MYTH BUSTERS:
Are Christians Hypocrites?
By Roger Pryor, Heartland
Community Church
There’s a myth that Christ
followers are expected to be perfect, and when they aren’t, they’re
branded as hypocrites. So let’s begin by talking about perfection.
Our problem: We’re obsessed with
perfection. Over 2000 new
self-help books are published every year to make us perfect. We’re
in pursuit of the perfect singer on American Idol -- the perfect
body using Bow flex -- the perfect date on the Bachelor or
Bachelorette -- the perfect smile -- the perfect house -- the
perfect makeover.
It’s a killer living under
that kind of pressure. Deep down inside many of us want perfection.
Unfortunately, none of us can be perfect in any area of life. It’s
impossible—especially when it comes to our character and actions.
Romans 3:23 tells us, For all have sinned;
all fall short of God's glorious standard.
The last time I checked, "all" means everyone. The Apostle
John says in 1 John
1:8, If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and
refusing to accept the truth. The bottom line: it’s a
myth to believe that we can be perfect or "mistake-less."
The British proved this years ago
when they borrowed a highly sophisticated chicken launcher from the
FAA. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration had developed a
special type of gun that fires a dead chicken at an airplane’s
windshield to test the strength of the windshield. If the windshield
doesn’t crack on impact, then it’ll survive a real collision
with a bird during flight.
The British heard about this "fowl"
contraption and decided to test it themselves on the windshield of
their new train locomotive. The results were smashing. The ballistic
chicken shattered the windshield, broke the engineers chair, and
embedded itself in the back wall of the engine cab. When the British
asked the FAA to investigate their results, the FAA responded by
saying: "Next time, THAW the chicken." See! We live in an
imperfect world, and we make mistakes.
So what are Christ-followers to do if
they’re not perfect and never will be? What’s the next best
thing?
1. Shoot for progress over
perfection. Paul explains
this process in Philippians 3:12, I don't mean to say that I have
already achieved these things or that I have already reached
perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally
be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. Paul is
saying, "I’m not perfect. I’m not expecting perfection, but
I’m battling for spiritual growth, for shaving off those rough
edges, for reflecting more of Jesus’ qualities, for growing in my
relationship with God, but I’m taking perfection out of my
vocabulary." Progress says, "I did better today. I made
some headway. I’m pushing forward." Shoot for progress over
perfection.
2.
Face Hypocrisy Head-on. Our world mocks religious people who
are fake and hide their flaws behind a religious front. Our world
ridicules those who aren’t consistent in what they say they
believe and how they act. Have you ever met a hypocrite you liked? I
haven’t. No wonder I don’t like myself!
The Bible says in James 2:14, What's the
use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions?
That’s the formula for a life of hypocrisy.
James 2:17 says, "Faith that doesn't
show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--it is dead and
useless." When your relationship with God isn’t
consistent with your actions and you’re all talk and no walk, you’re
a candidate for hypocrisy. When you’re a hypocrite, you’re claim
to being a Christ follower is of no value. It’s useless, sterile,
and dead to others. Genuine faith goes beyond talking and it’s
evidenced by vital signs like Christ-like character and lifestyle
changes that honor God. Your behavior is a reflection of what you
truly believe, and when it’s not—it’s hypocrisy.
Paul puts it this way when it comes to the
consistency of a Christ follower’s walk and talk: 2 Corinthians
9:5-6, I am going to boast only about
my weaknesses… I don't want anyone to think more highly of me than
what they can actually see in my life and my message…
Where’s the inconsistency between your walk
and talk? What would God want you to adjust or change?
When that consistency isn’t there, spiritual
spectators or skeptics mock us: "Christians are a bunch of
hypocrites. And if that is what Christianity is all about, you can
count me out." Let me explain something about hypocrisy and
Christians.
Imagine for a moment that I have signed on for
a Triathlon competition where I will swim 2.5 miles, bike 112 miles,
and run 26 miles. For me to get in shape is going to require some
serious training and lots of time. Along the way, I will encounter
some bumps and bruises. I’ll make some mistakes. I’ll fail. I’ll
fall flat on my face. I’ll get frustrated. I’ll get sidetracked.
I’ll skin up my knees a few times. I may even think of quitting.
It’s like that for Christians. They say yes
to a relationship with God by placing their trust in Christ. They
begin a life-long training program toward Christ-like character and
actions. And yes, you will see them make mistakes, blow it, fall
into potholes, make bad decisions and look stupid. Every Christian
is a hypocrite at one time or another. I’m a hypocrite at times.
Should we expect more out of them? Yes! But here’s the deal:
everyone is a human. No one is perfect.
If Christian hypocrisy is keeping you from
putting your trust in Jesus as your Savior, don’t let it. Don’t
let mistake-prone Christians who are struggling in their training
program keep you from God. Base your decision on the merits of God’s
character and what He accomplished for you through His Son’s death
on the cross—not imperfect, hypocritical people around you.
3. Change Wardrobes.
Romans 13:12-14 says, Get rid of
your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves
with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. We
should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can
approve of our behavior. … let the Lord Jesus Christ take control
of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires.
Earnest Shackleton left England in August 1914
on the ship Endurance, planning to cross Antarctica on foot with 27
other men. Before they reached land, the ship was trapped in ice
that pushed them further from land. For 11 months the crew lived on
the ice-bound ship until the ice finally destroyed the ship and it
sank. For another five months, they lived on the ice pack or floated
in three lifeboats until they reached Elephant Island.
Shackleton left 22 men there and he and five
others sailed some 800 miles through the earth's stormiest ocean, in
a 22-foot boat to get help. In August of 1916, Shackleton returned
and rescued all his men. Sadly, Shackleton never did accomplish his
goal of crossing Antarctica on foot.
In light of that story, Steve Farrar, in his
book Finishing Strong, notes three things about sin:
- Sin will take you farther than you wanted to
go
- Sin will keep you longer than you wanted to
stay
- Sin will cost you more than you wanted to
pay.
The ice Shackleton encountered is like sin: it
took them away from their goal, it kept them there longer than they
wanted, and it cost them the success of their expedition and the
loss of their ship.
You and I need to change wardrobes. It’s
time to strip off the dirty clothes of sin and put on a new outfit
of right living. Otherwise, sin will take you farther than you want
to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and will cost you more
than you want to pay. As you look at your lifestyle, what outfits
need to be tossed out so you can put on the character of Jesus?
Shackleton once commented on the ice's effect
on the ship saying, "She's pretty near her end. The ship can't
live in this…what the ice gets, the ice keeps." God never
intended us to live in sin because what sin gets, sin keeps. Sin
never gets you where you want to go and eventually it destroys you.
So here’s the myth—Christ
followers are expected to be perfect and when they aren’t, they’re
branded as hypocrites. BUSTED! Christians are imperfect hypocrites
at times, many of whom are into training for spiritual growth and
wearing a Christ-like wardrobe.
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