|
How would you define Hypocrite? Is it:
|
Yes, there are hypocrites who attend church, phonies who "talk the talk" but don't "walk the walk."
There are people who think that appearing in a church on Sunday is all that God requires of them.
And there are some people who only go to church to impress the neighbors.
And some who think that being a Christian only affects one day (or half a day) out of the seven.
But seeing this hypocrisy, you know this isn't as it should be.
Real Christianity isn't a hobby. Something as important as our relationship with our Creator and our Judge should affect all our decisions, all our choices, and all our activities. It should be a way of life.
How can you know when you've spotted a Hypocrite?
"Religious talk" does not identify someone as a phony. As you might expect, genuine Christians also talk about God and His standards.
Making a mistake does not identify someone as a phony. Even genuine Christians make mistakes. There is no such thing as a perfect Christian.
We are not the ones who should judge. Such decisions should be left to God. We may have our suspicions about the people we know well, and we should be careful, but only He know their hearts. The Hypocrite's condition is a matter between God and them.
So don't let the danger of running into Hypocrites keep you from attending church. Rejecting Christianity because some people who call themselves Christians are Hypocrites makes about as much sense as rejecting modern medicine because some doctors are incompetent.
To borrow a term from NASA, we all need to make "mid-course corrections," and comparison with God's standards tells us which way and how far to turn. That's one solid reason for attending church. If you find yourself in a church that doesn't do this, try another one. We must aim for perfection, knowing we will never be perfect in this world, just as a sailor may steer toward the North Star, knowing he will never reach it.
|
|
|
|