Tag Archives: hypocrite

April 4, 2024 · 9:00 pm

Hypocrisy

¹¹ Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

James 3:11-12

One of the great temptations that Christians face is that of hypocrisy. Believers, of all people, should strive to make sure that our testimony of Christ’s salvation matches up with our daily living. When the two are misaligned, God’s people are exposed to ridicule and are in danger of being ignored by lost people and the world alike. May God help His people!

While Christians do sin from time to time, it is imperative for all the converted to practice personal holiness and allow their “walk” to line up with their “talk.” Sin should be the exception in the life of a believer and not the rule.

Tony French

Deal With It

Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Matthew 7:5

Jesus took particular offense to hypocrisy in the Scriptures. Our Savior specifically called out those who pretended to be something they are not. All of us are vulnerable to adopting a “do as I say, not as I do” mentality. What are we to do?

Later in the chapter, we see the antidote to hypocrisy. Be authentic! Deal with your own issues. Don’t seek to help others when you have open sinfulness in your life. Don’t pretend you are something you are not but repent, confess, be forgiven, and seek to follow Christ.

When we are honest about our struggles, we gain credibility with those around us. Also, true genuineness will help us earn an audience with those who need the gospel message and with fellow Christians.

When we have dealt with our own issues, we are then better equipped to point others to the truth. We are to love others enough to tell them the truth. Let’s not let anything get in the way of being loving truth bearers in our age of confusion, especially our own hypocrisy.

Tony French

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May 25, 2023 · 9:30 pm

Avoid Hypocrisy

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

Matthew 7:3-4

Here is the heart of the matter about this passage in Matthew 7. Jesus’ main point is characterized in these two verses. His main point is don’t be a hypocrite.

We must deal with our own issues before we can help others. We must remove the plank (hyperbole) from our own eye before we can remove the speck from the eye of others.

Hypocrisy (pretending to be something you are not) is very offensive to Jesus. It was one of Christ’s main criticisms of the religious leaders of His day. Very little seemed to raise the ire of Christ more than hypocrisy.

“Lord, help us to be authentic and gracious in our dealings with all. Help us to discern with purity and righteousness. Grant us the wisdom to be who you have created us to be in Christ Jesus!”

Tony French

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Tagged as authentic, Christ, hypocrite, plank, speck