hypocrisy

Here's what I know:

The Christian who thinks everyone is a hypocrite but them - is a hypocrite.

We are all being deceived in one area of our lives (as followers of Christ), we all act in ways that aren't consistent with who we say we are - as much as we don't like to admit it.

That's what we will be looking at tonight as we continue our study in the book of Romans (chapters 2 - 3:20).

Paul is writing to a church in Rome that is filled with both Jews and Gentiles.  The Gentiles thought they should receive even more grace because they hadn't had the Old Testament law as the Jews did.  Their excuse?  Ignorance of spiritual things.

The Jews were thinking that they weren't as bad as the Gentiles, because they weren't as "bad" as they were.  Their excuse?  They were more "spiritual" than the Gentiles.

Both were wrong.

At the root of both of these groups was a feeling of judgmental ism, pride and finger pointing.

Paul writes in Romans 2:1, "You, therefore (the Jews) have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."

It is hypocritical to judge others, without first of all looking at ourselves.

It is especially hypocritical to judge someone for doing the same things that we are doing.

A hypocrite says, "Mary is always criticizing others."  That, in and of itself, is a criticism of Mary.

We don't become righteous by pointing out the sins of others.

Someone once said that a "hypocrite is someone who complains there is too much sex and violence on their DVD collection."

Whom do you judge more - yourself or others?

Three takeaways that I am going to give tonight at the end of the teaching.

All three of them are "don'ts". 

My prayer is that we all (and that means me) learn to three principles and apply them to our lives.

Don't condemn in others what you do yourself.

This is clearly an enormous point in the mind of Paul in Romans 2 and 3.  The essence of hypocrisy is to preach hard or speak harshly against the very sins (in the life of others) that you commit in secret.  It is to excuse in yourself the behavior you condemn in others.

Are you practicing what you are preaching?  Are you living what you are saying?  Does your life match up to your lips?  Do your deeds match your declarations? 

Don't claim special privileges without accepting personal responsibility.

Religious people do this all the time.  They like to give advice, but they don't like to take it.  They like to talk, they don't like to obey.  They like to be first in line - they don't like to do the "chores after dinner."

The Christian life includes freedom but also responsibility.

Don't go through the motions without Christ in your heart.

As shocking as it might sound, there will be many church members in hell.  Why?  Because  many people are locked into a false religious confidence.  They trust in religion.  They trust in how long they have gone to church.  They trust in the ministry that they are doing - rather than trusting in Jesus Christ.

Just some thoughts for a Wednesday.