I’m guessing you’ve heard
that excuse for not attending church before just as I have. People say it as if there aren’t hypocrites
everywhere else in society. Their point,
I guess, is that there shouldn’t be hypocrites in the church and they are
correct. In case we don’t know what a
hypocrite is, here is the definition:
(1) One who engages in the same behaviors for which he condemns others.
(2) One who professes certain ideals, virtues, beliefs or principles but
fails to live up to them.
(3) One who holds other people to higher standards than he holds
himself.
If any of these are found
in our lives, we need to be on our knees repenting. It’s funny how neither John the Baptist,
Jesus, nor the apostles called out the sinners, or the repenting sinners/ new
believers on hypocrisy, but only the Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees, “…The scribes and the Pharisees sit in
Moses' seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do. But
do not do according to their works; for
they say, and do not do.” (Mt. 23:2,3)
I
guess sinning and or repenting of our sins does not make us hypocrites, so what
does? It would be when our actions do
not line up with our words. Ponder the
meaning of these, spoken about the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes:
John the Baptist:
But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come
to his baptism, he said to them, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to
flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance;
and do not think to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able to
raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And now also, the axe is laid
to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bring forth good
fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.
Mt. 3:7-10
Jesus
Isaiah 29:13 (Jesus said this concerned the Pharisees and scribes)
Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
"This people draws near to Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But
in vain they worship Me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men."
Mt. 15:7-9
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! said 7
times in Mt. 23 with Jesus calling them out for specific behaviours. Does that make them complete and perfect
hypocrites since 7 is the number of completeness and perfection?
Paul to Ananias- the high priest a Sadducee
Then Paul said to him, God
shall strike you, whitened wall! For do you sit judging me according to the
Law, and against law command me to be stricken? Ac. 23:3
So, is
the church full of hypocrites? Answer
these questions to deicde… Are those who
claim to be Christians:
-bearing fruit worthy (deserving) of repentance?
-acting out of pride?
-lacking growth of good fruit?
-drawing near to God / honouring Him by mouth but not
in heart?
-worshipping in vain (to manipulate, not genuine)?
-teaching man’s doctrines, ways, rules, ideas,
thoughts?
-dead inside though they look alive/ spiritual on the
outside?
We are
the church, the “called out ones” (ekklesia) called to be mature (1Cr. 14:20 ), holy (1Pt. 1:15 ), righteous (Ps. 106:3), merciful (Lk. 6:36 ), and loving (Rm. 12:9,10): in other
words, called out of the darkness into the Light (1Pt. 2:9) and imitating our
Lord and Savior…
-who was NEVER a hypocrite;
so
let us be like Him!
He
who says he abides in Him
ought
himself also to walk even as He walked.
1Jh.
2:6