KneEmail - a devotional by Mike Benson associated with Forthright Magazine
Hypocrite
WE MUST ADMIT that all Christians (including preachers, Bible teachers, and elders) are imperfect...
At that level, everyone has been hypocritical -- inconsistent, at least -- at times. It is impossible to perfectly live up to the "perfect law of liberty" we preach (Jas. 1:25). The one who charges, "There are too many hypocrites," is himself inconsistent once in a while!
We do not defend hypocrisy, of course; hypocrites must repent in order to be saved (Matt. 23:28; 1 Tim. 4:2; Jas. 3:17). Jesus said that sinners will be appointed a "portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 24:51). At the same time, to use hypocrites as an excuse for forsaking God is foolish (cf. Luke 10:29; 14:8). The presence of one or a hundred hypocrites has nothing to do with my relationship to God...unless I let it. Do we come to the assembly to judge our brethren (Matt. 7:1-2), or to worship our God ( John 4:24)? Which is worse, to continue to worship and work faithfully with other imperfect saints, trying to get stronger, or to drop out and let the devil have our souls? (Allen Webster)
KneEmail: "And will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 24:51).