Thursday, November 08, 2007

Hypocrisy

When the occasion arises where someone says to me they have some issue with the church because "they are a bunch of hypocrites" I have two responses to that person.
1. You, sir, are a hypocrite
2. You, sir, have no idea just how hypocritical they truly are.

re 1: All people are hypocrites. It is the natural condition and it is only built upon and developed by daily life and the education we receive through dealing with others.
No honest person can deny such a truth about themselves.

re 2: People entering the church to escape their lives of sin are then confronted with a world of knowledge unknown outside, a world which magnifies their sin and hypocrisy.

Roman 7: 5, 7, 8

5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.

7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."

8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.

Of course, Paul is writing these things in the context of teaching the total freedom from them in Christ through grace.
But the outsider only sees the sin. And unfortunately the churches are constantly beating the poor Christians and anyone else within earshot with the Law.
How strange! That which is known to cause sin is what is the primary focus of all of these people- those inside and those outside.

Romans 7:6
But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

How about releasing some more prisoners of sin?
Preach Christ, crucified and risen, the grace we have been given to be free, and the Spirit He will give us to lead us into all truth.

Yes, I am a hypocrite. A hypocrite set free and most anxious to let you know how you also may be free.

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