One of the most common critiques of Christianity about its adherents that I hear coming from the mouths of detractors is that "Christians are hypocrites." Christians, of course, are aghast at being called hypocrites, thinking our antagonists are claiming that we continue in our sin when we adamantly admonish the sins of others. This may be where some of the criticism comes from, however I believe there is a lot more to it than that, and that Christians are completely blind to why others are calling us hypocritical.
The term "hypocrite" comes from the ancient Greek and was the term used for an actor. A hypocrite was one who put on a mask and acted in the Greek dramas or comedies. A hypocrite has therefore come to be known as someone who is putting on false airs about them. It is someone who acts in a way opposed to who they really are.
Therefore, it does not seem to me that we Christians are being accused of hypocrisy for admonishing sins in others while we are being sinful ourselves. One thing Christians are really good at is admitting our own sinfulness. (Admittedly, we are also really good at pointing out the sins of others also). What would be hypocritical is claiming ourselves to be perfect (putting on the air of perfection) when in fact we were out lying, stealing, cheating, and doing all kinds of sordid behavior. But this is not what is going on. We admit our sinfulness while also admonishing the sins in others, which is not what makes us hypocritical. So what do we do as Christians that others see as so hypocritical?
Christians are hypocritical in that while claiming God's grace for ourselves, we neglect it when it comes to other people. We consider ourselves to be saved by the grace of God, while withholding his grace from others when we see them as sinful. Even though we claim God's grace for ourselves, affirming that "even though I am still a sinner I know that God's grace provides me with forgiveness and salvation anyways," we deny it to others who we perceive to be sinners, such as homosexuals, illegal immigrants, those who have had abortions, and so on saying that they cannot be part of the body of Christ and be saved without first giving up their sinful behavior. How can I affirm God's salvation apart from works for me while denying it to another who I think is a sinner? I cannot do this without appearing the hypocrite.
But maybe you will say to me, "how is this putting on an air? How is this acting in a way opposed to who we really are?" This hypocriticism takes place in two ways. First off, we are putting on the air that others cannot receive salvation without first putting an end to their sin. The foundation of Christian doctrine is that we are sinners and need God's grace apart from our works to save us. So when we tell "sinners" that they need to stop sinning (which is usually what we wrongly mean by "repent and be saved") we are acting in a way opposed to who we really are. We make the claim that we are so unworthy and need Jesus' free forgiveness to save us, and then demand others to save themselves before Jesus can; this is hypocrisy.
The second way in which this is hypocrisy is that when we claim grace for ourselves while denying it for others, we are really denying grace for ourselves also. If I make the claim that I am saved freely by the grace of God, but ask another person to change before they can enter into the body of Christ or be saved, I am really hindering God's grace to work in my life. I said in the previous post, To Be Forgiven, We Must Forgive that we are told by Jesus that if we do not forgive another, God cannot forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15). In the same way, if we do not show grace and acceptance to others, we do not allow God to show us grace and acceptance. Therefore, when we claim for ourselves grace while denying it to others, we are really putting on an air of grace that we in reality are denying to ourselves.
So how do we end this hypocricy of ours? The first thing we must do is to truly experience the infinite love and unconditional acceptance Christ has for us. When we can truly look at ourselves and the things we have done, and can see that God still forgives us, even when we are continuing on with our bad behavior, we can come to a full understanding of God's awsome compassion. Having done that, we then need to practice having that same compassion for others, doing our best to show them the unconditional love and acceptance that Jesus has for us. If this is a struggle, make this issue a part of your daily prayers to God. It is too important of an issue not to pray about. Maybe if we can all practice this in our lives, we will no longer be seen as hypocrites, but as genuine and loving people who provide support and comfort when no one else will.
Blessings,
-Brandon
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