No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.
Nathaniel
Hawthorne.
The Danger of hypocrisy is that you lose reality. A hypocrite lives in a world of confusion. The reason why the pharisees hated Jesus and ultimately had Him crucified was because they lost the reality of religion through the door of hypocrisy.Their are questions that we can ask ourselves that are indicators on whether or not we are a hypocrite.
1. Do I see my problems or do I
always see other peoples problems?
Matthew 7:5
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
A good indicator that you are of a
hypocritical attitude is if you are always seeing others problems but
not your own
2. Do I boast to others of my
spirituality?
Matthew 6:5
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
If you have to tell everyone your good
deeds and how spiritual you are than you have a hypocritical
attitude.
3.Do I feel like I am the only one
who is doing what God wants them to do? The only one standing in the
gap?
Matthew 23:13
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of
heaven in men's faces. You yourselves
do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
Hypocrites become narrow minded and
only feel as if they are going to heaven and make it hard for others
to Go. Usually it is something like “When I got saved! Or "The Lord
told Me"....."These days Christians are not what they use to be."
4. Do I find myself acting different
around people than what I do in private?
Matthew 23:25
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
A Hypocrite will always be trying to
look good but not be good
