Tag Archives | hypocrisy

The Seat of Power

By on in Theology

The offer of mercy from Christ to hypocritical and self-righteous people is to join a position of grace in His life and ministry. As written in Luke 15:29-31, the righteousness of a person who views himself as a deserving servant does not share the same grace and favor of a freely loved person. A son or daughter who represents a person as reconciled to the LORD.

Powers of Merit, Status & Accomplishment

The mercy, grace, and salvation freely available to those who accept the LORD’s invitation to reconcile are those who also lay down their judgemental self-righteousness and desire His mercy. The person who does not want mercy, but the LORD’s acceptance for their merit, accomplishments, and self-induced performance remain estranged and worse yet condemned. It is His power of grace and mercy that brings about salvation. We are to delight in that.

Powers of Money & Praise

Hearts that are not near to God are hearts that often instead treasure money and accolades from people. A condition where Jesus declares among self-righteous and religious merit-based people, the presence of relationships that usually involves physical adultery or illicit sex. To also include spiritual adultery which, amounts to idolatry. The root problem is, people can live a lifestyle of hypocritical religiosity while their hearts are far from God.

It is not necessarily obvious, but the love of self-glory, status, and money make authentic and productive faith in Christ impossible. A person who earnestly wants the glory of God made full in his or her life does not place much weight upon the powers of money or the accolades of people in near comparison. From Scripture, one could surmise that the greater the distance between God and a person’s desire for Him and His glory, the greater a person’s attraction and motivation for money and status there tends to be.

Powers of Greed, Hypocrisy, and Self-Indulgence

Jesus’ words recorded in Matthew 23:25 informs us of what hypocrisy looks like. The kind that Jesus hates and condemns. That a person, people group, or social context holds out as an external morality self-originated righteousness made evident to others. While still, on the inside, there is corruption to include self-indulgence, greed, lawlessness, and hypocrisy (Matt 23:27-28).

Logger’s Dilemma

By on in Theology

When in further contemplation about what Jesus wants of those who love Him, he requires that we abstain from judging others. From a type of judgmentalism that calls attention to our own personal hypocrisy. Which can become viewed as an outward expression of anger. Just as there is good and bad anger, there is good and bad judgment. From anger, judge not. Where the root of discriminate hypocritical judgment is anger.

From a careful look at Matthew 7:1-5, we read that Jesus requires His listeners to first clear themselves of what condemnation they may bring upon their own heads if they judge others of wrong when they are guilty of a very same matter or offense.

“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” – Matt 7:5

Judge not, that you be not judged.
For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure, you use it will be measured to you.
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 7:1–5).

So it is explicit by His own words in context. That after first removing the source of our own wrong or error, we then are eligible and able to engage others with a patient, delicate, and caring attitude toward applying judgment. A judgment that brings about healing or correction and not harm. So then it is with forbearance that advice is offered, while not out of unrighteous anger or unreasonable expectations. Jesus requires that we do not judge hypocritically. Yet he also requires that when we do judge, we do so without the same behavior found within ourselves.

The condition in which you are expected or permitted to judge is by simply keeping yourself free of the same sinful entanglements. Where you’re in a position to offer and share advice, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16-17).