One of the most detestable things in the world is hypocrisy. Nobody likes a hypocrite. Trust is very difficult to come by and we appreciate when people come through as being trustworthy and real. We don’t much enjoy being around people who are fake, or as we might say, lack integrity. Hypocrites are intensely arrogant and selfish people who seek to manipulate others to get them to perform for them so they can get what they want.
The people Jesus came against were not the liars, cheaters, or adulterers, but the religious establishment. He actually stood up for the “sinners” as an intercessor while the Pharisees, Sadducees, and teachers of the Law opposed them. The P.S.T. thought by acting holy they would fool the people into thinking they had the inside track to God and all the blessings of Heaven. They hated Jesus because He exposed them for the crooks they were!
Think on that for a minute: Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the supposed spiritual leaders of the time, not the people who were supposed to be under their care. When there is a societal problem, we must always examine the leadership to root out the source(s) of the problem.
“No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.””
As a pastor, I’ve heard many people talk about the Body of Christ as if we’re all just a bunch of hypocrites who can’t think for ourselves. I’ve heard many atheists and agnostics say, ‘they won’t step foot in a church because of all the hypocrisy in church leadership.’ I don’t blame them! I’ve seen more than my fair share of it, too.
There are Christians and then there are church-attenders. We all know at least one person, claiming to be a Christian, who talks the Christian talk, but does not walk the Christian walk. I’ve come across some church-attenders who can recite chapter and verse of the Bible, but the Word isn’t in them because they don’t love anyone.
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
To that end, I remember, as a young man, I was infuriated by the lack of charity expressed by the average church-attender. I grew up in a church - and in poverty - and believed it was a Christian’s duty to help the poor and downtrodden who were willing to receive help. I kept hoping someone would step up and step out and provide an image of the risen Christ to me and my family. Some people made fun of me while others looked down their noses at me just for being poor. You most likely know what I’m talking about because this is a pandemic in the Church today. Some churches have a habit of allowing the world’s mentality permeate their culture instead of creating a culture of Heaven.
The way of the world is that people would become competitors or even enemies willing to fight to the death over what we will never truly own. As I like to say, “There’s no U-Haul behind a hearse.” Jesus put it best when He said, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose his soul?”
“15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
What are we fighting for? We’re all in this together. The Bible does not read, “We are all created equal,” that’s the Declaration of Independence. There is nothing we can do to make this world fair. It will never be fair. Mankind is too selfish for it to ever be fair. That’s why we must seek God’s ways of bringing Heaven to Earth so we can have an impact on the billions of lost souls wandering the Earth in search of answers, hope, and salvation. We who have found the Way must light the path for those who have lost their way.
So, what is the “two-faced” hypocrite’s intentions and motivations? To put others down and puff himself up and to gain unfair advantage on their competitors via manipulation. One face is the one used to give you the image of trustworthiness while the other face is their most genuine one — the one purely to take advantage of their victim at the most vulnerable time. They want to fool you into making a fool of yourself.
Photo by Martin Kirigua from Pexels
It’s one thing to be impacted by hypocrites in the world, but there are some hypocrites in the Church who need some … awakening and repentance.
A list of some things hypocrites (a.k.a. church-attenders) do/think:
They believe that God used evolution to ‘create’ everything. (Genesis 1-2)
They believe God only desires to save certain people. (2 Peter 3:9)
They are “Cessationists.” (Hebrews 13:8)
They think abortion is not the murder of a baby. (Jeremiah 1:5)
They refuse to humble themselves. (1 Peter 5:6)
They are Takers, not Givers. (Deuteronomy 16:16)
They “Celebrate Diversity.” (Romans 1:26-27)
They think everything that happens is “God’s divine will.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
They think they can sin while God just looks the other way. (Isaiah 59:12)
They think the only way to “get ahead” in the world is to be selfish (steal, cheat, and manipulate). (Romans 12:2)
Conclusion
Life is all about relationships. The best way to ruin a relationship is to be selfish. Hypocrites are hyper-selfish people. The devil can — and will — manipulate us if we choose to do things his way. By living his way (selfish), we give him the legal right to attack us and wreak havoc in our lives. We must reject selfishness in every phase of our lives and choose to be relational, displaying integrity — God’s way of life of being genuine, accountable, and trustworthy — throughout all our relationships. We will always sow what we reap!
Imagine Jesus vacillating between love and vengeance with us!
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I come before You today in humble gratitude that I have a Helper in Your Holy Spirit. Please allow me to repent of, renounce, and reject hypocrisy in its many forms from my life. Please lead me out of this stage of my life where I thought I needed to live according to the world’s system and not Yours. I want to be free from the devil’s kingdom once and for all. Teach me all Your Kingdom principles. Please break me free from these chains of doubt, fear, and depression that have kept me from flying with the eagles of the faith! I don’t want to remain with the chickens pecking the ground when I can soar with You in the highest of heights! Show me what I need to do next and grant me a vision of my ultimate destiny in You. Thank You, Lord God for being to forgiving and loving to me! In Jesus’ holy name I pray, amen!
Banner photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash