One of the biggest accusations leveled against the Church is that it’s full of hypocrites. But if that’s the case, those hypocrites are just hanging out in the building. They aren’t actually who the Church is for. I think if you’re actively seeking Jesus, it’s impossible to be a hypocrite.
Let me explain: Christian means ‘little Christ’. And if we’re supposed to be perfect creatures like Christ is, then we’re definitely hypocrites. But that’s not really what being a Christian is all about. Being a Christian is following Christ. We’ll never get to be perfect like Christ on this side of eternity.
But even then, church isn’t really built for Christians. Church is built for people who have been saved by Christ. That’s a big difference, because salvation requires acknowledging that there’s no goodness in us apart from Christ. The very fact that we need a savior is our admission that we are massively flawed.
If I’m pretending like I’m perfect, I’m not actually living out my salvation. I’m not saying I’m not saved, but I’m also not really who church is for. If I’m pretending I’m perfect, I’m pretending I have no need for God. Thus, I look nothing like a saved Christian. So I can’t be a Christian hypocrite, because I’m not pretending to be a saved Christian in the first place.
And when I fail miserably (as I do often), I’m actually perfectly showing my need for a savior. My failures aren’t hypocrisy. They’re part of my nature. And that nature is proof I need Jesus.
So in that sense, I truly believe there’s no such thing as a Christian hypocrite.
Oh, sure, there are Christian jerks. There are Christian bullies. Just like there are non-Christian jerks and non-Christian bullies.
Am I saying we should just accept our sin and splash around in our imperfection? Nope. Very nope. We should live within the righteousness Jesus created for us, but also know that when we stray from that righteousness God’s perfect grace is there for us.
But what do we do about the bad reputation?
It seems we get our bad reputation for always preaching against things publicly. We rage against the homosexual agenda, then eventually give in to those homosexual temptations we’ve been battling. We preach against being two-faced, then accidentally stab a friend in the back. We rally against abortion, but we post “don’t take my guns” memes rather than mourning after a tragic shooting…
That’s the sort of thing the world sees as hypocritical. And I think the key to changing the reputation is just a different perspective. Instead of raging or taking stands against things, why don’t we take stands for things? Stand for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness… It’s what the world needs.
And people are much more gracious when they see us trying to live a loving life but failing occasionally. It’s hard not to give a little grace to someone like that.
Note: I realize I may have ruffled some feathers here. But I think if the Church is going to reach its potential as a life changing force in this world, we’re going to need our feathers ruffled occasionally.
