I have chosen the word hypocrite because I hear it so much from people. Being a Christian and involving myself in a local church over the years I have continually heard the excuse from those who do not attend church that "they do not attend church because it is full of hypocrites." Hypocrite is an interesting word because it can be used in just about any group of people. Lets first look at the origin of the word and just what it means.
From the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Main Entry: hyp·o·crite
Pronunciation: \ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English ypocrite, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin hypocrita, from Greekhypokritēs actor, hypocrite, from hypokrinesthai
Date: 13th century
1 : a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2 : a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings
— hypocrite adjective
From the Encarta World English Dictionary
| hyp·o·crite [ híppə krìt ] (plural hyp·o·crites) |
| noun |
| Definition: |
| somebody feigning high principles: somebody who pretends to have admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings but behaves otherwise |
| [12th century. Via Old French ypocrite< Greek hupokritēs "actor, pretender" <hupokrinesthai So basically it is anyone doing or saying something contrary to what the standards they want others to live up to. Another way of saying would be "do as I say and not as I do." I have seen this at all of the places I have worked. People want you to do something they themselves do not do. I have seen it in church's where believer's are friendly, cheery, and praising the Lord on Sunday only to go home and yell at their children, treat their wives or husbands with disrespect, and live a life that the world around them couldn't tell if they were Christian or heathen. It is never fun to have to listen to a boss tell you something to do that they themselves will not do, or have them tell you to do your work ethically and with high standards only to know that they themselves do not live up to the standards they are advocating. It sort of leaves a sickening feeling in your stomach along with a whole lot of distrust. Lets now look at what the scriptures say about such a life. Here are just a few scriptures to reference. It does not matter whether you read them in the Old Testament or the New, they are all strong words and make it very clear that hypocrisy has no place in the Kingdom of God. Matt. 23:27 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto awhited bsepulchres, which indeed appear cbeautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all duncleanness. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the ahypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have bglory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. When hypocrisy enters our lives we can be assured we are not serving the Master or our lives. Christians especially must be careful of this form of lies that enter our hearts. We can accuse others of some sin in their life only have some sin in our life that seems to stand out before others. When we know that a fellow believer has a sin in their life it is not our place to judge them. It is our place to approach them with a clean heart before God and let them know that they will need to repent of the sin. If they do not repent then we are to take a fellow believer with us and point out the sin, if still they will not listen they are to be brought before the church or group of believers, if they still will not repent they are to be put out of the group or church. We ourselves are not their judge, this is left to God. God desires they repent and return to Him. Through Christ forgiveness is given to us all, and He desires that the hypocrite also experience His love by coming to Him and ask for forgiveness. God is faithful and just to forgive us through His Son Jesus Christ. Where the scripture talks about the hypocrite sounding his or her trumpet so that men will see what we are doing typically refers to the pharisee's who would stand when praying or giving money so their good works could be seen of men and receive glory or honor for their actions. I believe it goes further than this. When we sin we want everyone around us live like we are, and we justify what we are doing by the worlds standards. We say it is accepted today or the scripture did not mean that. We want others to accept us for how we are living our lives by flaunting our sin in front of all. This is a way of gaining acceptance of sin and bring glory and honor to ourselves. The problem we face today is whether we want to be accepted by man or be accepted by God. We must make that choice or one day God will make it for us. Do not think that any of us are free from committing hypocrisy, or for that matter any sin, we all are subject to falling into one of satan's traps of deception and lies. The question is, what are we going to do, change by repenting or continue in our sin? None of us are perfect, but under the blood of Christ we are covered in His righteousness, let us not remove that covering by living in a known sin. Remember, repent means to change directions. If we change directions we will not keep committing the same sin. Christ told many that they were forgiven, "go and sin no more." Follow this link and read the contents of it, it makes it very clear as to what a hypocrite is and how a hypocrite acts. http://truthinscripture.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/hypocrite-christians If you are living in sin and call yourself a believer or Christian, know this, God loves you and has forgiven you already, but His forgiveness is not valid until you repent. You must accept His forgiveness before it comes valid and if you accept His forgiveness it means you have recognized the sin in your life and basically told God you will not do this any more (repentance). If we are going to call ourselves "Christian" or a "Follower of Christ" then our words and our actions must line up. We cannot say one thing and live another. This brings dishonor and disrespect for God and His Kingdom. Remember, God knows where we are and what we are doing, so why do we try so hard to cover it all up and disguise our sin in society? |
