Do You Play the Part?
Many of us have constructed a private world in our lives that we don’t want anyone else to see. This veiled world could include behaviors and choices we’re not ready to share or discuss with others. It might also contain issues that we want to keep in the dark because they are not consistent with our Christian faith. Perhaps they are hidden sins we sometimes keep as secrets from others and from God.
In Luke 12:3, Jesus tells His disciples to be aware of hypocrisy.
In fact, Jesus says “What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” Unfortunately, many people settle for the appearance of being a good Christian when, in reality, their hearts are far from God. For many, it is easy to pretend everything is okay by putting on a happy front without confessing their weakness, brokenness, and sins to Christ.
The problem of hypocrisy is not new. Apparently, this was even a problem for the church at Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6). This church seemed to have a good reputation, but we learn there is more to the story. In fact, the church is described as being “dead”! This is a troubling assessment. Was the problem division, lack of love, or false teaching? We don’t know for sure, but it appears there was some sort of disconnect between what they believed and how they lived. Even though the church had a reputation of being alive on the outside, it was spiritually dead (Rev. 3:1b).
When we give in to the temptations of sin, harmful patterns and habits can emerge that can destroy our walk with Christ and our ministry to others. In 1 Peter 5:8, we are told “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The enemy would like nothing more than to sabotage our relationship with God and damage our testimony. When we sin, we often want to defend, justify, and deny our wrongdoing. This problem is common even among Christians. As John Wesley said, “The goodness of God ought to lead them to repentance; and so it will be for those who are sincere of heart.”1
Those whose hearts are close to God will quickly confess their sins and any other shortcomings.
The Bible makes clear that God hates hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance (Job 40:12, Prov. 8:13, Isa. 25:11, and 1 Pet. 5:5). We have the privilege and invitation to come to the foot of the cross (Gal. 6:14). The grace we receive there, after confessing and asking for forgiveness, frees us from having to pretend to be something or someone that we are not.
Living at the foot of the cross is an invitation to live in appreciation, obedience, and humility. We must always remember we have sinned, we have missed the mark, and we are all in need of the love and grace of Jesus Christ. This should be the message for our personal lives, our churches, and to the people we invest in. Let’s not pretend to be anything else.
Prayer for the week:
Lord Jesus, may my relationship with You be authentic. I pray that I may be quick to confess my sins and to ask for Your forgiveness. May I live at the foot of the cross and not pretend to be anything but Your forgiven and redeemed child. Thank you for Your grace, peace, and love. May I never forget Your sacrifice and Your love for all of humanity. Amen.
Bob Buck is senior pastor of Liberty Church of the Nazarene in Liberty, MO, USA.
1. Albert Outler, The Works of John Wesley, Vol. 1, Sermon 1, Section 3.4 (Nashville: Abington Press, 1984), 1.
Please note: All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of original publication but may have since changed.
Written for devotions with Holiness Today.
