Christian Hypocrites

Dictionary.com has an interesting definition of a hypocrite: a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.

I find the last part of this definition particularly interesting as it actually describes every Christian who ever lived with the exception of Christ Himself.

That’s right, according to this definition, everyone who claims to be a Christian is a hypocrite.

Why do I say that?

The definition states “especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.” And the Bible says in Romans 3:23 – All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Even the apostle Paul said in Romans 7:18 – 20 - I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

And if Paul struggled to do the right thing and to avoid doing the wrong thing, then the rest of us are in trouble.

And the world, those that are not Christians, love to call us hypocrites. And in the sense they mean (the definition above), they are actually right. We profess to follow Christ. We want to follow Christ. We want to “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” as Matthew 5:48 says, but we’re not. We fail, time and time again. We do the wrong thing. We say the wrong thing. We mess up. We don’t have to, but we do (that’s a blog for another time). In short, we are hypocrites, since we profess one thing and do another.

But let’s look at God's definition of a hypocrite.

In the first instance, Christ uses hypocrite as someone who judges others for the same thing they are guilty of themselves.

Matthew 7:1-5 says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Again, this passage is a subject for an entire other blog, but in short, when we look down upon other Christians for stuff they do wrong, this is pride and arrogance, and true Christian hypocrisy. We mess up. Our brothers and sisters in Christ mess up. We should not exalt ourselves above others and judge them for their actions.

Romans 2:1 sums it up: You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

The next use of hypocrite we’ll look at is in Matthew 6, versus 2, 5, and 16. They say:

So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

Here Christ is saying that a hypocrite is someone that does the things God tells us to do, tithe, pray, and fast, not because we love God, but because we want to appear righteous in front of other people. Again, this boils down to arrogance and pride. We are being hypocritical when we do something supposedly for God, but then claim the glory for ourselves.

Matthew 23 also shows Jesus using the term “hypocrite” as He accuses the Pharisees of being hypocrites because on the outside they appear to be righteous and doing the things of God, but their hearts are dark and, like the above examples, are trying to glorify themselves.

Matthew 23:25 says, Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

This is the person who is more concerned with their outward appearance to other people than their heart toward God.

The last type of hypocrite I’d like to suggest is one that is covered by Matthew 7 and Matthew 23. This is the Christian who is quick to recognize sin in others but will not admit their own iniquity. This is the person who always justifies their own actions, even when those actions are wrong. It is the Christian that may be confessing to God, but will not confess or apologize to others when they have done wrong. It is the Christian more concerned about how they appear to other people than how they appear to God and will go to great lengths to protect their reputation.

James 5:16 says, Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

To me, this last type of Christian is the worst. More than likely, we will mess up. And when we do, we need to confess to God and ask for His forgiveness. But, when we mess up and it affects someone else, we should also confess to that person, apologize, and ask for their forgiveness.

Matthew 5:23-24 - Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

We should not approach God until we’ve settled things with each other.