Are you a hypocrite?

Definition of hypocrite:

A person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives.

Hypocrisy is the act of pretending to have beliefs, virtues and feelings that one does not truly possess. The word derives from the Latin hypocrisis and Greek hupokrisis both meaning play-acting or pretence. The word is possibly derived from hypo- meaning small, + krinein meaning to decide/to dispute.

A classic example of a hypocritical act is to criticize another for carrying out some action while carrying out the same action oneself.

A real hypocrite could be an imposter, a fake or fraud. A hypocrite could be a swindler or con artist or a counterfeit person or a pretender. Someone who is pretending to be something or someone they are not.

A person who lives their life by double standards or two-facedness is most likely a hypocrite.

Now take a moment and let what you have read or heard sink in and ask yourself the question—Am I a hypocrite or have I ever been one?

I believe that at some point in our lives we have all been a hypocrite. I know I have. There have been times in my life when I lived with double standards. I was one person with this group and someone else with another group. I may not have been doing it on purpose but just changed standards to go along or fit in with such and such crowd or person.

I know some people are born with mental disorders and their sickness could cause them to be different people at different times. This is not the kind of people I am talking about. I am talking about people who deliberately lie, deceive or other wise, live their lives as a counter-feit person.

Am I a Christian hypocrite?
This could get real deep. What set my mind on this topic, came from listening to a good friend give his testimony last Wednesday night at church. This man is a person I have the highest respect for. I know he is a good man. He is a good friend to me, a good father to his children, and a good husband to his wife, a good teacher and much, much more. He shared his story with a heart felt desire and his goal was not only to confess his faults but to share his knowledge about life’s lessons with the youth and anyone else that was listening with an open mind.

Listening to him brought back memories from my own past. I said earlier that I believe we all have touched in some way the behavior of a hypocrite. As for me, when I really, truly surrendered my life to Jesus, He has helped transform my counter-feit actions into actions directed by His Holy Spirit. I have grown from the person that I was creating to the person that Christ wanted to create in the beginning.

This Christ lead person is certainly still growing and will continue to grow until I meet Jesus face to face. But how is this growth maintained? It is maintained by the Spirit of Truth.

What Jesus promised!

He promised us a Helper who will live with us forever!

John 14: 16-17, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever---the Spirit of Truth, who the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

If you are a Christian, you will still have problems such as have been mentioned thus far, but be of good cheer. God has given us a special helper and He is, The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has many names but in this text, Jesus has given Him the special name of The Spirit of Truth.

At the same time, He warned them that the world would not be able to receive this Helper. For this, the Scripture supplies two reasons. First, from the time that men turned away from God in rebellion, they have been unwilling to accept the truth that exposed their unrighteous deeds. Because of this, they “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

Second, rebellion against God has exposed humanity to the domination of the god of this age, “Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). Deception is the primary weapon that Satan relies on to keep his part of humanity under his control. He deceives people into becoming un-convicted hypocrites who don’t care if they lie, swindle, cheat, steal, or con people. This is his job and he is good at it. He has all the patience in the world. He just sits and the street corner waiting to see who he can deceive next.

On the other hand the Gospel message is going out to the ears that really want to listen. And once a person has heard the call from God and then receives Jesus as Savior and Lord, The Spirit of Truth comes along side as a Helper and guide. This Guide wants to lead us away from deceit and pretense of character. He wants to and will lead us into the light of God’s Word so that The Spirit of Truth will show us our faults (such as being a hypocrite) and then teaches us the better life or way, which comes from God.

Over many centuries, human philosophy has never been able to produce a satisfactory definition of truth. On the other hand, the Bible gives a threefold answer. First, Jesus said, “I am…the truth” (John 14:6). Second, in praying to God the Father, He said, “Your Word is truth,” (John 17:17). Third, John tells us, “The Holy Spirit is truth,” (1st John 5:6).

In the spiritual realm, therefore, there are three forces, of truth: Jesus, the Scripture and the Holy Spirit. When these three are in agreement, we know that we have arrived at truth—absolute truth. Many people say there is no absolute truth but the Bible says different. Think how our nation or world would be better if humanity used God’s Word as absolute truth. I know there are many smart people out there that could give a good argument on this topic but for me, I know if I don’t stand for something I could be convinced to fall for anything. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord and His truth and direction in our lives.

I will do my best to listen to the Voice of Truth because The Spirit of Truth has been promised by Jesus Himself. There is no deceit in Him nor any lies.

Examples in Hypocrisy! A good example of hypocrisy is revealed in Acts 5:3-5. In this Scripture, Ananias and his wife Sapphira lied about the money that they had offered to the church. They claimed that they had brought the full price of the property they had sold, whereas in fact they had kept back part of it.

The Spirit of Truth in Peter was not deceived. He charged Ananias with lying not merely to men, but also to the Holy Spirit Himself—the One who is the very Spirit of truth. ("Why have you have conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. Then Ananias, hearing these words fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.)

Three hours later Sapphira came in and repeated the same lie. Like her husband, she paid for it with her life. There punishment was truly great for trying to deceive God.

Rightly defined, the sin of which they were guilty was hypocrisy—religious pretense. They were pretending to be more generous and more committed to the Lord than they really were. They were putting on an act that cost them their lives!

As I said earlier, our English word hypocrite and hypocrisy are derived directly from the Greek word hupokrites which means “actor.” This is the real meaning of hypocrisy: putting on a religious act. This is what my friend said the other night when he gave his testimony, so many people in our churches put on a religious mask.

Jesus reserved His strongest words of condemnation for this sin in the religious leaders of His days. Seven times in Matthew 23 He said to them: “Woe to you…hypocrites!” The word “woe” means, anguish, affliction, sadness, despair, misery, wretchedness, suffering, torment, agony, distress, torture, difficulty, burden, hardship, pain, hopelessness, depression, gloom, unhappiness and so forth. I get the message, how about you?

Probably no sin is more common among religious people than hypocrisy. In fact, some forms of religion almost demand it.

When people enter a religious building, their whole demeanor changes. They are no longer natural, free and open. They appear to be gripped by some kind of invisible “cramp.” They feel required to put on a religious mask. Different branches of religion require masks of different kinds, but few of them allow people to be their real selves.

When the preacher condemns definite sins, there are certain people that respond with a dutiful “Amen!” But outside the church they commit those same sins without even a twinge of conscience.

I believe the only time God has for hypocrites are the time it takes for the Spirit of Truth to convict them and then start teaching and guiding them to a path of righteousness. For me, I thank God for His True Light which continues to reveal to me, the corrections that need to be made in my life and heart. I give Him praise, and honor for His Helper.

Another example of hypocrites in the Bible comes out clearly in the story of Job. Job’s three friends poured forth a stream of religious bull. They said, if effect, “God always blesses the righteous; they never suffer unjustly.” And, “God always judges the wicked; they never prosper.” Yet the facts of history demonstrate that this is not true. It is just religious bull or talk.

Job, on the other hand, was completely frank. He said, “God is not treating me fairly. I have done nothing to deserve all this. But even if He kills me, I will still trust Him.”

Here is truth from the Word of God, “The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.’ ”

God wants the truth and nothing less!!

We need to ask ourselves: How does this kind of religious behavior differ from the sin of Ananias and Sapphira, which cost them their lives?

Moment of truth!
Let us recall the fact that King David was guilty of two terrible sins. First, he committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of is neighbor Uriah, (Double standards). Then, to cover up his sin, he secured the murder of Uriah.

It seems at first that David got away with all this. He still went through his regular forms of worship. He still carried out his duties as king. He still lived in the royal palace. Outwardly nothing had changed---until God’s messenger, the prophet Nathan, confronted David with his sin. At that moment David’s eternal destiny hung in the balance. By the grace of God, David made the right response. He offered no excuses, made no attempt to cover up. He acknowledged, “I have sinned.”

Later on, we read in Psalm 51 that David offered up a prayer of confession and then a cry for mercy. Verses 5 and 6 each begin with the word Behold, expressing a sudden revelation of a necessary truth.

Verse 5 says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” David had come face-to-face with something that only the Spirit of Truth can reveal: not just the sinful acts that he had committed, but the awful, evil power of inherited sinfulness that indwells every descendant of Adam.

Verse 6 reveals the only basis on which God offers deliverance from the power of indwelling sin: “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts.” After his sin, David had continued to go through all the outward forms of behavior appropriate to his role as king. But now there was a vast gap (Sin) between his outward behavior and the inward condition of his heart. For this there was and is only one remedy: honest confession and wholehearted repentance.

Now let’s think about this for a little while! Are you a hypocrite or have you ever been infected with the sin of being one? I believe I know the answer to this question. At least I know my own answer. If I am honest with my self I will have to say that I have been a person who lived a two-faced life. I have lied and then tried to cover it up with another lie.

I have been a pretender, trying to make others believe all was well on the outside but truly knowing that inside a real battle was raging. But when I surrendered to the call of God in my heart, I was confronted by The Spirit of Truth. The Spirit of Truth brought to light the inward condition of my life and heart. Then as I listened to the Voice of Truth in my spirit, I was convicted to make certain changes that were and are directed by the absolute truth from God and His divine grace.

The only remedy for all these things that I had done was honest confession or a declaration of guilt and wholehearted repentance or shameful regret. I had sorrow in my heart for the things that I had done.

From Palm Sunday to Good Friday! This will be my last illustration in this message

This truth runs through the whole Bible: God will never compromise with sin.

This is illustrated dramatically by two days in the life of Jesus: Palm Sunday and Good Friday.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem as a popular hero—“The prophet from Naxareth of Galilee” (Matthew 21:11). The whole city was open to Him. He could easily have moved aside His bitter enemies, the religious leaders and established Himself as King. That was what the people were longing for.

Yet He chose another way. Five days later He hung rejected and naked on an”Old rugged cruel cross”. Why? Because God will never compromise with sin and the only way to deal with sin was the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Many Christians today are speaking and praying about, “revival." They often overlook the fact that there is one barrier to revival that never can be bypassed. It is sin. Until sin is dealt with, true revival can never come. And there is only one way to deal with sin:

“He who covers his sin will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

This same verse in the NASB puts it this way, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper. But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion”.

We each need the compassion of Christ in our life. Compassion means, “Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the desire to relieve it”. Jesus sees and knows all things and He know just what each one of us is thinking or doing at any given time. He knows if we are lying or living in a two-faced compartment. He wants to relieve us of these things that pulls us down or destroys our witness. Often He used those same problems as a tool to work in our hearts to bring us in adjustment with His will.

How about you and your church? The truth is that many sections of the Church are full of “covered sin.” Here are some sins that Christians or non-Christians seek to cover.

1. Abuse of a child—physical, emotional, sexual—or a combination-
2. Broken marriage vows—
3. Unethical dealing with money—
4. Addiction to pornography—
5. Gluttony—overindulgence of our physical appetites, (Wow).

6.A preacher telling his church body, over and over, to listen to him, but he doesn’t listen to them when they need to talk or be listened to--
7. Talking about someone behind their back (gossip).
8. Having a heart of unforgiveness—

The list could go on forever but we have to be honest with ourselves! Who are we? What are the sins that we have in our lives that Jesus wants to relieve us of?

I know who I am and I am a long way from perfect, but as I go forward in surrender each minute of my life, I know I am growing to become more like the person, God intended for me in the beginning.

Remedy:
For each of us, God’s remedy is two-fold: first, confess; then forsake. It is seldom easy to confess our sins. Yet there is no other remedy. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us fro all unrighteousness” (1st John 1:9).

God has never committed Himself to forgive sins that we are not willing to confess.

But it is not enough merely to “confess”. We must also “Forsake.” We must make an unyielding determination not to continue to commit the sin we have confessed. We must follow the “to the point advice,” that Daniel gave to King Nebuchadnezzar: “Break off thy sin by righteousness” (Daniel 4: 27, KJV).

Between righteousness and sin there is no middle ground. “All unrighteousness is sin” (1st John 5:17). Whatever is not righteous is sinful.

Conclusion:

Are you faced with a difficult decision? If this message has caused you to question things in your life that you have been accepting, or maybe you have been confronted with some area of disobedience. Open up to the Spirit of Truth! He is ready and willing to help each of us!

After all, Jesus sent Him as a Helper, a Guide, and so much more. Listen to Him and let The Voice of Truth from The Spirit of Truth lead you.

Are you a hypocrite? If you are then you are a sinner. But on the other hand, show me someone who is not and I will show you Jesus Christ Himself.

Christ came to save sinners and that means He came for all of us.

Thanks.
Robert N. Graves, Sr.

Fisherman for Christ.

Proverbs 29:1, He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.