However, there are sometimes great hypocrites and actors who do terrible harm in any human organization including the school community, medical community, business world, the military, the government. We hear about great church hypocrites in news stories: “Pastor Caught in Prostitution Sting” or “Priest Abuses Child”, “Church President Indicted for Murder” or “Church Treasurer Charged with Embezzlement”. Even one of Jesus’ disciples, named Judas, was a great hypocrite. He was the treasurer for Jesus’ disciples and yet he stole from the treasury. It was Judas who, for 30 pieces of silver, betrayed Jesus to be crucified. Great church hypocrites do great damage to other people. Some do bodily harm. All do spiritual harm, and they bring shame and discouragement to God’s people. Tragically, people have fallen away from faith in God because of the damage that great hypocrites have inflicted. People blame God for the hurt done. The church and other organizations strive to set up systems to reduce the damage that great hypocrites can cause. But great hypocrites will continue to appear and do their evil work.
The church actually reduces hypocrisy! As people get connected to God and His church, they are given encouragement and opportunity to be more honest with God, with others, and with themselves. Every church should provide an environment of safety and forgiveness so that we can grow in integrity. With God’s grace and acceptance, we can grow to be honest with God and others. There is no better place for hypocrites to be than in the church! So if you have hypocritical tendencies (which you do), come to worship, study God’s Word, associate with fellow strugglers, in a safe place. Let God empower you to grow in integrity and honesty.
Sinners in the Church
The truth of the church is that it is made up of a bunch of sinners. All people are sinful and selfish in nature, and that causes problems in all human organizations. In my congregation, I am the greatest sinner of all. I know what God expects of me and I know my own failings more than I know of anybody else’s failings. I can honestly confess that I am the worst sinner I know in my church. I come to church to receive God’s forgiveness. I also come to receive God’s strength and guidance so that I may live a life of serving the Lord and caring for others. Yet I still will sin, as a pastor and as a person. I need regular forgiveness from God and from others. It is the same for everyone else in our church. They all need God’s forgiveness and strength too. It has often been said that, “The church is not a haven for saints, but it is a hospital for sinners.” So if you are sinful and hypocritical in actions and thoughts, God invites you to come to the church to receive the forgiveness won by Jesus. If you want to be more of a person of integrity, God invites you to come, to grow in honesty and in faithfulness. The church is a hospital with a Great Physician named Jesus. His work is forgiveness and healing. Yes, there will always be sinners and hypocrites in God’s hospital. That’s the best place for them and for us. It is through the Great Physician that we can find the forgiveness and healing that we need.
It is very important for me (and you) to believe that the church is THE place for sinners. Believing that the church is the place for sinners enables me to come to God’s house, even when I am afflicted by great guilt and shame. Believing that the church is the place for sinners enables me to be less judgmental toward drug addicts, adulterers, convicts, and uncaring people who attend church and to rejoice that these struggling people may be receiving help from God. Believing that the church is the place for sinners enables me to see the central message of scripture: Jesus came to save sinners. Believing that the church is the place for sinners enables each person to receive the blessing of forgiveness and strength to walk in integrity.
So don’t let sinners or hypocrites keep you away from God or His church. You have a lot in common with the sinners and the hypocrites, especially in your need for forgiveness and your need for integrity.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, if I am honest with myself, I will see my sin and hypocrisy in my life. If I am honest with myself, I will see that I have a need for forgiveness. Help me to find forgiveness with you and give me the direction and strength I need for growth as a person of integrity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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