Bible Devotions for Living

Jesus says you need to be on guard from being hypocritical.

He began to say to His disciples first: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” (Lk 12:1)

Hypocrisy is professing one thing but acting, or speaking, in a way that is opposite your profession. For Christian’s, hypocrisy is living a sinful lifestyle that is opposite to your Christian beliefs in God and Biblical teaching. It is not practicing what you preach or believe. Understand that hypocrisy is not committing a single sin; it is committing the same sin(s) regularly or living a lifestyle of sin.

Don’t take this lightly. Hypocrisy is the thing Jesus most commonly rebuke in the Gospels! Yes, He dislikes it that much, especially in people who claim to be godly.

Example of hypocrisy and the problems it brings

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. ¹² For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. ¹³ Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Gal 2:11-14)

Peter was socializing with Gentiles when there were no ‘religious’ Jews around but then avoiding the Gentiles when those Jews were around. This scene shows the danger of hypocrisy in and around us.

Hypocrisy causes other believers to sin (Gal 2:13) – Peter’s hypocrisy caused others to sin (See Barnabus and others in v13 above). As you act hypocritically, you are a snare to others and Scripture says it is very bad to cause others to sin (Mt 18:7).

Hypocrisy is contagious (Gal 2:13) – Barnabas was drawn in by another believer’s hypocrisy. In a sense, he ‘caught’ it from Peter. Beware of hypocrites around you because their hypocrisy may rub off on you.

Hypocrisy ruins your witness for God – people will not take your Christian verbal witness seriously when they see your lifestyle conflicts with what you say you believe. In the passage above Peter was sending mixed messages about his faith. His words said he believed people were saved by faith alone in Jesus, but his actions made it seem like he was trying to live according to the Law. That had to confuse both the Gentiles and the religious Jews.

Hypocrisy can harm God’s Name and reputation (Rom 2:21-23) –

²¹ you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? ²² You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples? ²³ You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴ For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. (Rom 2:21-23)

Test if you’re a hypocrite

• Do you do good things just to be noticed (Mt 6:1-2)?
• Do you do things simply to be noticed (Mt 23:5)?
• Do you pray to be noticed (Mt 6:5)?
• Do you fast for attention (Mt 6:16)?
• Do you judge behaviors in others as wrong and do the same things yourself (Mt 7:1-5)?
• Do you break God’s commands for the sake of keeping traditions to look holy (Mt 15:3-9)?
• Do you honor God with your lips when your heart is far from Him (Mt 15:8; Mt 22:15-18)?
• Do you make sure you look good to others on the outside while inside you are a terrible person (bitter, dead, filthy, greedy, self-indulgent) (Mt 23:25-28; Lk 11:39)?
• Do you love holding a position in church because of the attention and perks you get (Mt 23:6-7, Lk 20:45-47)?
• Are you merciless at heart but put on a righteous show (Mt 23:14)?
• Do you say one thing but do another (Don’t practice what you preach) (Mt 23:3)?
• Do you have warped perspectives / priorities (value things of the world over spiritual things) (Mt 23:16-22)?
• Are you concerned about rules but neglect justice, mercy, and faith and have no love for God (Lk 11:42, Mt 23:23-24)?
• Do you ever speak or act in a way contradictory to your Biblical beliefs?

Guard yourself from hypocrisy

• Remain alert for hypocrisy around you (Lk 12:1) – Paul saw Peter’s hypocrisy and rebuked him. Barnabas didn’t see and joined in. We are all hypocrites to a degree and hypocrisy is alive in church. Keep your eyes open for it so it doesn’t infect you.
• Examine yourself regularly for hypocrisy (Lam 3:40; Ps 139:23-24) – Look at how you act, live and speak to see if your life style matches your Christian belief and character. Ask God for help:

Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord. (Lam 3:40)

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. (Ps 139:23-24)

• Do not associate with hypocrites (Ps 26:4) – Hypocrisy is contagious, so avoid hypocrites. You know who they are – the person who often gossips about others in church, the one who uses very foul language or off-color joking, the one who watches porn or inappropriate TV, etc. Follow the advice of Scripture and don’t associate with hypocrites:

⁴ I do not sit with the worthless or associate with hypocrites. (Ps 26:4)

Think about it:

What damage does hypocrisy cause to you, others, and even God?

Name some ways you can guard yourself from becoming a hypocrite.

Will you try any? Which one?

So rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. (1 Pe 2:1)