Christianity and Hypocrisy

If anyone remember Daniel in the Old Testament, Daniel's actions were basic part of genuine integrity and the uncompromising life. Christian life in this world should be different from the world, being in the world but not of the world. We should be a humbled Christian because we are Christians with flaws. God uses humbled Christians than hypocrites. Charles Elliot said it nicely, "Hypocrites we are: but we are on the way to liberation even from our own hypocrisy". James 1:26 says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." As Christians in new creature in Spirit within us as for example Jesus are not to be like the religious Pharisees to a group of dishwashers who clean the outside of a cup while leaving the inside dirty.

Often when some Christians try to reassign God’s authority to themselves; they seek to be ultimately self-governing and self-defining. There are those who believe and teaches “joining with Christ though a mixing of our supposed divinity with His” by placing their minds into their faith that whatever they desire will be received. Their theology sees the Holy Spirit as a power to be put to use for whatever the believer wills, we have to understand it is clear such teaches opposite do not mean that. Many typically favor their own kingdom over the true God for maintaining authority, or lordship, over their lives that they seek success, happiness, honor, and self-approval. They exchange God’s supreme reality for a false substitute. An emphasis on subjective feelings or experience rather than objective truth; a tendency toward self-centered rather than God-centered worship; a lack of appreciation for church history and the ancient creeds; an emphasis on pragmatism as the basis for church work; an anti-intellectual attitude and even an openness to mysticism. Non-God-Centered doctrines (i.e. covetousness) are supremely serious, which may be why the commandments against it are first two on 10. The worst form of idolatry is to make a god in our own image, and then worship it.

Self-centered desires affects our minds through deception and that we begin to justify and rationalize our right to possess what we desire. Our society (sinful world) is characterized by lies, it is characterized by deception which lead by Satan’s agenda. This sinful earth is characterized by what is temporal as people can “see” that fulfills their desires, but what is for time only, what is physical, what is passing, what ultimately will be destroyed.

Christians are to focus on God-centered on faith as OUR SOURCE of faith is from God alone. Reading Romans 8:14 says, “Those who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God.” Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (See also: Ecclesiastes 9:10; Romans 12:11; I Corinthians 15:5-8; Ephesians 6:7,8.) If we lack wisdom, we are commanded to ask God for it. “It will be given to him“, the wisdom we seek will be ours (cf. Matt. 7:7-11). James says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God” (James 1:5). Scripture reminds us that we must be sound in the faith through the Holy Spirit and Word of God (1 Tim. 4:6; 2 Tim. 4:2-3; Tit. 1:9; 2:1).

I am still struggling and that I need to be reminded that God really does love me and that His love does not depend on my performance.

Phillip Yancey says "there is nothing we can do to make God love us more, and nothing we can do will make Him love us less".