christian slaves as they worked for their masters.