HYPOCRITE!
I'm about to weigh in on a subject that has become pretty controversial to the modern church: how much hypocrisy is in the church. This is a subject of extreme positions and sometimes extremely defensive responses. I have noticed three prevalent responses to the argument that there is too much hypocrisy:
1. Turnabout's fair play:
This response generally occurs like this:
Person 1: I won't go to church, too many hypocrites.
Christian: There's always room for one more.
This is a good psychological tactic. First, there is the ignoring of the statement. Then, the Christian basically turns the tables and says (cue PeeWee Herman voice) "I know you are, but what am I?" Really guys?! What about this response makes us think that we are being loving and genuine? This response is nothing more than a self-righteous attempt to overlook the truth that hypocrisy in the church is a problem. We act like it will go away if we just convert more people, or get more people to come. This is basically ignoring a brush fire hoping that more trees will help it calm down. This is partly why the church has become more hypocritical in the last few decades, rather than more solid. Deal with reality, every one of us Christians is flawed, but we are called to press toward the mark for God's high calling (Phil 3:14).
2. Not Me Syndrome
This happens a lot when you ask a child who broke the (whatever). In the church, this response goes something like this:
Person: I won't go to church, you're all a bunch of hypocrites.
Christian: Not all of us are that bad, get to know us and you'll find out.
My six year old is a bit more blunt with this tactic when she says "it wasn't me." If one of our Senators gets on the TV and is challenged by a reporter as to why a highly unfavorable new law was made, would we be satisfied with "Well, I'm not part of the group that voted for this" ? Again, denying that hypocrisy is a real problem in the church does not solve anything. Some people who use this defense, will even go extreme and start pointing fingers at other religions or blaming poor media relations. That does not seem very Christlike to me. Jesus said that he came to "seek and save" the lost, not to boast of his goodness. Wake up fellow Christians, God is not looking for us to have a goodness club in church. We were meant to be ambassador's of Christ. That means, that like Jesus, we are going to have to learn to start calling it like we see it.
3. The Silent Treatment
This one happens the most often. But it usually starts with option 1 or 2 first.
Person: I can't bring myself to go to church, too many hypocrites, too much judging.
Christian: Well, not everyone is bad. We have a lot of good people at are church.
Person: Are you sure that everyone is good, or are they just good at faking it?
Christian: Well, honestly... I don't know.
In other words, we don't really know how to cope with the reality that hypocrisy has begun to run rampant in the church. We don't have a good response for someone challenging us, because we really don't know how to deal with how bad we are. Basically, the church is out of touch with reality. Some people will stammer through a nonsensical response trying to make sense of the issues. Others will flee the conversation as quickly as possible. Still others, will agree with the non-Christian and slowly begin their own descent into to doubt and discontent.
Here's my suggestion, one that I have tried to use. It's not successful all the time, but it's honest and can be used with a clear conscience. I call it, Sincere Humility and it usually sounded like this.
Person: What's so great about church, you guys are all a bunch of hypocrites.
Christian: You're right. I know that I personally have been so hypocritical in so many areas of my life. I go to church, because God's love and His teachings help me get rid of that hypocrisy. I would like for others to see me as less hypocritical one year from now, which is what I believe God is doing in me.
This is not a sure fire response. It is not perfect in the wording selected above. It is simply meant to show what sincere humility embodies. 1. You admit that the problem that they see is one that exists. Don't deny it, or ignore it. Christians are a bunch of hypocrites. 2. We don't make it seem like we're better than anyone else. The reality of a Christian is this, anything that could be considered worthwhile about us was given to us by God. If you were a criminal, coming to Christ would not cancel out your crimes. Faith in Jesus covers our sins, but it does not remove the stain that they made in the world around us. Furthermore, Jesus does not make us perfect, but gives us regular tests to increase our faith and commitment to Him. Thus, we are just like everyone else on this planet, only we realize that Jesus died for us and rose again and this allows the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. 3. Finally, this response uses one thing that is most important to a Christian witness: personal testimony. People can argue about what God may have done in ancient times. They can dispute who God is and whether or not he is real. But, no matter how hard they try, they can never tell you who God has revealed Himself to be to you, nor what He has done in your life.
This may seem like a bunch of cliches rolled together, but I think of it more as applied wisdom. Stop trying to answer the world in their attacks on Christianity and start trying to show them God's awesomeness. The Bible says that it is folly to try and answer a fool. Timothy was urged to avoid foolish questions. The reality of our situation is simple. Christians are just as bad of people as the rest of the world. But, if we were seeking our God and following Him with a whole heart, we would become conformed to Christ's example. There is the rub of it all... if we were seeking. Hypocrisy in the church happens. But, it becomes rampant and flagrant when Christians stop seeking God. Sincere humility, can only occur by being honest with ourselves and recognizing how it is God that imparts worthwhile attributes to us.
Well, think about it at least.
Blessings,
Rev Ryan.
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