The Lord hates hypocrisy.
For several days now, I have been sorely tried, (a lovely olde worlde phrase! It sums up my feelings and sounds better than utterly frustrated!) by the issue laid on my heart. Somewhere in the Old Testament we are told that the Lord hates hypocrisy. I know I have read it because it has challenged me before, but in which translation?
I read Proverbs 20:27, again in a couple of translations, and allowed the light to shine in my heart.
NIV The lamp of the Lord searches the spirit of man; it searches out his inmost being.
TLB The Lord’s searchlight penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.
GW A person’s soul is the Lord’s lamp. It searches his entire innermost being.
AMP The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.
I hope that church attendees are always open to this searchlight. I pray that those who sit at home, or out on the golf course, or running along the highways, perhaps on the bowling greens, or wherever pleasure is found, will also find themselves being challenged by the Lord’s searchlight, for it is not His will that any should be lost.
You’ve met them! They may be in church for Christmas and Easter services, and they are not averse to weddings and funerals, but in general, church is to be avoided. Because, they say, it’s full of hypocrites. I guess I’m one of them.
Perhaps because of the season I am more aware of my weaknesses so I gave myself a self-awareness examination. I came up with more hypocrisy than I had realised, and hope I don’t keep too many people from attending church.
· While professing to be a truth teller, I sometimes handle the truth carelessly, justifying such action because I don’t want to hurt feelings, or I want to avoid confrontation.
· I have mastered the art of smiling, as good medicine when not feeling 100%. Is that wrong?
· Reading the Bible gives inspiration for the day, but in Matthew 5 to 7 I read of Jesus speaking to the people of His days on earth. Blessed are those who realise they are spiritually helpless, He says, The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. In verses 13 – 16 He speaks of our responsibility to influence others by our behaviour. In verses 17 – 20 He confirms His fulfilment of Old Testament teachings, then, in verses 21 – 26 He speaks on anger management. Verses 27 – 32 show God’s take on sexual sin, and marriage responsibilities. The swearing of oaths, and love requisites follow, when we are reminded that God makes His sun rise on people whether they are good or evil. He loves them all, and wants their recognition of this. I am reminded of an old autograph favourite – The rain it raineth every day, upon the just and unjust fellow, but mostly on the just because the unjust stole the just’s umbrella! (He probably needed it more urgently and for a longer distance!)
· Chapter 6 is full of admonishments not to do as the hypocrites do! It caused me to add many pharisaic problems to my own. Prayer? Do I speak only to the Father, or bear in mind those others who also listen, and maybe judge? Worry? Who, me? No, I am merely concerned about …. Store up riches? But if that is a bargain, surely it is worth buying now rather than later when the price is up? Or even 2 for the price of 1 tempts away from the idea that the money may not stretch beyond the use of the 1, so why buy 2!
· I look at Chapter 7, and the verse stops me in my tracks. Stop judging so that you will not be judged. Yes, I am afraid many of us warming the church seats on Sundays are hypocrites, and I find comfort in the words of Paul in his letter to the Romans, when he introduced himself before his visit to them. The law is good, then, and the trouble is not there but with me because I am sold into slavery with Sin as my owner. I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can’t. I do what I don’t want to – what I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these laws that I am breaking. But I can’t help myself because I am no longer doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.
I know am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn I can’t make myself do right. I want to but I can’t. When I want to do good I don’t; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. Now if I am doing what I don’t want to, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.
It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned, but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.
So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh what a terrible predicament I am in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! IT HAS BEEN DONE BY JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. HE HAS SET ME FREE.
(The Living Bible Romans 7:14-25)
I did hear of the couple sitting comfortably watching a televised church service because after all, one can worship just as well at home, when the husband broke the silence with a hearty chuckle. Startled his wife looked across at him and asked what was so amusing? “Well,” he said, “they are taking the offering, and here we are, safely at home.”
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