30 Bible Verses about Outward Appearance

You can recognize them by their fruit [i.e., by what their lives produce]. Do people harvest grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistle weeds? In a similar way, every healthy tree produces wholesome fruit; but a diseased tree produces [only] bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot produce bad fruit and neither can a diseased tree produce wholesome fruit.read more.
Every tree that does not produce wholesome fruit should be chopped down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, you will recognize them [i.e., prophets] by their fruit [i.e., by what their lives produce].

For there is no healthy tree that produces bad fruit; nor is there a diseased tree that produces wholesome fruit. For each tree is recognized by its own fruit. For people do not harvest figs from thorn bushes, nor grapes from a brier bush. The good person produces good things from the goodness stored up in his heart. And the evil person produces bad things from the evil [stored up in his heart]. For his mouth speaks what his heart is filled with.

In that same way, you should allow your light [i.e., influence] to shine in front of people, so that they will see your good deeds and [be led to] honor your Father in heaven.

Either be a healthy tree and produce wholesome fruit, or be a diseased tree and produce rotten fruit, for [the quality of] a tree will be recognized by [the quality of] its fruit. You children of snakes! Since you are evil, how do you expect to speak good things? For the mouth speaks what the heart is filled with. The good person produces good things from his storehouse of goodness. But the evil person produces bad things from his storehouse of evil.read more.
And I say to you, a person will [have to] give an account [to God] on the day of judgment for every careless word he had spoken [while on earth]. For you will be considered righteous by the words [you speak] and you will be condemned by the words [you speak]."

My Father is honored by your bearing much fruit and [thus] showing that you are my disciples.

In the same way, if [your] faith does not have [good] deeds [to accompany it], it is dead, [because it stands] alone. But someone may say, "You have faith and I have [good] deeds." [I reply], show me your faith without your [good] deeds, and I will show you my faith by my [good] deeds.

But the man had a sad look on his face when he heard these words, and went away sorrowful, for he had many possessions.

"It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you [carefully] wash the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they [i.e., such evil people] are full of greed and uncontrolled desire. You blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup and dish, so [then] the outside will be clean also. "It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you are like white-washed tombs, used for burial [sites], which appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of the bones and decaying flesh of dead people.read more.
Even so, you also appear on the outside to be doing right in front of people, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and sin.

"Look out for deceiving prophets, who approach you wearing sheep's clothing, but who are [actually] starving wolves in their hearts.

And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees [meticulously] clean the outside of the cup and the dish [i.e., this was an allusion to their lives], but you are filled with greed for wealth and [other] evils on the inside. You foolish people! Did not the One [i.e., God] who made the outside [i.e., your body] also make the inside [i.e., your spirit]? But you should give to poor people what you have inside. [Note: This means either what is inside the dish, or what is inside your heart]. And [then] you will see that everything is [ceremonially] clean to you [as well].

For such men are false apostles; they are deceitful workers, who disguise themselves as [true] apostles of Christ. And it is no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light [i.e., someone pure and righteous]. Therefore, it should not be surprising for Satan's ministers to disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their [final] end will be what they deserve for such actions.

They certainly have an appearance of wisdom, [displaying] self-prescribed worship and [false] humility and asceticism, but they lack any value in curbing the desires of the physical passions.

Do not forget to show hospitality toward strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without realizing it.

If a person is circumcised on a Sabbath day so that the law of Moses can be observed [properly, then why] are you upset with me for restoring a person to complete health on a Sabbath day? Do not make judgments based [merely] on how things look, but make judgments on how they really are."

Then the Pharisees, who loved money, heard these things and sneered at Jesus. And He said to them, "You are people who claim to be just in the eyes of [other] people, but God knows [what is in] your hearts. For that which is held up as most important among people [i.e., fame or fortune ?] is disgusting in the eyes of God.

You pass judgment according to human standards; I do not judge anyone [i.e., the way you do it].

You people are looking [merely] at the appearance of things [or, "You should look at what is obvious!" In either case, it suggests they were misjudging Paul's ministry]. If any person is confident within himself that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on this again: We are just as much Christ's [servants] as he is.

My brothers, do not hold [views regarding] the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ [i.e., as tenets of Christianity] which show favoritism toward [certain] persons. For, suppose a person comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothing and [then another] person comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothing. Now if you people show special attention to the one wearing the fine clothing and say [to him], "You can sit here in this good seat," and to the poor person, "You stand over there," or "Sit on the floor by my feet,"read more.
are you not making class distinctions among yourselves and judging [people] from evil motives?

For you are saying, 'I am wealthy; I have made plenty of money and do not need anything.' But you do not know that you are [spiritually] wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

And He said to them, "You are people who claim to be just in the eyes of [other] people, but God knows [what is in] your hearts. For that which is held up as most important among people [i.e., fame or fortune ?] is disgusting in the eyes of God.

These apostles, who were highly regarded (although it really does not matter to me what they are, for God does not show partiality to any particular person); these men, I say, provided me with nothing [concerning the Gospel message].

And I will strike her children dead [or, "kill her children by some terrible calamity" See Ex. 5:3 LXX]. Then all the churches will know that I am the One who searches the inmost being of people [Note: The Greek says, "searches the kidneys and hearts." In that day these internal organs stood for the inner thoughts, emotions, etc.]. And I will repay each one of you people according to what you have done.

Then Jesus said to His disciples in the hearing of all the people, "Look out for the experts in the law of Moses, who like to walk [around] in long [flowing] robes and love the special greetings they receive at the open shopping markets, and the principal seats in the synagogues, and the head places at dinner tables. They consume widows' houses [i.e., by foreclosing on them] and [then] cover it up by offering lengthy prayers. These people will receive a heavier judgment."

"Therefore, when you give money to help poor people, do not blow a trumpet in front of you [i.e., to call attention to it] as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets. They do this in order to win praise from people. It is true when I say to you, they have [already] received their reward.

We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but we speak [in such a way as] to give you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you can have an answer for those who take pride in [outward] appearances instead of what is in the heart.

Those who attempt to make a good impression by trying to force you to be circumcised really want only to avoid being persecuted for their commitment to Christ.

Therefore, we do not get discouraged, for though our physical body is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed daily. For our insignificant troubles [here on earth], which last only a short time, are producing for us an immeasurable, never ending [counter-] weight of splendor [i.e., in heaven. See Rom. 8:18]. So, we do not look at the things which can be seen, but at what cannot be seen, for the things which can be seen are [only] temporary, but the things which cannot be seen are never ending.

For that person is not a Jew who is one [merely] on the outside. And circumcision is not [merely] an outward physical ordinance. But the [true] Jew is the person who is one on the inside, and [his] circumcision is a heart condition, [produced] by the Holy Spirit and not by the written law of Moses. [Note: Some translate "Spirit" here as "spirit" and make it simply an amplification of "heart"]. This person receives his praise from God and not [merely] from people.

Do not let your [adornment] be [the decorations] of the physical body, such as elaborate hair-dos, the wearing of golden [jewelry] and the wearing of [stunning] outfits. But [the kind of adornment you should display is] that of the inner person, with its enduring qualities of a meek and calm spirit, which are extremely valuable in God's eyes. For this is the way holy women in ancient times decorated themselves. Their hope was in God and they were known for being in subjection to their own husbands.

I also want the women to dress themselves in proper clothing, with modesty and discretion, not with [elaborately] braided hair, or gold [ornaments], or pearls, or expensive clothing, but with good deeds, which are [more] appropriate for women who claim to be godly.