You see it on your news feeds and in conversation every day. A short definition is someone who does not “practice what they preach”, “talk the talk but not walk the walk”, right? A wolf in sheep’s clothing. You get the picture. While I do admit that there are hypocrites in church, I also maintain there are hypocrites in all walks of life. In fact, everyone is a hypocrite in one fashion or another. Don’t believe me then look at these scriptures: http://www.openbible.info/topics/hypocrisy
Still don’t believe me then ask yourselves these questions:
- Have I ever cheated even though I don’t consider myself a cheat?
- Have I ever looked with lust upon someone else, although I don’t consider myself an adulter?
- Have I judged people harshly while letting myself off lightly (because I knew what was in my heart)?
- Although I don’t believe in God do I still hold people up to a Judeo/Christian moral standard?
- Do I ridicule Christians for their faults and I get furious when someone points my faults out to me?
- Have I judged people without knowing all the facts, and consider my judgement sound?
Pot meet kettle. An honest answer to these questions will prove that you are a hypocrite, I am a hypocrite, we all are hypocrites. This is perfectly consistent with what scripture teaches (see link above). You see scripture teaches that we have a fallen nature. This fallen nature is bent upon sinning and no matter how much moral power we bring to bear upon our nature, we CANNOT STOP SINNING.
My point is that unless we have an alien intervention we cannot help ourselves. Enter the Gospel: The Good News. God did provide alien interventions. In fact, a double cure for our double curse. The double curse is that 1. We cannot stop sinning because our heart is wicked. 2. We have amassed insurmountable debt due to our sin. The Gospel is that Christ has 1. Paid our debt with his work at the cross, and credited us with His alien righteousness not ours. This means my account is settled and I have eternal positive righteousness. 2. God regenerates our heart (we are born again) effecting a change of nature that is progressive until we get to Heaven.
Let me talk about the last part for a moment. God is progressively changing us. What does this mean? It means that I am simultaneously a sinner and saint. I still have the old sinful tendencies that I once had except know I recognize them, fight against them, and through Christ can get victory over them. It is a process of sanctification (becoming Christ like in practice). The old song says, “He’s still working on me, to make me what I ought to be”. This is scripturally very true.
When someone calls me a hypocrite it is true in the sense of practice. I am not “what I ought to be”. It is false in the sense of my position in Christ before God. He sees me through the blood of His precious Son. I am completely justified, washed, without spot or blemish. Isn’t this good news? Don’t you want this? This is the purest form of Christianity.
I know someone is going to say, well the Bible says a person should stop sinning if they are saved. Yes, there are scriptures that deal with that, but read them in context. The scripture must be interpreted by scripture. If one continues in the PRACTICE of sin, then that is a telling sign they must check their salvation. Saint’s sin, but they do not make sin a practice. The saint will demonstrate three “R”s: remorse, repentance, and reviving to good works. The sinner will demonstrate other qualities Check this out:
If you have no remorse for sin, then you might be a sinner.
If you continue in sin with no real thought of repentance, then you might be a sinner.
If you only love what is right because it is advantageous for you then you might be a sinner.
If you don’t desire to please God and fear Him then you might be a sinner.
If there is no change in lifestyle then you might be a sinner.
If you feel the need to pass judgement on others while not considering your own life then you might be a sinner.
If there is no faith that results in good works then you might be a sinner.
In conclusion, we are all hypocrites. Some are justified before God through faith in Christ. Those are the ones that are repenting, changing their life to conform to Christ. Yes they will fall, but keep watching them, they will also get back up and do what is right! I guarantee it.
Sowers Pouch 