Hypocrisy

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September 24

Tuesday, September 24th, 2024

“Becoming a Christian doesn’t make one sinless, but it ought to make one sin less. (Conway-p.35)

I’ve been reading a book the past few days entitled Does Christianity Still Make Sense? by Bobby Conway. Conway was a pastor, a host of the YouTube podcast One Minute Apologist (now called Christianity Still Makes Sense) who went through a crisis of faith-a dark night of the soul-where he questioned his Christian faith. He came out on the other side and has written a book looking at objections to Christianity. One of those is answering the question “Why are there so many scandals in the Church?” The follow-up question is the next chapter, the oft-used “Aren’t Christians just a bunch of hypocrites?”

No doubt those are two questions that crop up again and again. I’ve been asked them and I’m sure if you are a pastor or a Christ-follower, you have also. Maybe you have even asked them yourself.

I’ve often been tongue-tied trying to answer those questions because I know I struggle with that. I know I’m a sinner and sometimes exhibit that truth way too much and find myself a very poor representative of Jesus. But I’ve also come to the conclusion that the saying I started out with depicts me. While “I’m not perfect, just forgiven” can be flippantly tossed out to justify sin, I’m not trying to do that here. Exact opposite actually. Just because I have been forgiven doesn’t mean I won’t sin. I’m not sinless, but I should sin less.

Does my sin discredit Christianity? No. Just because a batter strikes out, he doesn’t represent the whole team. Just because I fail (sin) does not mean Christianity is a failure. The ultimate example-Jesus-never sinned. My trying to be like Him won’t make me sinless, but as I have said, it should make me sin less. My ultimate goal-any Christ-followers goal-should be to represent Jesus as close as we can. I will never do that perfectly.

Christianity doesn’t rise and fall on me. My sin brings a stain, but doesn’t undermine the rock solid truth of Jesus as the perfect and firm foundation. Is sin a problem? Yes. Is hypocrisy a problem? It can be. But Jesus offers the solution to the problem. If you or someone you know keeps using these excuses, stop making excuses by pointing fingers at fallible people and start looking at an infallible Christ.

March 21

Thursday, March 21st, 2024

Let’s consider a word this morning which is often overlooked in our culture today. The word is M.O.T.I.V.E. Why do we do what we do?

There is no question that many of us tend to have a guard up when it comes to a relationship with people. While it’s true there are some people who are naturally skeptical of others and they already have their guard up, there are those who are suckers for every dog and pony show that comes down the pike. I’m talking both religious and non-religious. While it is easy to take potshots at every fly-by-night wheeler dealer who pitches something when that person makes no profession of faith (except maybe in getting rich), it gets even more troublesome when that person claims to be “working or speaking for God.” Honestly? It curls my insides. Sadly, hucksterism is alive and well in the religious world.

That begs the question we must ask: what is the motive? Why is that person doing or saying what they are? That is really an important question to ask and it calls for discernment. It goes without saying that all that glitters is not gold. For the naturally skeptical people or the ones who are willing to practice discernment, they can recognize the shadiness behind actions. But for those who want to be more trusting and “see the good in people” they fail to see the sketchiness of someone doing something.  Truthfully, the hucksters rely on that mentality. They rely on folks who don’t take the time to investigate and analyze the “why.” Therefore, they will find themselves used as pawns in a big game…and they come out on the short end of that stick.

In Proverbs 21:2 it says, “People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their hearts.” (NLT)  Right there is the key to the whole thing. While some people may be able to fool others, there is ONE who cannot and will not be fooled. We need to be discerning, but ultimately the judgement for their motives will be made by God.  And I don’t want to be standing close to that person when judgment comes and all is revealed. Jesus consistently, i.e. more than once, condemned the religious leaders because they did what they did in order to be seen by men. He took them to task for their hypocrisy.

So now is a good time and place to ask the question: Why do you do what you do? Why do you help out at that shelter? Why did you reach out to the homeless person? Why did you give a note of encouragement to a co-worker? Why did you compliment someone today? Remember: people may see you and praise you, but as the proverbs tells us, God knows the heart.