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“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
— *Matthew 6:1 (NIV)*
This is the central warning and promise that runs through both the Scripture and the lyrics you have presented. The song keeps repeating that phrase from Matthew 6:1, because the Holy Spirit is emphasizing a central principle of the Christian life:
The central theme is this: the true life of faith is mostly hidden.
Hidden giving.
Hidden praying.
Hidden acts of love.
Hidden motives.
Yet nothing that is done in God, for God, and before God is ever truly lost. “Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18).
The lyrics echo exactly what Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount:
Let us look at what the Word of God says, and then align our inner life to it.
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These words come from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5–7). Jesus is speaking primarily to His disciples, but with crowds listening (Matthew 5:1–2). He is not speaking to pagans or unbelievers; He is addressing people who take God seriously, many of them deeply religious Jews.
In Matthew 5, Jesus has already raised the standard of righteousness:
He ends chapter 5 with this staggering command:
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
Then in Matthew 6 He moves from the standard of righteousness to the motive behind it. To put it in simple terms:
Specifically, He addresses three core Jewish practices that were also central to genuine piety:
1. Almsgiving (giving to the needy) – Matthew 6:2–4
2. Prayer – Matthew 6:5–15
3. Fasting – Matthew 6:16–18
In each case He contrasts two kinds of people:
The setting is significant:
Jesus is not forbidding all public acts. In Matthew 5:16 He has already said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” The issue here is not visibility; it is motive.
The lyrics capture this contrast sharply:
> “They love the applause in the streets and synagogues
> They’ve already received their full reward”
And again:
> “The spotlight fades, the crowd moves on
> But what’s done in secret will last forever long”
Jesus is speaking as Judge of motives and Rewarder of faithfulness. He is training His disciples to live for the unseen realm.
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Let us look at two key Greek words that uncover the depth of this teaching.
### 3.1 “Practice your righteousness” – *dikaiosynēn* (δικαιοσύνην)
Matthew 6:1:
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness (*dikaiosynēn*) in front of others to be seen by them…”
When Jesus says “practice your righteousness,” He is including:
So the issue is not whether you do “religious things,” but whether your practice of righteousness flows from love of God or from love of recognition.
The lyrics express this broader sense:
> “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them”
It is not only about giving or praying; it is about the general tendency of the human heart to turn righteousness into performance.
### 3.2 “To be seen” – *theathēnai* (θεαθῆναι)
The phrase “to be seen by them” in Matthew 6:1 is from the Greek verb *theaomai* (θεάομαι), from which we get the English word theatre.
This is exactly what Jesus is warning against:
Turning the life of God into a *theatre*.
Turning worship into a *show*.
The hypocrites of Matthew 6 behave as actors. The Greek word for “hypocrite” (*hypokritēs*) originally meant an actor on a stage, someone wearing a mask.
So the deeper sense is:
The lyrics capture this theatre imagery in modern language:
> “The spotlight fades, the crowd moves on
> But what’s done in secret will last forever long”
The “spotlight” is temporary. The “crowd” is fickle. But the eyes of the Father are steadfast and eternal.
---
### 4.1 The Danger of Visible Righteousness without Right Motives
> “Be careful not to show off your good deeds
> In front of others just to be seen and praised
> If you do, that’s all the reward you’ll get
> No treasure waiting for you in heaven”
This is almost a paraphrase of Matthew 6:1 and 6:2:
Notice this:
Jesus does not deny that there is a reward. He says plainly: there is a reward. The only question is: who gives it and how long does it last?
This brings in a central New Testament theme:
The lyrics say:
> “No treasure waiting for you in heaven”
Treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21) are not earned by showy acts, but by secret faithfulness.
### 4.2 The Father Who Sees in Secret
> “Your Father sees what’s done in secret
> He’s watching every quiet act of love”
Matthew 6 repeats this phrase three times (verses 4, 6, 18):
“Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Theology here is very simple and very profound:
This confronts one of the deepest wounds in many believers:
Many become religious performers because they are actually spiritually insecure. They do not truly trust that the unseen Father is enough. So they seek visible proof: applause, titles, positions, public ministry.
But Scripture says:
Every hidden sacrifice, every unseen deed, every quiet obedience – God records it. And He will bring it into the light in the day of Christ.
The lyrics express this security:
> “No need for praise from human eyes
> Your Father sees and He will reward
> Live for His smile, not the world’s applause”
### 4.3 Giving: The Secret Life of Generosity
> “When you give to someone in need
> Don’t announce it with trumpets like the hypocrites
> They love the applause in the streets and synagogues
> They’ve already received their full reward
> But when you give, keep it quiet and low
> Let your left hand not know what your right hand does”
This mirrors Matthew 6:2–4 exactly.
The hypocrites “announce it with trumpets” – exaggeration for effect, but we know historically that:
In our time, the same spirit operates:
Jesus’ command:
“Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”
This is a vivid picture of inner secrecy – learn to give so secretly, so quietly before God, that you do not even rehearse your own generosity to yourself.
Two important cross-references:
In other words, in secret giving, God is your only Audience and your only Debtor. You do not owe men a report. God owes you a reward because He has promised it.
The lyrics say:
> “But when you give, keep it quiet and low”
This is the spirit of New Testament giving: low, quiet, joyful, Father-centered.
### 4.4 Prayer: The Hidden Place of Communion
> “When you pray, don’t stand on the corners shouting loud
> Like the hypocrites who love to be noticed
> They’ve got their reward in full already
> But you—go into your room, close the door
> Pray to your Father who is unseen
> He hears every whisper from the heart”
This is a direct reflection of Matthew 6:5–6.
Jesus is not forbidding public prayer. The early church prayed together openly (Acts 4:24). He is addressing the motive again: “to be seen by others.”
The hypocrite:
The disciple:
“The Father who is unseen” (6:6) corresponds to “your Father who sees in secret.” The unseen God meets you in the unseen place.
The lyrics summarize this profoundly:
> “He hears every whisper from the heart”
True prayer is not the performance of words. It is the heart drawing near to the Father, often in whispers, often with no audience and no applause.
Related Scriptures:
If the Son of God needed private prayer, how much more do we?
### 4.5 The Hidden Heart as the True Place of Worship
> “The spotlight fades, the crowd moves on
> But what’s done in secret will last forever long
> No need for praise from human eyes
> Your Father sees and He will reward
> Live for His smile, not the world’s applause
> True worship rises from a hidden heart”
Here the lyrics move from specific acts (giving, praying) to the larger principle:
John 4:23–24:
for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”
Two dangers are exposed:
1. Living from the spotlight – identity built on visible ministry or reputation.
2. Neglecting the hidden place – no secret history with God, only public religion.
Yet Scripture says:
The eternal things are the secret things: motives, hidden obedience, unseen generosity, private prayer, faithfulness in the unnoticed tasks.
The lyrics rightly say:
> “What’s done in secret will last forever long”
This is not poetic exaggeration. It is New Testament doctrine.
### 4.6 Future Reward and Unveiling
> “Give in secret, pray in secret, love in secret too
> Your Father who sees everything you do
> Will reward you openly one glorious day
> When heaven’s light reveals what was hidden away
> Keep your heart pure, your motives true”
This takes us straight to judgment seat theology:
Notice:
This is the “open reward” Jesus spoke of. Not necessarily in this life, though sometimes He does vindicate His servants here. But certainly in the age to come.
The song connects daily hidden obedience to this future unveiling:
> “When heaven’s light reveals what was hidden away”
Everything you do in true faith and love is seed sown into eternity. It may be invisible now, but it will not remain invisible. Heaven will reveal it. Christ will recognize it. The Father will reward it.
---
Let us now move from doctrine to practice. How do we cultivate this hidden life? I will give four clear steps, and then some proclamations.
### Step 1: Renounce the Fear of Being Unseen and the Love of Human Praise
First, we must face the truth about our own hearts. Many of us, if we are honest, like to be recognized. We fear being overlooked.
Jesus addressed this directly:
We must consciously repent of this. To repent means to change your mind, turn around internally.
You can say, by faith:
This is not a feeling but a decision.
### Step 2: Establish a Secret Place with God
Second, we must establish a disciplined life of secret communion with the Father.
Jesus said: “Go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen” (Matthew 6:6).
Practically:
This secret history with God will protect you from living off the opinions of people.
### Step 3: Practice Hidden Giving and Hidden Acts of Love
Third, deliberately choose some acts of love that no one knows about except God.
In doing so, you train your soul:
This is spiritual warfare against pride and the spirit of religion.
### Step 4: Guard Your Motives and Judge Yourself Honestly
Fourth, cultivate the habit of testing your motives with the Word and the Holy Spirit.
Pray Psalm 139:23–24:
Ask specific questions before and after any ministry or good deed:
This is not to produce condemnation, but purification. As we walk in the light, the blood of Jesus cleanses us (1 John 1:7).
---
### Proclamation of Faith
Say this aloud, deliberately, as an act of alignment with God’s Word:
> **I declare that my Father in heaven sees what is done in secret.
> I renounce living for human praise and human approval.
> I choose to practice my righteousness not as a performance,
> but as obedience before the eyes of my Father.
> I will give in secret, pray in secret, and love in secret.
> My Father, who sees in secret, will reward me in His time and His way.
> I live for His smile, not for the world’s applause.
> True worship rises from my hidden heart,
> and by the grace of God, my motives are being purified.
> I set my heart on treasures in heaven,
> and I trust the Lord Jesus Christ to reveal and reward
> every unseen act of faith and love.
> Amen.**
### Prayer
Father in heaven,
I come to You in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You are the God who sees in secret. You see my motives, my thoughts, my hidden struggles. I confess that many times I have sought the approval of people more than Your approval. I ask You to forgive me and to cleanse me in the blood of Jesus.
Lord, write these words of Jesus deeply into my heart:
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.”
Holy Spirit, expose every form of hypocrisy, every hidden desire for the spotlight, every reliance on human praise. Deliver me from the fear of being unseen and from the pride of religious performance.
Teach me to live in the secret place with You.
Teach me to give in secret, to pray in secret, to love in secret.
Let my greatest works be those that only You see.
Strengthen me to live for Your reward alone, and to trust that what is done in You will last forever.
I offer You my hidden heart.
Purify my motives.
Form in me the character of Jesus, who did always the things that pleased You.
I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Rewarder.
Amen.
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