Again and again, the evening news programs report cases of sin and hypocrisy in what the world views as Christianity. Unfortunately, the people who use personal attacks to denounce immorality often practice the very things they condemn others for doing.
Such stories could be lightly waved off as only typical of "tele-evangelists" if it were not for the awful truth about hypocrisy in the world in general, and in the church specifically. Television preachers are not the inventors of hypocrisy, nor are they its sole practitioners. Hypocrisy is, and always has been, a common reality of human behavior- -both the reader's and the author's.
Hypocrisy is not new. Jesus pointed out its existence in the lives of the Pharisees who "say, and do not" (Matthew 23:3). He denounced it as an impediment to the salvation of others (Matthew 23:13). He warned its practitioners that "they have their reward" (Matthew 6:2), that those who seek earthly praise will get only that, while losing the praise of God and any hope of heaven.
Hypocrisy existed in the New Testament church. Hypocrisy existed at the Jerusalem church (Acts 5:1-11) and even in the life of an apostle (Galatians 2:11-14). It is every bit as prevalent in God's church today.
We should not lightly dismiss the existence of hypocrisy or its effect on Christians and prospective converts. While I certainly agree that hypocrisy in the church is no excuse for wanton disobedience ("It is better to go to church with hypocrites than to go to hell with them."), it still has grave consequences, and we should challenge its hold on us.
The saddest loss due to hypocrisy is in unsaved souls. It is possible that hypocrisy does as much damage in this area as false teaching. When "the salt hast lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?" (Matthew 5:13). By hypocrisy the name of Christ is sullied, Christians--those who are guilty and those who are not--lose their influence, and the world turns away in disgust.
For this reason we must be continually on guard against hypocrisy, looking for it in our own lives. We must recognize that we all are given to hypocrisy. If hypocrisy could be a failing in an apostle, I can be trapped as well. We must remember that the world is watching--including those who are inclined to listen to the gospel. We must remember that God is watching, and He looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
How can we fight hypocrisy? By pulling the beam out of our eye (Matthew 7:1-5). We must put highest priority to learning God's word and practicing it, and then to teaching it. We must be as Ezra who "prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." (Ezra 7:10) We must constantly remind ourselves that it is only the praise of God that will have significance in the judgment, not the praise of men (1 Corinthians 4:3-5). And we must remember that people pay closer attention to our deeds than to our words.
Overcoming hypocrisy will be difficult. But "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).
John Hendrix