|
Hypocrisy
Home
"…Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is
hypocrisy." (Luke 12:1)
Hypocrisy is the devil's most useful tool; it is his most
convincing argument against God. Hypocrisy is the sinner's most common excuse
and the hardest one for the Christian to explain. Hypocrisy is pretending to be
what one is not, OR the concealment of one's true character or motives. Simply
put, hypocrisy is lying. It is deceit. It is a premeditated, deliberate, effort
to deceive others about oneself. There are people who claim to be children of
God, and who are known by others as a Christians, and are treated as such by
God's people, but whom others recognize as hypocrites. When people like that
deliberately deceive others by pretending to be what they are not and hiding
what they really are, then the first question that occurs to the unbeliever is,
"What good is there in being a Christian?" Hypocrisy is proof to the skeptic and
sinner that all men are really liars and that salvation is nothing more than an
elusive dream. But God is REAL and it is imperative that his people be REAL
also. It is only when a sinner encounters a REAL Christian that he is shaken in
his unbelief. Hypocrisy is truly rottenness in the work of God. No wonder Jesus
gave this stern warning to "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is
hypocrisy."
"Hypocrisy is the necessary burden of villainy." If you are wicked you must
conceal it, you must hide your true self, and there is no other way to do that
except by lying and deceit. So it becomes the habit of your life. Your hypocrisy
influences others to do the same, and that is why Jesus likened it to leaven. "A
little leaven leaventh the whole lump…" So we need to beware of it, first in
ourselves, then in our home and family, and also in the church. When He said to
beware of it, Jesus meant that we should deal with it when we find it. He didn't
mean for us to just sit by and observe while it spreads and ruins our whole
life, our whole family, or our whole church.
Hypocrisy has some characteristics that are recognizable. Jesus would not have
warned us to beware of it if there were no way to recognize it before it does
its damage. First of all, hypocrisy is like leaven or yeast, because it may
exist without being immediately detected. The presence of leaven mixed in flour
is not known until it produces its effects. Hypocrisy in a life, in a family, or
in a church works the same way. Usually, by the time someone recognizes its
presence the damage is done. Many folks in fundamental churches have experienced
this hard lesson with their children in our generation. So many of the children
have gone wrong because of influences they came under AT CHURCH. Many families
who lived separated lives have lost their children because of "friends" at
church, and it isn't always the young people who pour leaven into the lives of
other young people. Many times it is someone older who questions the harm in
certain things that parents forbid. They take the side of the young people
against their parents and their unreasonable "rules." They always do this
secretly and the parents don't see the effects until it is too late.
Hypocrisy is like leaven in that it is insinuating. That means it creeps in
slowly and gently, winning favor and confidence. It never comes in suddenly with
a storm or a blast. A hypocrite deceives you slowly and gently. He wins your
confidence slowly, and that fact makes him more believable because all trust is
won slowly.
Hypocrisy is like leaven in that it is swelling, it puffs up, and fills with
pride and vanity. No man is more proud than the hypocrite. True Christianity is
marked by sincerity, humility, and entirely void of disguise. The humblest man
is the best Christian, He who has the least disguise is most like Jesus.
What are the causes of hypocrisy? Why would anyone be a hypocrite? Selfishness
is the number one reason. A hypocrite is seeking his own benefit in everything
he does. As far as he is concerned the universe revolves around him and the
world and its inhabitants are there to serve him.
Shame is another cause of hypocrisy. There is shame associated with sin. When a
person sins they will feel shame. Others must not know about what they have
done. If they are living in continual sin then they must hide what they really
are. The best way to do that is to go to church and act like a Christian. Sing
specials, testify, and take part in church activities. Always praise the
preacher for his sermon and be the very example of a good Christian. Be like an
actor and make everyone believe a lie about what you really are. Hide your shame
that way, which is what hypocrites do. Shame is involved when a person makes a
profession of salvation but really gets nothing from God. They are baptized,
join the church, and now everyone thinks they are saved, but they know they are
not. What can they do but pretend and start living a lie? They are ashamed to
admit that they really didn't get saved when they said they did. So they stay
put and keep pretending and it isn't long before they have influenced others to
follow suit and the whole church consists of hypocrites lying to each other and
themselves. The whole lump is leavened.
Hypocrisy is encouraged by false teachers - who are hypocrites themselves. The
doctrines of modern mainline Christianity are all based on pretending and
assuming and believing things that are not your true experience. Have you ever
considered the true effects of doctrines such as "imputed righteousness," "saved
sinners," "worldly, or carnal Christians," "positional truth," and Romans 7 as
the normal Christian walk? All of these doctrines are built on bits of truth
from wrested Scriptures and their true effect is to encourage hypocrisy. Faith,
as it is understood by most people of our day, is simply to pretend you believe
in something that isn't real to you now. Just "name it and claim it" - that is
faith, they say. But real faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for and the
EVIDENCE of things not seen. It is REAL!
What are some things that reveal hypocrisy? How about insincerity? A hypocrite
never means what he says, or says what he really means. When you find that you
always have to "read between the lines" when you are dealing with a certain
person, you can be certain you are dealing with a hypocrite. A true child of God
is very sensitive about telling the truth and being honest. Unfaithfulness also
reveals hypocrisy - you can never depend upon a hypocrite to do what they
promise, or to stand for what they say they believe. He will crawfish under
pressure and fail you when you need him most. Another sign that a hypocrite
wears is deceit. Deceitful people are hypocrites. They are deliberately,
consistently deceiving others - it is the thread that runs through all their
life. Hypocrites are not sacrificial and they despise the sacrifice of others,
and that is because selfishness rules their disposition. Hypocrites are general
cruel to others. They are very careless about the feelings of others. It means
nothing to them for others to suffer, whether they deserve it or not. A
hypocrite will be an unforgiving person. He will be anxious to meet out the
death penalty over the smallest infraction. They will be strict law and
punishment with no mercy OR they will be all mercy and no law. They are
unbalanced and unjust, and show no mercy, unless it is toward one of their own,
or unless it serves their purposes. Another mark that distinguishes hypocrites
from true followers of Christ is that they despise good people. They will side
with the wicked against the righteous. They simply can't stand a true, honest,
faithful witness because it is a threat to their hiding place - hypocrisy.
So hypocrisy is the sinner's best and most common excuse for not submitting to
God and being a part of his work. It is the most harmful thing to the church and
to the cause of God on earth. God MUST be a reality that is visible in our lives
and those who claim to have a relationship with God MUST be real, also. Don't be
a hypocrite! Be REAL! Don't be an actor in a play! There is far too much at
stake. If you are lacking, or weak, just be honest about it before God and
others. Seek God's mercy and help with an honest heart and He will honor that.
There is no hope for a hypocrite unless he will be thoroughly honest in his
heart and stop trying to deceive himself, God and others.
Mike Miller
3/16/2008
Back to top |
