“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]
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