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"I thought I had to be perfect before I could come to church.” The young man said as my friend and I shared with him the gospel (good news) of Jesus and our personal testimonies. Later, over dessert, (we were in a restaurant, he was our server) we reflected on his comment and the far reaching implications of what he had said.
The question is: Has the Body of Christ alienated others by maintaining an air of perfection and superiority? Is it possible that rather than drawing people to the light, we have repelled them from us as a stench?
Watching a recent broadcast of a popular television talk show, I received the answer to my question. The host of the show, interviewing a famous gospel artist, turned to the audience and made a statement regarding the hypocrisy of those in the church. The audience applauded her statement enthusiastically. The host did clarify a moment later, not all those in the church, but some.
Too late, I thought, now the world knows the truth, some members of the Body of Christ are hypocrites. Indeed we are repelling people from, rather than drawing people to Jesus!
DEFINITION OF A HYPOCRITE
A hypocrite is a person who puts on a false appearance of conformity to a standard or a particular moral excellence in their service and worship of God.[1]
The hypocrite is a single female that tells you fornication is a sin, yet she shows up pregnant. You assumed that she too was waiting until marriage to have sex; after all she had "counseled” you on how to remain chaste until marriage. In other words, she did not practice what she preached.
WE ARE PERFECT
The fact is, as believers we are perfect, in Spirit. [3] It is the soul (mind, will and emotions) that has to be perfected and that is a process. [4] We have no right to think of ourselves as having attained a level of perfection that makes us better than others because:
1. Perfection is attained progressively. [5]
2. We made a decision to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior through God’s grace, not through our own grand design and plan.[6]
And finally,
3. You cannot boast and be proud of what you did not do. [7]
DESTROYING THE ILLUSION AND GETTING REAL: PRACTICALLY SPEAKING
We can be a witness to an unbelieving world and not be hypocritical. We must remember that as the Body of Christ, believers, our lives are a continual transformation. In this process of transformation there are hurdles, obstacles, trials and falls; yet all that we experience becomes a testimony of God’s goodness, mercy and grace in order to encourage others to believe in Him. [8] While we’re being transformed into perfection, let’s not alienate those we are here to help.
"…we are not perfect, but rather we are being perfected. "
First, recognize that as believers we may still sin.[9]Jesus died for our sins therefore, when you sin, seek God’s forgiveness because, "if [you] confess [your] sins, He is faithful and just to forgive [you your] sins and to cleanse [you] from all unrighteousness.” [10]
After receiving God’s forgiveness, forgive yourself. Not forgiving yourself causes self-condemnation; leading you to lack confidence in God’s promise to forgive you. [11]
Second, build trusting relationships with fellow believers who will hold you accountable. Accountability and trust are established by confessing our sins to one another, praying for one another,[12]and restoring one another with the truth.[13]
When you confess your sins to an unbeliever, they condemn you based on their opinion not on the truth of God’s Word. Now, you’ve actually opened yourself up to the enemy.[14]Since you have confessed your sin to the person you should be testifying to, the enemy will use your confessed sin to condemn rather than restore.
Finally, share your testimony with an unbeliever; just as my friend and I shared the gospel and our personal testimonies. We were showing our server that as born again believers, who go to church regularly, we still make mistakes sometimes, because we are not perfect, but rather we are being perfected. Receiving salvation, belonging to the Body of Christ, and attending church is not a privilege for the perfect but an opportunity for all.
I challenge you to examine your life. Begin to put into action the three steps outlined above and let your light shine and draw men to Jesus. Don’t be the stench of a hypocrite and deny to others what Jesus freely died to give to you.
[1]Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
[2]Ephesians 4:11-13
[3]Hebrews 10:14
[4]Romans 12:2
[5]2 Corinthians 3:18
[6]Ephesians 1:5-7
[7]Ephesians 2:8-9
[8]1 Peter 4:12, Revelation 12:11
[9]" For all have sinned…”, Message August 2005
[10]1 John 1:9
[11]1 John 3:20-22
[12]James 5:16
[13]Galatians 6:1-2
[14]John 8:42-47