Indeed. I’d just qualify this by noting that it also depends on one’s motives for acting. For example, it is possible to act in favor toward the poor, while resenting them with all your heart. The Lord does not care what you say or believe, as long as you do what is right with the right motives in the right circumstances. This is why Jeremiah 17:10 tells us, “I, Yahweh, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve.” I advise everyone to take this seriously. Examine your own hearts and minds in accord to God’s standards and you’ll soon find that you’re not as good as you think. It’s easy to compare yourself to others, but you should fall on your knees against a holy and perfect standard. If that’s not your response, then you are either a self-deceptive liar or have pathetic excuses for thinking you are good, regardless of your faults. You’re not taking sin seriously enough.
