Because Christ so often rebuked the Pharisees, Christians often claim that Christ hates hypocrisy more than other sins.
And non-Christians love to say that churches are full of hypocrites.
Why are these claims so popular?
I think it's because most of us, Christians and non-Christians alike, think we're not hypocrites.(1)
I once did street evangelism that quickly disproved that fact: We asked people if they’d ever violated the Ten Commandments, and most of them claimed they'd never broken a single command!(2)
Yes, hypocrisy is a common human problem, but it's more than self-righteousness.
We're hypocrites when we:
1. Celebrate sins that God forbids (John 3:19-20).
2. Excuse or justify our sins (1 John 1:8).
3. Judge people for judging (Romans 2:1).(3)
4. Repay good with evil (Proverbs 17:13).
5. Believe there's no God (Romans 1:20).
God hates hypocrisy, but it's not limited to religious leaders.
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Highlighted words are links to 1-minute devotions about those subjects.
(1) Even though Jesus frequently rebuked hypocritical Pharisees, Scripture does not say it's the worst sin. See A Lie Some Christians Believe.
(2) Perhaps these people never committed murder, theft, or adultery, but no one has perfectly obeyed the first commandment to worship God above all else. And most people have lied or coveted at some time in their lives.
(3) There are appropriate times to judge others, but some people claim it's never our job to judge. And these people often judge those who judge, thus violating their own belief.
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