Are You a Spiritual Hypocrite?

Hello Church Family: Do you struggle with moments of spiritual hypocrisy or are you a life-long-card-carrying spiritual hypocrite? Do you declare biblical moral truths with your mouth and yet live out your life morally opposite of that truth? I am sure that you have heard from others who may have been in church or around Christians, or you may have experienced for yourself, the interaction with one vocal obnoxious spiritual hypocrite who declares one thing but lives their life morally opposite. That hypocrite can consume your spiritual experience in church which then brings you to the faulty conclusion that “the church in totality is just a bunch of hypocrites.” This is not the truth, even though that may be your experience in that moment. The truth is that at one point or another in every person’s life we are all guilty of being spiritual hypocrites. That is the nature of sin, we do what we don’t want to do (Romans 7:15-20). The question that we all must ask is, do we pursue a life of spiritual hypocrisy? Is the habit of our lives or is the culture at GCT one of saying, teaching, preaching one thing and yet living and practicing the very moral opposite?

While I was in seminary there were pastors and leaders put before us each week in chapel who were powerful preachers in big churches with huge followings and we (students) were led to think that we should “be just like them.” Well, here we are 25 years later (SBC Guideposts Investigation) and many of those who were put before us each week have turned out to be spiritual hypocrites. Spiritual hypocrisy seems to be everywhere right now. Individual pastors or the leadership of denominations or your local church or your very own Bible Study leader or even your closest friend living a life of spiritual hypocrisy. So, here is my question. Is the spiritual hypocrisy a life-long decision or one event of hypocrisy that brought the heavy life-changing history-changing consequences? God knows that a life of hypocrisy means that the spiritual hypocrite never really intends to be what he pretends to be. We may never really know this side of heaven but we do know this, when we engage in spiritual hypocrisy “The name of God is blasphemed” (Romans 2:23-24).

Any time that we choose to live out our lives morally opposite than what we declare are Biblical commands we are insulting God, shaming God, cursing God, dishonoring God. Our hypocrisy does not just insult and shame people in our lives but it insults and shames God. The New Testament is very clear, God is disgusted with spiritual hypocrites (Matthew 23) and they will not inherit the kingdom of heaven

Do you know where you are most prone to live a life of spiritual hypocrisy? Our very own spiritual hypocrisy can be difficult to detect while we are living it out. Go to scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to point it out. Hypocrisy is rooted in pride. Go to the Gospel and remember, you are a sinner saved by grace given Christ's righteousness because you have no righteousness of your own. The Cross of Christ is the only cure for spiritual hypocrisy. Go to your brother or sister in Christ and ask them where you are spiritually hypocritical and receive their response in love.

See you Sunday striving not to be a hypocrite, Steve