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There are too many hypocrites in the Church!
“Have
you ever heard the excuse I can’t go to Church there are too
many hypocrites there?
Unfortunately the words "sinner" and "hypocrite" are being
confused. The confusion is one found between what one is and
what one does. Sinner is the generic term of what "one is".
Scripture says all people are found in this category, both
in and outside the Church . Everyone falls short of the
perfection of God which makes them a sinner. Being a
Hypocrite is specifically what one does. Since hypocrisy is
a sin, we can say, All hypocrites are sinners. But
not all sinners are hypocrites. Those who dislike the church
and its explanation of mans predicament bring this confusion
by the statement "The church is full of sinners so all
sinners are hypocrites. Therefore the church is full of
hypocrites.
But there
is a obvious problem with this parallel . Let me give an
illustration which makes this more clear. The church is
full of sinners, murderers are sinners therefore the church
is full of murderers. This would be very unfair and clearly
inaccurate to say. In the same way jail has murderers
therefore all who are in jail are murderers. Another example
is Certain cars go very fast, so and so was caught speeding
in his car. Therefore everyone who buys this certain car
will speed and break the law.
God says in Isa.
9:17… for everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaks folly. For all this His anger is not
turned away, but His hand is stretched out still." God loves
the hypocrite in and outside the church and wants them to
repent to become part of the Church.
Its a lot
safer inside the church struggling to be honest than
outside. Job 13:16 "He also shall be my salvation: for an
hypocrite shall not come before him."Proverbs writes bad
company corrupts good morals. Do the people who go to church
become better or worse? Now ask yourself do people who don't
go to church become better or worse.
What
happens when unsaved people see those who attend church
sinning ? They think to themselves, "That person is suppose
to be a Christian, Christians are not supposed to
sin, since that person is sinning, he's a hypocrite."
They assume that a Christian is one who claims that he does
not sin. In reality its just the opposite . For someone to
be a Christian, they must first admit to be a sinner. Being
a sinner is a prerequisite for being a Christian. One
becomes acutely aware of their condition now only at
salvation but through their life. The Christian church is
exclusively the only group of people that requires a public
acknowledgement of sin. They are admitting they have a
condition seeking a remedy. Actually the Church has fewer
hypocrites than any other association because the definition
of the Church is a hospital for sinners, all kinds. If the
Church ever claimed to be an association of perfect people
then it certainly would be hypocritical. But the Church
never has never claimed this. To answer the charge that the
Church is full of sinners is a accurate statement, one we
accept. To say it is full of hypocrites is not!
Prov. 11:9 "The
hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, but through
knowledge the righteous will be delivered. In the Hebrew
language a hypocrite means- hypocritical, godless, profane,
hypocrite, irreligious. This means those who are outside the
church and those inside who are no being genuine in their
attempt to allow change in their life.
Jesus called the
religious leaders hypocrites because they knew better. Matt.
7:5 "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye,
and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of
your brother's eye." Jesus told us if we are going to
correct someone in their activity we need to first see that
we are not doing the same.
Strong's
Concordance defines hypocrites as; an actor under an assumed
character (stage-player), i.e. (figuratively) a dissembler .
Thayer's defines it as1) one who answers, an interpreter 2)
an actor, a stage player 3) a dissembler, a pretender, a
hypocrite. What I find interesting is the President is in
some peoples eyes is the pattern of what a hypocrite is. And
yet no one cares . He speaks on family values and is found
unfaithful , he then lies to the public, the people closest
to him and the grand jury. Yet everyone is willing to look
the other way. Why is it America can forgive a politician of
gross hypocrisy and then find fault with the Church. (Mr.
Clinton goes to Church doesn't he?) Personally I think
because they are no different than him.
Christians can be guilty of all sorts of sins, including the
sin of hypocrisy. Though the church may not be full of
hypocrites, it is by no means empty of them. Christians are
not above pretending to be more righteous than others. Nor
is everyone in the church who professes to be a Christian a
true believer. There are various forms of hypocrisy and most
of them are obvious to some level in the church. Christ
Himself stated the church would grow having a mixture of
"tares and wheat" of true believers and false (see Matt.
13:24-30). Some "unbelievers" become church members only not
because they willfully choose to deceive others but because
the church had never made it clear to them what a profession
of faith consist of. they simply have never heard the Gospel
correctly. Or maybe they struggle with certain flaws and
know all too well their shortcomings.
Yet there
are those in the church which involve an insincere
profession of faith. Some people join the church under false
motives. In many communities it is still respectable to be a
member of a church. Some people join for social reasons
others because they have friends or family who have been
members. There are businessmen that preserve membership
because it provides contacts for their business
relationships. It gives them a certain respect as well, so
this is done in a disingenuous manner.
No one
can fairly disburse the accusation of hypocrite and not look
at themselves as one too. There are many who say I don't
want to be a Christian because all the hypocrites go to
Church. This in itself shows that they are even more of a
hypocrite then those they criticize. Businesses are full of
Hypocrites but the same person who sees an opportunity to
make money doesn't have this stop them do business with
these people. People see married couples have their spouses
cheat on them, but that doesn't stop that same person from
getting married or staying a confirmed bachelor. TV is
filled with hypocrites, liars and cheats. Most of the talk
shows glamorize them, but they will still watch TV.
Advertisements are hypocritical but they don't stop buying
the products because of it. Some used car salesman can
certainly fit the bill for this category yet no one will
stop buying cars because of their intense sales rap.
Politicians are some great examples of hypocrisy but we
still vote hoping the one we choose will be honest and keep
his promises. Examples are not lacking to show the illogic
of all this. Hell is filled with hypocrites and those who
complain about hypocrisy won't do a thing to keep themselves
from going there and joining them. Job 27:8 "For what is the
hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God
taketh away his soul?"
The
biggest hypocrite is one who wants us to think he is trying
to avoid others who he calls hypocrites but are just like he
is. True the church does have its share of hypocrites, but
in reality it has a whole lot less than anywhere else.
Overall they are at least honest about their shortcomings
and admit they are sinners, while others won't. They are at
least open and trying to reform. The only step one can make
from their own hypocrisy is to admit, they like everyone
else are not perfect and need the forgiveness the Christ
offers. Then they can have the assurance of heaven instead
of hell. The fact is there are hypocrites in all walks of
life besides religions. If you let a few hypocrites stop you
from becoming a Christian you may well end up spending all
eternity with them. The Church never claimed to be perfect
and if you find the perfect church you may not want to join
it, because you may ruin it by your hypocrisy. At least be
honest in assessing yourself as you do others.”
There are
too many hypocrites in the Church!
http://www.letusreason.org/Apolo13.htm
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