A Place with the Hypocrites
There are many in the United States, today, who claim allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. With persecution coming to the church in America, it will be the hypocrites who fall away (Heb 6:4–6). Hypocrisy is the virtue signaling of the pretender. The hypocrite is not real; he is a fake.
Atheists are true to their position as advocates of godless-ness. They may be fools for saying there is no God (Ps 14:1; 53:1), but they are consistent with their beliefs. Meanwhile, the hypocrite says one thing, but he does not believe or act consistent with his public position
The Bible obviously judges hypocrites because hypocrisy is also a lie. Lying is an abomination in the eyes of God (Prv 12:22; Rev 21:27). Jesus pronounced judgment against the Pharisees and Sadducees for being hypocrites (Mt 23:13–15, 23, 25, 27, 29). These were the outwardly religious leaders of Israel. They pressed the people of Israel on miniscule points of the Law of God, while they neglected weightier issues.
External religion is visual. It draws attention to itself. It separates itself into priesthood/people, clergy/laity. It feigns obedience, but it is exposed for its hypocrisy. Worship is visual and emotional instead of Word and mind-focused. Knowing the truth is what sets authentic Christianity apart from fake Christianity.
God disciplines those who belong to Christ (1 Cor 3:23; Heb 12:4–11). Through diverse trials, the child of God is refined as silver and as gold (Zech 13:9). The dross of sin is removed through fiery ordeals (1 Pet 4:12), that is, difficult life circumstances. The Christian is being matured, conformed to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29).
It is the Word of God and the Spirit of God that sanctify the believer (Jn 17:17; Rom 15:16; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2). The saint is set apart from the world and unto God. God’s stated intention is to present Christ’s church holy and blameless before Him (Eph 1:4; 5:27; Col 1:22). God cannot fail to accomplish His will (Eph 1:11), which is His eternal decree of all that will come to pass.
Satan is a liar, and the father of lies (Jn 8:44). He is the great pretender. The devil poses as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14), at the same time he is prowling around like a lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8). The people Jesus accused of being hypocrites are the same as those He called children of the devil (Jn 8:44).
In His Passion Week discourse with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, Jesus warned His disciples including Judas Iscariot that those who would ultimately be judged for being unfaithful would have their place in hell (Mt 24:51). Jesus also asked the unfaithful hypocrites how they planned to escape the sentence of hell (Mt 23:33).
In the matter of hypocrisy and hell, our best policy is to be people of truth. Authentic Christianity begins with the confession of our agreement with the Bible’s judgment that we are totally depraved (Gen 6:5; Jer 17:9; Is 64:6; Rom 3:10–12; 8:7). This assessment includes the fact that we are sinners by inheritance (Ps 51:5; Rom 5:12–21), nature (Eph 2:3), and practice (Rom 3:23; 5:12). It also affirms that we are unable to work ourselves into a state of right standing before God our Judge (Gen 18:25; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5). We have no ability to keep the Law (Rom 8:7). The truth is we are dead to God when we are dead in sin (Eph 2:1). Dead men are not in position to make even one right decision that is pleasing to God.
People continue to be hypocrites when they claim that Jesus did everything for our salvation, but then insist that each person must judge for himself whether Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for His chosen people is worthy or not. The hypocrite pretends that God, in His sovereign free will and glorious grace, made salvation a reality for the saved. The hypocrite also pretends that God’s salvation of His people is 100% the work of God the Father (election), God the Son (redemption), and God the Holy Spirit (regeneration).
In all humility, the born again repent of their man-centered Arminian beliefs that they are not totally depraved, that it was their choice to be saved and that Jesus died for everyone, everywhere even though in that act He was unable to save anyone. The truly born again also repent of their unbelief in the biblical doctrines of predestination and election.
Adhering to the whole truth of Scripture, the repentant hypocrite, having been born of God now confesses that because salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace that the Spirit-indwelt Christian cannot be lost or forsaken, at any point following the commencement of the Spirit’s work. In other words, he has blessed assurance of his salvation.
In summary, we have seen the position of the hypocrite being one of pretender. He pretends to love the grace of God that came to him while he was spiritually dead and made him alive to God. By denying God’s grace, in favor of his own obedient faith, that is, his own work of decision-making regarding Jesus being a worthy Savior, he actually denies the faith that has been passed down to all the saints and which is common to all who love the Lord (2 Pet 1:1; Jude 3).
In conclusion, we must fully apprehend the doctrines of grace, in order to be honest people of grace. God does not leave His born again, adopted children to remain deceived by man-centered heresies. Believers in Jesus, and in so great a salvation that gave us life from the dead, will not be hypocrites in this matter of stealing glory from God, who alone is the Savior (Tit 2:13).
Telling the truth, the children of truth proclaim Him, not ourselves, to be the determiner of our salvation, which is the sole catalyst for our not joining the pretenders in their place with the hypocrites, now and forevermore. All glory to God, and we mean…all.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
March 25, 2021
