A.Few things can discredit a person so completely as the exposure of his hypocrisy.Once hypocrisy is revealed, a person will hardly be trusted or believed by anyone ever again.
B.Presently, let us consider the extremely dangerous and corrupting sin of hypocrisy.
II.WHAT IS HYPOCRISY?
A.We typically think of a hypocrite as a person who says one thing but does something else.
1.We presume this definition because this is how we usually detect hypocrisy.We expect a person to “practice what he preaches,” and when he does not, we label him a hypocrite.
2.Worldly people often deride Christians as hypocrites when they see Christians doing things that are contrary to the profession of Christianity.This becomes an excuse for their own unfaithfulness, for they see hypocritical Christians as no better than themselves.
B.However, the meaning of hypocrisy is even deeper than our typical concept.
1.Hypocrisy is more than simply saying one thing while doing another.
a.A person can fail in his practice of Christianity due to an error in judgment or a moment of weakness without becoming a hypocrite.All Christians are subject to sin from time to time (1John 1:8-10), but that does not make all Christians hypocrites.
b.In truth, hypocrisy is a completely false profession rather than a singular moment of failure.An accusation of hypocrisy against a person is an indictment against his entire character.
2.The word “hypocrisy” used in the Scriptures means “play-acting.”Therefore, a hypocrite is an actor or a pretender.
a.A hypocrite creates a false impression of who he really is by pretending to be who he is not.
b.Jesus strongly condemned hypocrisy.The word “hypocrite” was used exclusively by the Lord in the New Testament, and He never used the word in a positive way.
C.More than words can demonstrate, the actions of the Pharisees have given us many potent examples of hypocrisy.
1.Consider some background information about the Pharisees.
a.The Pharisees of Jesus’ time had descended from the Chasidim (meaning “pious ones”), a sect of the Jews who had dedicated themselves to resisting the influence of the Greeks on Jewish culture during the Greco-Syrian occupation of Palestine (350-175 B.C.).
b.By the first century, they were known as Pharisees (“separated ones”), and they were the most influential sect of the Jews.They were extremely legalistic and believed in the “traditions of the elders,” which were written by rabbis as interpretations of the Law of Moses.These traditions included many practices that were not found in the Law at all.
2.Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and lawyers on several occasions, but let us focus on Matthew 23 and Luke 11 to learn an effective, practical definition of hypocrisy.
a.The Pharisees pretended to be righteous, but they were inwardly corrupt.
i.Their concern was for the outward appearance of righteousness and cleanliness, but their hearts were full of robbery and wickedness (Matt. 23:25-26; Luke 11:39-41).
ii.Jesus compared them to white-washed tombs which are outwardly beautiful but are inwardly filthy (Matt. 23:27-28).
iii.They were careful to give the appearance of righteousness in things that could be quantified, such as tithes, but they had no regard for things that could not be quantified, such as justice, love, and mercy (Matt. 23:5; 23-24; Luke 11:42).
iv.They loved the places of honor and respectful greetings, but they were unworthy of honor and respect (Matt. 23:6-12; Luke 11:43-44).
b.The Pharisees pretended to be teachers of God’s word, but they misled those who followed them.
i.Teachers must exemplify their teachings, but the Pharisees weighed down others with burdens that they were unwilling to bear themselves (Matt. 23:2-4; Luke 11:46).
ii.Rather than leading others to the knowledge of God, they actually hindered others from understanding the truth (Matt. 23:13, 15; Luke 11:52).
iii.They taught their false traditions (such as the technicalities of swearing oaths) to others rather than teaching the truth (Matt. 23:16-22).
c.The Pharisees pretended to honor the prophets, but they behaved like those who murdered the prophets.
i.They built the tombs of the prophets and adorned the monuments, but they persecuted the prophets of their own time and incurred the guilt of their fathers (Matt. 23:29-36; Luke 11:47-51).
ii.Ultimately, they rejected and crucified the Prophet of whom Moses had prophesied (Deut. 18:15), who was Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
III.THE EFFECT OF HYPOCRISY
A.Hypocrisy is a trait that corrupts the whole character of a person.
1.Jesus called hypocrisy the “leaven of the Pharisees” (Luke 12:1), which suggests how hypocrisy affected everything the Pharisees did.
a.The effect of leaven on a lump of dough is stated by Paul: “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” (1Cor. 5:6).
b.Likewise, hypocrisy makes everything that the hypocrite does hypocritical.His life becomes an act, and nothing about him is as it appears to be.
2.Such leaven even makes what appears to be good in the hypocrite into something evil.
a.Many of the things that the Pharisees did were technically correct, but their motivation was evil.They desired the appearance of righteousness for the praise of men rather than the glorification of God and the benefit of their fellow man.
b.Even when positive benefits result for others because of a hypocrite’s actions, the hypocrite is not gratified unless he is recognized and benefited himself.This is his self-serving and evil way.
B.Hypocrisy is so atrocious because it makes a person’s entire life into a lie and uses deceit instead of truth.
1.Hypocrites are the ultimate liars.They may not always explicitly lie in their words, but their lives are built entirely on false pretenses.
2.Hypocrites are deceivers, and the truth about their true motives and their true beliefs is carefully concealed beneath a veil of deceit.
C.Hypocrisy is so dangerous because it deceives not only others but the hypocrite himself.
1.Jesus condemned the Pharisees so harshly because of the danger that their hypocrisy posed.
a.In the places where Jesus went, there were all types of sinners (fornicators, drunkards, thieves, etc.), but no one received stronger words from Jesus than the hypocritical Pharisees.
b.The Pharisees’ act had deceived all others, but it did not deceive the Lord.He knew the truth, and He warned others of the dangers of following in the Pharisees’ false ways.
2.The greatest danger for a hypocrite is to himself, for he can convince himself that he is something that he is not.
a.This is a fearful thought about hypocrisy.One can become so accustomed to the false impression that he has created that he will begin to believe it himself.
b.Certainly, the Pharisees truly believed that they were righteous, but they had deceived themselves.They were so convinced that they even rejected the undeniable evidence that Jesus was the Christ simply because He did not agree with them (John 11:47-48).
3.To guard against hypocrisy, we must be careful to examine our own hearts.
a.Are we practicing our righteousness from a sincere desire to glorify God, or are we seeking to create an impression to others for our own glorification?
b.Can we be honest with ourselves about our own weaknesses, or have we falsely convinced ourselves that we have none?
c.Do we truly follow after God’s word, or do we attempt to interpret God’s word to follow after us?
d.Do we sincerely seek first the kingdom of God and His righteous, or do we seek first anything else?
IV.CONCLUSION
A.Regarding hypocrisy, one thing is assured: God is not deceived (Gal. 6:7).
B.Therefore, whether or not a hypocrite deceives the whole world or himself, in the end he will be exposed for who he truly is.
