hypocrite
“I don’t want to go to heaven because it’s going to be full of hypocrites”
hyp·o·crite
noun
plural noun: hypocrites
  1. a person who indulges in hypocrisy.
    synonyms:
    pretender, dissembler, deceiver, liar, pietist, sanctimonious person, plaster saint;
    informal phony, fraud, sham, fake

I have heard this many times in my lifetime but it accurate? Of course there are hypocrites in the church, there are hypocrites in every walk of life, where ever you find humans, you will find hypocrisy.

The person saying such things is making a value judgment based on incomplete knowledge, ignorance or even worse bigotry.

  • bigotry:   a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially :  one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial, religious or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

JESUS CALLS OUT THE HYPOCRITES

Matthew 15:7-9; “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.” – Jesus

Matthew 23:15; “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” – Jesus

Matthew 23:23; “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.” – Jesus

Luke 12:1-3; “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy. The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!” – Jesus

Jesus was not the only one who exposed hypocrisy within the church and in the hearts of those who pretend to follow God. Here are some more examples from scripture.

The Apostle Paul, Acts 23:1-3; “Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!”

Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. But Paul said to him, “God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite! What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?”

1 Timothy 4:2; “These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.”

1 Peter 2:1; “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”

Psalms 26:4; “I do not spend time with liars or go along with hypocrites.”

Isaiah 29:13-16; “And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me

is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.” What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their evil deeds in the dark! “The LORD can’t see us,” they say. “He doesn’t know what’s going on!” How foolish can you be?”

The bible has a lot more to say about hypocrites and I don’t believe there will be any in the presence of God in eternity. I can’t think of a more succinct passage illustrating the plight of hypocrites on judgment day than this one by Jesus himself, who is the final judge of us:

Matthew 7:21-23;  “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ – Jesus

John 5:22-23; “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” – Jesus

All through the old and new testament scripture condemns hypocrisy and those who practice it. This is not to say Christians are perfect or that God demands perfection to enter heaven, he doesn’t.

We all sin, we all make mistakes and will continue doing so until the Lord comes back or we go to see him. For those who strive and fail there is forgiveness. Those who make lying, falsehood and hypocrisy a way of life…?

The word of God Judges our hearts, motives and desires. Many like to say that Christians are judgmental and yes, some certainly are. They were judgmental in Jesus day too, but that does not diminish what scripture says.

Scriptures purpose isn’t to condemn, it is to point out, direct and save those who are lost. The bible is God speaking to us. Jesus is the word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16; “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, “

John 1:1,14; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

John 12:47-50; “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” – Jesus

So the next time you hear someone say, they don’t want to spend eternity with a bunch of hypocrites, you can tell them they will want to be with Jesus then, because he blasted the hypocrites in his time.

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Thank you,

Robert J.