Happy Friday, Friends!
I hope and trust this post finds you having a great day on this glorious Saturday morning in my Sweet Home Alabama!
I am reading a great book by Pastor Craig Groeschel titled, “The Benefit of Doubt: How Confronting Your Deepest Questions Can Lead To A Richer Faith.” Earlier this week I was reading Chapter 6, Why Believe in Jesus When His Followers Are Such Hypocrites? and I just knew I had to share some excerpts with you. I want to strongly encourage you to add this book to your reading list – powerful.
Here are the excerpts that I thought you might find thought-provoking and useful:
“Instead of being known for love, as Jesus commanded, his followers can be known for what they hate and what they are against, and for being exclusive, hypercritical, and antagonistic.
1. Jesus commanded us to our enemies (Matt. 5:44), but today people claiming to be his followers relentlessly attack their enemies on social media.
2. Jesus taught that we are to be peacemakers (Matt. 5:9), but Christians today scream hate-filled words at their protests and rallies.
3. Jesus said only those without sin can cast a stone, leading the people who wanted to punish a guilty woman to drop their weapons (John 8:1-11), but today Christians quickly and easily pick up “stones” and throw them at the guilty, and sometimes the innocent.”
“Turns out Jesus didn’t like it when people claimed one thing and lived another.”
“Jesus called them hypocrites. You’ll find the word hypocrite seventeen times in the Gospels. Every time, it was Jesus who spoke the word. And every time, he used it to describe people who “do not practice what they preach…everything they do is do for people to see” (Matt. 23:3).”
“Before Jesus used it, the word hypocrite had been used exclusively for actors, who, back then, would wear masks onstage because the same actor would plan several different parts. For each character, a different mask was worn. So hypocrite means, “one who wears a mask.”
Jesus was the first person to ever use the word outside the theater context. By applying it to the Pharisees, he accused them of wearing masks, pretending to be something they weren’t.
And what did Jesus say to them?
Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe.
Whoa! Jesus had a zero-tolerance policy for hypocrites.
Jesus was calling them out on their show. He already knew that, just like every other human, they were sinners. The problem he was addressing was their constant attempts to cover it up. They presented a false exterior, manipulating the impressions of others. To Jesus, their deception was what made the Pharisees hypocrites.”
“They’re described this way in Titus 1:6: “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.”
Just to clarify:
· Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.
· Attending a Bible study doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.
· Believing in God doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.
· Getting baptized doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.”
“Jesus was accused of hanging out with “sinners” who also didn’t know any better yet. He met people right where they were at the time. And he still does.”
“While salvation is a one-time event, transformation is a lifelong journey. The Holy Spirit may come to us in a download, but, through him, change happens day by day. that means every Christian is at a unique place in his or her walk of faith.”
“We are all imperfect, in-process Christians.”
“No matter how mature you are, you’re still vulnerable. And if you think you’re not, you are even more vulnerable. Pride often comes before a fall (Prov. 16:18).”
“That is a cognitive bias we all have called the fundamental attribution error, which means this:
· When we fall short, we blame our circumstances.
· When other people fall short, we blame their character.
· When I sin, I might say, “I didn’t mean to, I was just tired and under a lot of pressure. And, really, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Besides, you know my heart. I’m not that kind of person.”
· When someone else commits the same sin, we say, “That person’s so bad. I doubt he’s even a Christian. What a hypocrite!””
“We are quick to point fingers and accuse others of hypocrisy. But when we blame our circumstances while shaming someone else’s character, isn’t that hypocrisy? Doesn’t it make us hypocrites too?”
“God-fearing”doesn’t necessarily mean Jesus following.”
“If you’ve been hurt by people and it led you to lose your faith in Jesus, is it possible your faith was in people when it should have been in Jesus?”
Pretty powerful, thought-provoking stuff, isn’t it? I hope and pray that you and I will take off the masks and live the authentic lives we were created to live.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!
Kev
