The Hatefulness of Hypocrisy in Religion | Proverbs 28:9

Scripture

• Proverbs 28:9

About this sermon

Introduction: When we think of hypocrites, we might be tempted to think only of the lost. One reason we might be tempted to think that way is because in the Scriptures hypocrisy is often associated with religious people who are lost. In a long, powerful, rebuke of the religious leaders of the Jews, Jesus identified them as hypocrites (Matthew 23). Time and again He pronounced “woes” upon them, and he called them hypocrites. Toward the end of that indictment, he said: ESV Matthew 23:33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Clearly, the scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, were lost. They are described as full of lawlessness. They were full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness (vs.27). ESV Matthew 23:27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. We could go to many other statements similar to these and make the same point. Just one example is a warning in 1 Timothy 4. ESV 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. “Insincerity” is ὑποκρίσει noun dative feminine singular common from ὑπόκρισις HYPOCRITES ARE PLAYACTORS. They are mask wearers. They are duplicitous. You get an external, sanitized, version of the person, but then they are someone completely different in terms of their true character. PEOPLE FOR WHOM IT CAN BE SAID THAT HYPOCRISY CHARACTERIZES THEM, ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNREGENERATE. They do not know God. They do not have the Spirit. They are a believer in name only. But hypocrisy is a sin that believers must beware of also. Hypocrisy will not be the CHARACTER of a Christian, but it can become a ditch that we fall into. It can be our sin that we are guilty of in any given situation. It can be our sin for a SEASON. That is why BELIEVERS are warned of hypocrisy. ESV Luke 12:1 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. 4 "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! There, Jesus is warning His DISCIPLES about the leaven of the Pharisees. ESV Romans 12:9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Genuine is ἀνυπόκριτος (unhypocritical). ESV Galatians 2:12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. The hypocrisy, of course, was acting like this withdrawal was about piety, when it fact, it was about the acceptance of men. It was about Peter gaining or retaining the acceptance of those who came from James. SINCERITY IS WHAT CHARACTERIZES GODLY WISDOM. ESV James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. BELIEVERS ARE CALLED TO PUT HYPOCRISY AWAY IN ALL ITS FORMS. ESV 1 Peter 2:1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

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