Dispelling the Unbeliever's Charge of Christian Hypocrisy
A hypocrite is someone who preaches a certain message and then goes and does the opposite. In the case of believers and unbelievers, it is the believer who is most susceptible to the charge of hypocrisy. The problem resides with the unbeliever’s knowledge of Christianity.
Unbelievers have information about Christ, Christians, and Christianity. Much of that information is erroneous. It has been gleaned from presumption, assumption, misinformation, or misinterpretation. The truth is what corrects the wrong view, but the unbeliever is not always eager to hear and learn the truth.
The Bible teaches that men love darkness because their deeds are evil (Jn 3:19). Living in the domain of darkness (Col 1:13), with their minds blinded by the devil (2 Cor 4:4), the only salvation from deception is the light of truth.
The unbeliever despises the light of the Law of God. He does not want to hear that he is a lawbreaker — a sinner to be judged by a just Judge. Invariably, the unhappy unbeliever misappropriates the role of judge to the Christian, “Why are you judging me for my sins when you are a sinner, too, Christian — you hypocrite.” In this simple case scenario, the unbeliever is right about the Christian being a sinner but wrong about judgment.
In Adam, all people are sinners. In Adam, the judgment of death has already been issued. The soul of everyone conceived in the womb is dead, spiritually. After a vaporous life, the dead soul is joined by the death of the person’s body. Humanity is the walking dead.
The Law stimulates sinners to sin. In defiance to the Law, which condemns sinners, rebels work harder to break the Law. It is appointed once for a man to die and then comes the judgment, in which the body and soul of sinners are sentenced to eternal punishment for crimes against the infinite majesty of God. This is why hell and the lake of fire are for eternity.
The unbeliever is incensed against the Christian preacher who proclaims the Law of God, “Are you not a sinner, Christian? Are you not just as guilty? Do you not deserve eternal punishment, too? You are a hypocrite for thinking you are better than me! Who gives you the right to spew your dogma at me?”
There is only one viable answer to these charges. The answer is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One must explain grace to the unbelieving sinner, so he knows the truth that dispels the charge of hypocrisy.
The unbeliever must be made aware that all people are sinners by inheritance, nature, and practice. One sin makes each sinner guilty of the whole Law. Everyone is condemned already (Jn 3:18). All humanity deserves the just judgment of God’s justice. The wrath of God against sinners is already revealed, but it is coming in full force and remains in effect for eternity.
The message of Christianity is the message of Christ. Christians proclaim Him, not ourselves as righteous. Jesus Christ secured right standing with God by merit. Jesus was conceived without sin, born without sin, lived without sin, then bore our sin in His body on the cross. God imputed the sins of His people (believers) onto Christ, the Lamb of God, who was slain and who shed His precious blood for us.
Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Unbelievers remain unforgiven because they are not trusting in Christ and His substitutionary sacrifice where He laid down His life for His sheep, His church, the Israel of God. Trusting Christ for forgiveness and right standing, the believer is relieved of the burden of guilt and shame brought on by sins.
The truth about God’s mercy and grace, in Christ Jesus, has set the believer free from the lies that fuel unbelief. The message being communicated by the believer to the unbeliever is that despite his being a wretched sinner, the believer knows he is forgiven. There is no hypocrisy in being forgiven…only humility because the believer knows there was nothing in him to warrant God’s mercy and grace in forgiveness.
It is this very act of God that separates one believer from the unbelievers. The good news is told to unbelievers, but apart from Christ and His grace they will only be hardened into more unbelief. It takes a move of God’s Spirit to give the unbeliever a new heart (Ezek 36:26).
Unless the Spirit of God, employing the Word of God, converts the unbeliever and causes him to repent and believe, the unbeliever will remain hostile to Christ, Christians, and Christianity.
The charge of hypocrisy will remain as a fiery dart hurled against the child of God, but to preach and teach the Gospel is still the means by which the charge against the believer is dispelled. Thus, in the midst of this spiritual warfare, the shield of faith and the Sword of the Spirit must be used first to defend and then endeavor to correct the error of the unbeliever’s information, knowledge, and understanding of what God has done for the Christian.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
August 11, 2021
