Virtue signaling is a relatively new term (2015) that can be defined as "making a statement or performing an action that implies you are virtuous." It could be something as simple as posting your charitable gift receipt on Facebook to show you are a generous person.
The Sermon on the Mount
The Lord addressed the idea of virtue signaling in his Sermon on the Mount long before it became a modern trend.
Here the Lord refers to the hypocrites who love to do their alms (give money to the poor) so people can see them do it. The advice Jesus gives is not to let your right hand know what the left is doing.
In other words, keep your charitable activities—your virtue signaling—secret. If people happen to see it, so be it; but as the Lord says in verse 2, do not do it to be noticed.
God looks on the heart, not the outward appearance, and it is the heart that is of greater value to the Lord.
As one old commentator writes, “the secrecy of our charity is one good evidence of its sincerity” (Matthew 6:1, William Burkitt Commentary on the New Testament, open source).
Does the New Testament teach Christians to virtue signal?
Should Christians announce their Christian values? Scripture seems to indicate, no. We are told to study to be quiet, and do good to all men. We are not told to talk about our good works—but do them—quietly.
Matthew 5:16 seems to give an indication of what may be incorrectly concluded as a command to virtue signal, when we are told, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
This is not a reference to boasting or announcing our good works, or trying to impress others with our good deeds, because that is in conflict with what the Lord said in Matthew 6:1-4.
Jesus was telling us to live a life that is so obedient and filled with His Spirit, that others cannot help but notice our holy lifestyle and be drawn to Him through it.
We are fallen creatures.
It is our fallen human nature that leads us to proclaim our good deeds and good values. But, as Proverbs 20:6 points out, “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?”
But we forget that our hearts are entirely wicked; so, the Lord tells us to let our words be few (See also James 1:19 and Proverbs 10:19). Perhaps in the social media era we live in, that could be translated as let your posts be few.
Looking at Jesus, our perfect example, He did not simply signal his virtues and expect people to follow Him, but rather lived them and proclaimed the word of God.
What are we to proclaim?
What we are told to proclaim is not our righteousness, but Christ’s in the form of the Gospel.
Philippians 3:3-8 is a record of Paul’s good deeds that he considered to be dung. The only signaling that Christians ought to be engaged in, according to Paul, is telling people about Christ. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:14, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So much time is spent talking or posting about the good things we do—time that could be better used by sharing the good things we have in Christ.
John the Baptist
John the Baptist, the greatest of the prophets, had an opportunity to signal his virtues but did not. When approached by priests and Levites and asked, Who are you? and, What do you say about yourself?
He could have told them about his morals, the great works he was doing, and how people should listen to him because he was a good guy.
Instead, John showed us the answer to the virtue-signaling question. He said, “He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”
John pointed people away from himself, but toward Jesus Christ. May we learn to do the same.
By Jerry Smith
Image Source: Instagram #virtuesignalling
