Hypocrite...

Hypocrite….

“A person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion…a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings” (Merriam Webster Dictionary Online).

I do not normally get angry. It takes a lot to make me so. And honestly, I am one of the most forgiving people. I truly believe that God has blessed me with an easily forgiving heart. I thank Him for that every day. But let me say that anger is not necessarily a bad thing…it is just dwelling on that anger and then the actions that accompany it that cause you problems and turn into sin. Even Jesus was angry at times, but He never sinned in His anger and He definitely did not dwell on it so much that He became bitter. Lord knows that we do that all too often.

If there is one thing that makes me angry is those people who profess the name of Jesus Christ and yet do not follow after Him. These are the people that say religious slurs like oh “Praise Jesus” in front of people…or maybe they raise their hands in church…or cry…or say that they will offer a prayer for you whenever you tell them your sob story. BUT on the other hand, they live a double life…I am not necessarily talking about those who go out and party and drink and get drunk on the weekends and go to church on Sunday…granted that frustrates me as well; however, I feel sorry for them and it genuinely hurts my heart because they are missing the great freedom and healing in Christ. I AM talking about those who profess to be Christian, who maybe even work in a Christian environment seemingly doing so called “good” things for people and yet at night they are seducing people with their evil trickery or whatever you want to call it. This hurts my heart as well, but not without the lacking anger towards the sin…God’s Word says in Romans 12:9 “Hate what is evil and cling to what is good…”

See, here is my thought: if you aren’t going to truly try and live by the Bible and the standards of Christ then do NOT profess to know Him. Why do that anyway? All of those people, and maybe you are one of them, are doing is lying to themselves and others…and being confusing. Just live one way or the other. You see, God does not like those who straddle the fence. The Bible says He will spew those out of His mouth who are luke warm. I personally, know that I went through a phase where I tested the waters on the other side…some of you were there for my so called rebellion. Ha. But I definitely came to my senses early on…and thank God He saved me from any heartache and eternal pain. I am not writing this as if I am perfect…Lord knows I am not and I willingly admit it. I know that I too have had hypocritical tendencies…if you go to any church I bet every person there does…so don’t look for perfection in a congregation that is for sure. I also know that I try to live a life that is pure and pleasing before God…and what you see is what you get as “they” say…whoever “they” are.

What makes me angry is the fact that those people who profess Christ but knowingly and willingly deceive themselves and others are dragging Jesus’ name through the dirt…and make it hard for people to truly KNOW Christ and His forgiving Love because they see what you do…and even if they don’t it will come out. I was an RA for two years on campus at school and unfortunately had to confront things that girls did…and many times the girls would say, “Who told you?” And I would just laugh because honestly, it did not normally take any person telling me. I would say “The Holy Spirit found you out…He told on you.” It all comes out eventually. One sad part of the whole thing is that people get hurt…the person who is the hypocrite and the person being dragged along for the ride.

Now, as I read this to my roommate, she made a joke that she had to go repent…haha. I feel the same way in writing it. Lord knows I need to check myself.

This isn’t meant to condemn or to say that I do not understand where you are coming from if you are one of these hypocritical people…I can say from experience with people in this short life I have led thus far, that many people who profess Christ and do other than what Christ would be pleased with, are confused, hurting, ashamed, and so forth. Others, however, knowingly and willingly do things against God even if they profess His name…and I do not completely understand this rationale except for the Bible says that a man’s heart is evil without Christ. Satan has deceived you…and he is laughing about it.

Jeremiah 17 verses 9-10 say this: “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

If you are hurting and confused and have felt that living a double life is going to fulfill you…to make you whole or make you feel needed or wanted, then you are being deceived. Only the God of the Bible that you confess on the surface but do not let own your heart can fulfill a void inside and help you to conquer the things that you are most ashamed of. If you do not feel remorse for straddling the fence, then I pray that God opens your eyes and helps you to see the error of your ways before it is too late.

For those of you trying to live a life for Christ, let Him show you places in your heart that need to be surrendered to Him…I have been lately, and it hurts like crazy…but it is worth it.

For those of you who show up to your work tomorrow and act all high and mighty…pretending to be this so called Christian leader or man or woman…I pray that you do not rest at night until you find Jesus’ love…because God will not tolerate what you do against Him. We are either for Him or against Him in this life…if I profess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and have not love then I do not know Him…that goes the same for you my friend.

For others of you that may see a friend struggling through something like this please go alongside them and help out if you can. I know that it has been amazingly beautiful when a fellow brother or sister in Christ can show love and humility and concern for a friend by at least helping them know their worth and true identity in Christ.

Though man’s heart is deceitful in and of itself, there is hope and an answer to the sickness we all have…Jesus. Truly accepting by grace for free, the freedom and forgiveness that He has for our hearts. We no longer have to feel like we are in bondage to anything else, no sex, no drugs, no immorality, no pornography, no anger, no bitterness, no adultery, nothing like that. It can be gone and conquered. The Good News is that if you have truly accepted the Christ of the Bible, then you have all the weapons you need to fight against hypocrisy and truly live out the life you profess with your mouth. To be a Christian struggling through sinful nature and conquering it is different than willingly and blatantly saying one thing and doing another all the while probably not caring or making an effort to be different.

Romans 6:11-14 “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.”

I pray that God convicts our hearts, causing us to hate sin so much that we refuse to let it reign over or in us. God make us bold to stand for you and if we are not truly going to bring fame to your name and give all the glory and honor to you, then Lord I pray that you make us choose, you or the world. But I pray we choose you. God help us to see past what other people say and do. God may we not be hypocritical but have a true desire to know you more and that our actions show it. Thank you Father for your grace and for loving us first. Now, we are able to truly be set free. In Jesus’ name. Amen.