Hypocrisy: The Unpardonable Sin? - Stephen

 “Proclaiming Biblical truth is never ‘hate speech’ no matter whom it might offend, but speaking such truth absent of compassion is speech spoken hatefully.”

I wrote those words in my last post. So, what am I doing with this one? Proving there must be a balance between proclamation of truth and the compassion I wrote of previously. The latter should never dictate or dilute the former. 

 

I won’t go to church, become a Christian, believe in Jesus because of _______________. We know the word that fills-in-the-blank don’t we? Because we have heard it before. We might have even said it ourselves. But how far is someone willing to allow the excuse of hypocrites to take them?

For some, hating hypocrisy is about as far as they will ever go to being like Jesus. And, unfortunately, that’s not far enough. Sure, God hates hypocrisy but, in truth, He hates all sin.

Unbelievers are forever pointing out the hypocrisy of those who claim to be a follower of Jesus and yet live nothing like Him. Those people make me nauseous as well for the Bible does say “be ye doers of the word and not hearers only” (Jam. 1:22). But while that “AMEN” is still ringing in the air with our agreement, that same Bible concludes itself with “and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15).

Suddenly, we go silent for we can no longer blame someone else for our lack of belief. For we will be standing there. Before God. Alone. 

Hypocrisy is an intriguing sin for our society to point out. Many only seem to care when it comes to Christians. And with that, it is only a one-way accusation. When is the last time you heard someone mad at an unbeliever for acting like a Christian? Never, because no one seems to care about the reversal. So how do we make sense of this one-way street that seems to be leading people straight into an eternity of destruction?

It is also interesting that someone would not believe in Jesus because of someone’s hypocrisy and yet no one ever truly believes in Him because someone is not a hypocrite. Here’s what I mean—Philip took Nathanael to Jesus, which led him to become a follower as well (cf. Jn. 1:45-46). The woman at the well brought others in the town to Jesus leading them to become believers also (cf. Jn. 4:39-41). Neither one of these examples encouraged others to admire their own personal holiness but that of Christ. Yet, nowadays, Christians say things to one another like, “Live right because you might be the only Bible someone ever reads.”

I understand the sentiment of encouraging personal godliness but since when does someone’s eternity depend solely on another sinful, fallen person’s actions? Salvation is still available but only through what Christ did, not any one of His followers. Yes, there is a part we Christians play in the plan of God, but if God is truly sovereign surely He can overcome our failures to live up to the example of His Son. Because His Son is still and will forever be the example that eternally matters. I think when it comes to His followers it is more rightly said, “God doesn’t need us, but wants to use us.”

Going back to the hypocritical accusation, I think of the story of the Prodigal Son. It is easy to focus on the faults and failures of the younger son which infamously dons the title of prodigal (aka lost). Yet few of us take note of the tragic situation of the elder son. Both were children of the father and yet only one is negatively portrayed in the end. And it isn’t the notorious one. It’s the one left in the field focusing on the past failures of his younger brother already forgiven by His father. So focused on them in fact that he fails to see his own faults he is still carrying with him.

As we consider the hypocrisy of Christians, we can really only conclude with one thing—it is not the unpardonable sin for God’s forgiveness can overcome it. But believing it to be such all the way to the grave could make it the very reason your own sin goes without pardon. Therefore, hypocrisy may not be the unpardonable sin, but it may very well be the unpardonable excuse. Don’t let it be for you.

Because, speaking for myself, I and my sometimes-faulty example of Christ are not worth going to hell over. And I nor any other professed Christian are worthy to be your bridge to escape it either. Don’t take my word for it, take God’s. 

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

[1 Timothy 2:5]

 

God's Will: Can We Be In the Know or Are We Flying Blind?

Ask almost any Christian about God’s will, and you will get some responses in common. You will likely hear many people wax eloquent about how important it is for one to seek and do God's will. You will not be short of believers who readily acknowledge that God has a plan and purpose - a will - for their individual lives. In fact, most every Christian you speak with would likely agree that God has a will for everyone.

But you would likely find few people that could give clear and definite answers on how to discover God's will for one's life. Fewer still would be able to confidently say that they have both discovered God's will and are joyfully living it out.

One thing all of us can agree on, however, is that it is hard to please someone if you are unsure of what that person wants. Men, if you are married, have you ever completely misjudged what it was your wife wanted? Students know how real the struggle is when they complete an assignment thinking they knew what the teacher wanted, only to find out that they missed the mark completely.

In one of my college classes, we had two large projects to complete. One of them was creating a discipleship course. I worked on that thing for a long time. I thought outside the box and created a website-based course. Each person would get a log in and they would go through courses, answering questions, and at the end of each course would take a test. There was a function allowing them to communicate with the teacher, as well as allowing them to be logged on at the same time to go through the classes. It took forever to set up each subsequent lesson. When it came time to turn the project in, I had very little to turn in. One sheet of paper, actually, with a website and log-in information. I felt great.

I got a D+ on the project, and I still remember what was written on the paper: “Discipleship needs to be done one-on-one. No one would sit on a computer to do this.”

Personally, I think that if time has proven anything, it is that while I may have been ahead of the curve, I certainly wasn’t wrong. Even major corporations are now doing their training based on computer classes. But here is the point of this story: I did the assignment based on the information that I had, but I got a terrible grade because of information that I didn’t know, and couldn’t have known.

Some people view God’s will like that. They go through life doing what they think is the best that they can, and feeling like they are failing all the time because of things that they cannot possibly know. But that isn’t how the will of God works. And it certainly is not His will for His children to wander through life aimlessly.

The will of God, in its simplest terms, is God’s plan for conforming me into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. And since Jesus said in Mark 3:35 that "whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother," it is important that we know how to do God's will.

The Bible is the place to find out. The Bible is the most important factor in determining God’s will for our life, and yet, sadly, it is many times the last place that we go for help and guidance.

The Bible tells us some very specific things about God’s will:

• God has a definite will for your life (Psalm 32:8, 37:23; Ephesians 2:10).
• God desires you to know His will for your life (Ephesians 5:15-17).
• God’s will is continuous. It doesn’t stop when we are old, or begin only at a certain age (Isaiah 58:11).
• God's will is specific (Isaiah 30:18-21; Proverbs 15:19).
• God’s will is satisfying and profitable (Joshua 1:7-9; Psalm 1:1-6).

Although each of us will have a different path through life, there are at least four things that are included in God’s will for every single believer:

1. Increase your knowledge of God (Colossians 1:9-10).
2. Grow in grace (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
3. Study the Word (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
4. Share your faith (Acts 1:8).

Ultimately, each of us is going to be held responsible for knowing and following God’s plan for our life.

So, what about it? Are you studying the Word in order to increase your knowledge of God? You cannot know His will if you do not know Him. Are you striving to grow in grace? The fruit of the Spirit is grown in us through the Word and the influence of the Holy Spirit. Are you studying the Word and applying it to life? Are you sharing your faith? These four things are the start of God’s will for each and every believer.

I do not believe that He will reveal more of His will if we are not following the part of His will that we do know. It is extremely early in a brand new year. Don't waste time in 2023 living aimlessly. Get in God's Word, discern His will, and boldly live on mission this year!

Jesus & Social Media: If Jesus Had a Facescroll, an Instaslate, a TikFlok, or a Pet Bird that Tweeted - Stephen

Fear.

It’s something that affects us all—at least those of us who are still breathing. Therefore, if that last breath was your final one you can stop reading for the rest of this post is no longer relevant. 

 

With that statement alone I may have just stoked the very fear burning within your own heart. The fear of death can be debilitating for many. 

 

Fear, as we define it, is the feeling of great apprehension towards something that might happen or is sure to happen. And it’s with this very definition we surmise the remedy for such a feeling is bravery and courage. 

 

How many of our heroes are labeled as such because of their ability to have bravery in the face of the greatest danger? War heroes, faith heroes, and personal heroes are usually those marked by their willingness to attack fear aided by their victorious spirit.  

 

In today’s world when we think of bravery in the face of fear we might imagine someone who stands up for their beliefs knowing they are not held nor accepted by the popular majority. The threatening of one’s job, the smearing of one’s reputation, and the unrelenting harassment that might come are certainly realistic fears in our day. Those willing to speak out when the opposition says “quiet” is something that inspires us all. 

 

But what if I told you that this is not the only courageous response in the wake of such fear? What if I told you that sometimes such an outspoken sense of bravery isn’t necessarily what’s needed? What if I told you that the greatest remedy for this kind of fear could be love and compassion for those on the opposing side?

 

Sounds like the opposite of courage, doesn’t it? But consider this—what does it cost someone to stand up for what they believe if they truly believe it? What is the sacrifice for someone to speak out on an issue that they are truly passionate about? You might say acceptance but what if they already knew that would be a consequence or they were already lacking acceptance in their life anyway? What courage does it take then?

 

On the other hand, what does it take to show compassion? Compassion for those who disagree, oppose, and maybe even despise you and your beliefs costs quite a bit. Compassion is a concern for someone else that many times results in meeting their needs in sacrifice of one’s own. Isn’t that what Jesus did?

 

“When Jesus heard [it], He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 

And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.”

Matthew 14:13-14

 

When Jesus had heard of the unjust murder of his earthly cousin, John the Baptist, He sought some time alone. But then He saw the multitudes who had other needs and He responded with compassion to meet them. So, what does this have to do with fear?

 

Fear is always the black-caped, mustache-twirlin’ villain of true compassion. Lurking behind many of those opinions we stand up for or speak out on is a fear that maybe those who differ might “win” the argument or, worse, seek to take advantage of our kindness if we let it show. As long as these fears exist within our hearts, those on the opposing front remain the victims tied to the tracks as the train of our compassionless side comes rumbling their way. 

 

Compassion is not a compromise of belief as the Enemy would love for us to believe; it’s simply a greater understanding of the belief itself and those who oppose it. Let it be clear that proclaiming Biblical truth is never “hate speech” no matter whom it might offend, but speaking such truth absent of compassion is speech spoken hatefully. To declare with such a spirit might preserve God’s truth but could also tarnish His reputation and those who claim Him. In an eagerness to emulate Christ by declaring those who disagree with us a “brood of vipers,” we can many times fail to echo His more prominent claims of compassion.

 

So, where’s the compassion? 

Where’s my compassion?

Where’s your compassion?

The answer is the same my mother used to give when I would misplace that very important toy at my childhood home—“It’s right where you left it.” 

 

Honestly, that answer never really helped much but it did cause me to think through the problem, retrace my steps, and eventually find the thing that was lost. (Thanks mom!)  I truly believe if we think through the problem, retrace our steps, and find the compassion we lost it will make our fight against these fears a little less like a fight to be won and a bit more like a person on a cross. The very One who was forgiving those who were, in their minds, taking His life from Him. 

 

“Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots.”

Luke 23:34

 

Is there a more magnificent picture of compassion than that? Is there any greater example of an absence of fear? I think Jesus was on to something. And I think others were aware. 

 

“So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, ‘Truly this Man was the Son of God!’”

Mark 15:39

 

Overcome the fear of those who differ with compassion. For it might be then, and only then, that this fear is removed altogether as Christ’s heart is revealed.

 

I only wish He was here to exemplify this to our modern world inundated with countless social-media debates and angry-face-emojis.

But, remarkably, He’s left it with us.

 

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.”

2 Corinthians 5:20