Do Not Parade Your Righteousness – Matthew 6:1-4
Pastor Tan Thai · Feb 11, 2012
This sermon based on Matthew 6:1-4 teaches that Christians do not do good works to be saved, but are saved in order to do good works. Jesus warns against parading one's righteousness for human praise, because those who seek human reward have already received it in full, leaving no reward from God.
The sermon opens by clarifying the fundamental difference between Christian faith and other religions: salvation does not come through good works or merit, but solely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, the often-overlooked verse 10 reminds us that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance. In summary, we do not do good works to be saved, but are saved in order to do good works.
The sermon then analyzes the apparent tension between two teachings in the Sermon on the Mount: Jesus tells believers to let their light shine before others (Matthew 5:14-16), yet also warns them not to parade their righteousness (6:1-4). These instructions are not contradictory — one addresses believers who live as anonymous Christians, hiding their faith from those around them, while the other addresses those who perform good deeds for public recognition. The central lesson is: reveal what you want to hide, but keep secret what you want to show off.
A key section of the sermon examines the two types of reward. Jesus uses the Greek term apechō — a commercial term meaning 'paid in full' — to describe those who perform good deeds for human praise: they have already received everything they will get. By contrast, God who sees in secret will reward those who give quietly (Matthew 6:4). The sermon affirms that expecting a reward from God is not shameful or immature in faith, since Jesus himself explicitly promises rewards for faithful service throughout Matthew.
The sermon also unpacks Jesus's vivid imagery of 'sounding a trumpet' and 'hypocrites' (hupokritēs). Hypocrites are like actors on a stage, wearing masks and playing roles for applause. Showing off can be overt — announcing one's generosity — or subtle, such as false humility designed to prompt compliments. Jesus instructs that when giving, one should not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing, meaning even one's own inner thoughts should not dwell on the good deed done.
The sermon concludes with a citation from Calvin: we should be content when God alone is the sole witness to our acts of righteousness. This is the practical standard for believers — not keeping things secret out of fear of losing reward, but out of genuine love for God and a desire to please Him rather than people.