Hypocrites in the Church

For years I've heard people complain about hypocrites in the church. Well--there are hypocrites in the church. I'm one of them. So are you. I read a good commentary on this subject this week in The Florida Baptist Witness. Art Toalston wrote about Ted Haggard, former pastor of a prominent Colorado church, who confessed immorality and was subsequently terminated by the church. I want to share some quotes from the commentary.

"No doubt, there are hypocrites, imperfect people and even addicts of all kinds within the Christian community. To their credit, however, these individuals have the courage to embrace a faith that challenges their sin and seeks to redeem their lives. Sadly, people outside the faith have no such resource."

"Rarely are addictions to various forms of depravity easily broken. A relationship with Jesus always will prove to be an uplifting, precious addition to the believer's life, and some believers may see their weaknesses and addictions quickly fall away. But for others, struggles with the inner churnings of sin may continue to exist after they have turned to Jesus for salvation . . . And so, it is entirely possible for a believer to be what the world calls a 'hypocrite,' to believe with all of his or her heart that such-and-such behavior is sinful, yet, in a weak moment, commit sin. In the interim, the communion with Jesus increasingly becomes a desperately needed place of refuge after each defeat . . . The believer knows that sooner or later, 'you may be sure that your sin will find you out . . . When that moment of truth and tumult finally comes, the believer's faith in Jesus will provide the grace and fortitude to face even public embarrassment or great personal loss if, ultimately, such tragedy is required in order to attain a long-yearned-for, more complete life of purity with God."

Well said. Toalston goes on to write of the great compassion and forgiveness of our God. "By God's supernatural grace, we gain opportunity to become as fresh as the first day He entered our lives, poised to venture forth again in ever-more-rejuvenating faith."

There's hope for hypocrites! God is full of forgiveness and grace. Yes there are hypocrites in the church, but God is in the business of making all things new--including turning our hypocrisies into opportunities to show his love, mercy, and life-changing power!