by John P Toomey
Guess what? The church is full of hypocrites! News flash, guess what? The world is full of hypocrites! We are all hypocrites in some form or fashion, it’s just some are more pronounced than others.
Matthew 7:3-5 in the King James says: ” 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
None of us have arrived, none of us are perfect. We are all a work in progress! I don’t know about you, but I have my hands full trying to keep myself straight much less have time to worry about others. It is not our job to judge other people’s motives or what God has called them do. I would encourage you to stay on your own path that God has you on and not look to the right or the left. Be inspired by others who have stepped out in faith and pursued things God has placed on their heart. You need not worry about if they are really called of God or not because if they are not, God will take care of it. God will remove them in His time and for His reasons, you need not lend God a hand.
(Text: Job 8:1-22)
People will question your motives without regards to their own motives. – (Verses 1-7)
God was pleased to join issue with him, and proved his servant Job an honest man by Bildad’s own argument; for, soon after, he blessed his latter end more than his beginning. When we return to God in a way of duty we have reason to hope that he will return to us in a way of mercy. It is man’s weakness and impotency that he often is unjust; it is God’s omnipotence that he cannot be.
People will question your character without regards to their own character – (Verses 8-19)
The hypocrite cannot gain his hope without some false rotten ground or other out of which to raise it, and with which to support it and keep it alive, any more than the rush can grow without mire. Forgetfulness of God is at the bottom of men’s hypocrisy, and of the vain hopes with which they flatter and deceive themselves in their hypocrisy. The hope of hypocrites is a great cheat upon themselves, and, though it may flourish for a while, it will certainly perish at last, and they with it.
People may question your salvation without regards to their own salvation – (Verses 20-22)
It is true that God will not cast away an upright man; he may be cast down for a time, but he shall not be cast away forever. It is true that the enemies of the saints will be clothed with shame when they see them crowned with honor. It is true that the dwelling-place of the wicked, sooner or later, will come to naught. Those only who make God their dwelling-place are safe forever
by John P Toomey
Original article can be found at http://radicalfaithandhope.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/a-hypocritical-faith/