A pastor preaches a biblically sound sermon about love, grace, and forgiveness, but he's bitter and ungrateful to his parents.
A woman volunteers her time to spread the gospel, but she's a harsh judge of Christians who don't see things her way.
If we are teaching or leading others spiritually, our walk should match our talk (James 3:1). We must regularly examine our attitudes and our actions. We don't want to be the type of people described in Titus 1:16 who "claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him."
Hypocrisy is a hard sin to deal with because it's often hidden from the majority and reserved for the few. Notice how God described the Pharisees in Matthew 23:27-28. Hypocrites have "two faces," and most people see the good face.
People who give up on Christianity often cite hypocrites as the cause. But hypocrites actually serve a Romans 8:28 purpose in the lives of genuine believers, testing the sincerity of our faith. In addition, they're a good reminder to examine our own lives for hypocrisy.
When our faith is grounded in Jesus, we can overcome every spiritual obstacle – both hypocrites and personal hypocrisy (1 John 5:5).
I love your blog. When hyper linking Scripture, it would be easier for readers if it took them to just one version. 3 translations currently there and not reader friendly. Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi Unknown,
DeleteI understand what you are saying, but I've tried to pick the three most popular translations with readers and being able to read it in their favorite translation is very important to many of them. I prefer the Bible Hub set up because it offers almost every translation available but I can only use it for single verses. I recently found a way to link to Bible Gateway without all of the ads, but I still think it's best to offer more than 1 translation.
One must remember that there may be many of Gale's readers who are new to English. Using the King James version would be confussing to them. Many of the English translations compliment each other. However, if you find false teachings in amy of the versions, toss it away.
ReplyDeleteI am increasingly convicted by the way my words and actions don’t agree. My heart is hard even as I talk about God’s love and mercy. Why is there such a disconnect?
ReplyDeleteDear Donna,
DeleteYou have taken the most important step in overcoming hypocrisy. You've recognized it and admitted your need to change. God will bless your honesty and give you the power you need to live for Him. I encourage you to spend time in prayer and if you have a Christian friend who could pray with you, that would be helpful as well.
And I've prayed for you as well.
I know fir me I have to get out of God's way for him to reach others regardless of how I feel about stuff
ReplyDelete