Definition: A pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.
Are any of us not guilty of participating in such a thing?
We could each wear this badge.
I get really irritated when people accuse others of being hypocrites.
Who in this world is not a hypocrite?
Sure, we can say with a holier-than-thou attitude that we are indeed not hypocrites because we live such holy lives and are committed to Christ.
But, wait just a minute.
You can’t tell me that every thought and action in your life is pure, or right, or holy.
Do we try?
Yes.
Do we fail?
Yes.
Does that mean we stop trying?
No.
But, don’t call Joe Schmo a hypocrite because he smokes cigarettes or drinks a beer or listens to Led Zeppelin, but think you’re exempt from such a title, as you gossip about him smoking said cigarettes or drinking said drinks or listening to such “devil” music.
I would be careful in labeling anyone a hypocrite.
Or judging them according to what I think they should or should not be doing.
Who the heck am I or you to do such a thing?
We are all hypocrites.
Guilty of professing our love for God with our lips, and then with the same lips speaking death to those around us.
Guilty of lifting our hands in worship, but not lifting a finger to help those in need.
Guilty of singing about how much we want God, but not really seeking Him daily.
Guilty of praying for God to forgive us, but not being able to forgive those that have hurt us.
Guilty of saying we want a pure heart, but voluntarily setting our eyes and minds on things that are far from purity.
We are the hypocrites.
All of us.
If you recall, Jesus called only one group of people hypocrites … the religious leaders … the regular church-goers.
How dare we claim to be so holy and upright to point the finger at any other person claiming we know their hearts. We don’t.
And, I, for one am sick of it.
Do people at time need rebuke and correction within the church from pastors and the like? Yes.
But, that is their business and we should make no judgments about it and them.
We should always remember that we ARE the hypocrites.
And, always strive not to be the hypocrites.
I so don’t want to be one, but know that I am.
We all are.
Preach it, sista! Good stuff.
Very, very well said.
Amen!
So, so good. I could not agree more.
You speak the truth.
If we're honest with ourselves, we're all hypocrites. Because we teach and tell others to do things that we've often failed at ourselves. But that's the beauty of grace is that even in our weakness – even in our hypocrisy – He is made strong, as long as we're diligent to point the way back to Him.