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 in their hearts, they do not the will of the Father which is in heaven; i. e., do not act from religious principle. It teaches that there are those who "outwardly appear righteous unto men," but who are really quite different from what they seem—who "within, are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Every one acknowledges the truth of this.

Yet people's professions, together with their outward conduct, are all we have to judge them by. Deceptive standards, both. It is impossible to know from a man's profession, or from his belief, what his real character is. One may profess, and may really understand and believe true doctrine derived from the Word, yet for all that be a bad man; while another may profess his belief of doctrines that are false, and yet be a good man. We can never know a person's real character from his outward profession; because this profession may not be in agreement with his life's love—may not, indeed, be his real belief which depends upon the quality of his inner life. People, "when they make a lip-profession of truths from the Word, or from the doctrinals of their church, suppose that they are in the belief of those truths. And it appears to them as if they were; but still they are not, if the life be evil." (A. C. 7577.) This shows us that there may be an understanding and lip-profession of the truth, without a life in conformity therewith. Nothing, indeed, is more common.