It has been my experience that we don't often get the opportunity to sit down with an unbeliever and reason through the gospel. I've had occasion to, but all in all I'd say it's somewhat rare for me, and if I'm hearing correctly, it's rare for the typical American Christian. It is not my goal here to give a tutorial nor to boast of my evangelical savvy, ( mostly because I don't possess any). I do hope, however, to identify what I see as the main flaw in my, and other Christians' approach to getting to the heart of the matter.
I was recently involved in a discussion with other Christians about the non believer's stereotypical view of the Christian church, and the individual Christians themselves, as being hypocritical. It's tough to get past this objection to Christianity, I think, because we have to admit things sure appear that way. However, I got the sense that the problem of hypocrisy was felt to be an issue of misunderstanding. We have often excused ourselves and the church by way of conceding that hypocrisy is an aberation not really consistent with the church we attend or the true church we claim to humbly call ourselves members of, by the grace of God. It's not that any right minded Christian feels himself above such a sin, but more that he admits he struggles with sin every day and seeks a life free of sin. There's almost no room for hypocrisy in such a life. A right minded Christian is consumed with reading the Bible, being in fellowship, study, prayer and sanctification. He is alert to any resemblence of his new life in Christ to his old life before Christ. To be a hypocrit is the epitome of what Jesus spoke out about so vehemently. Remember how often Jesus squared up against the Pharisees and scribes. He was hard on them. They new better. They had no excuse. As religious leadership they were responsible for being a testimony of God. To Jesus they were white washed tombs. John the Baptist called them a brood of vipers. Their hypocrisy was their crime and they were charged. No right minded Christian would go there.
So the question is, how do we as Christians handle this very same charge by the unbelieving world? Where lies the proper attitude and countenance needed to establish credibility where credibility is shot? How can we be a testimony of the living saviour? Let me share with you what I think is the key to an open, honest, loving and frank conversation about Jesus Christ, especially when it comes to the issue of Hypocrisy.
I think to myself, "what is the one thing that the pharisees could have done or said to answer the charges made by Christ?" My answer, "confess and repent". They couldn't, though. They were blind and couldn't see. "Blind to what?", you ask. "Were they blind to the truth of the living God standing before them?" Maybe. I think, however, that they had every reason to know Jesus was the Christ, but they were blind to their own hypocrisy. Jesus' problem with the pharisees wasn't so much that they were hypocrits. I think it was that they didn't know they were hypocrits. It's likely that the crowd around Jesus already knew the pharisees were hypocrits, but only Jesus would call them on it. Everybody knew who these guys were, except themselves.
In 1Timothy 1:12-17, the apostle Paul writes to Timothy and confesses that once he was the worst of persecuters of the church, but was shown mercy because he acted in ignorance and unbelief. He goes on to say that the Lord's grace poured out on him abundantly along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Paul admits that he was a bad guy, (emphasis on was),and we tend to think that this is a statement of the old Paul before conversion so he must have turned a new leaf and been a good guy from then on. Sorry, not so. In the very next verse Paul says, "Christ came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst." (emphasis on am).
Paul was arguably the foremost evangelist of all time. He was hand picked by Jesus himself. He spoke of spending three years in virtual exile being personally taught by Jesus. Plus, he spent an additional 13 years waiting on the Lord to start him on his ministry, all the while in reading the scriptures, being in fellowship, study, prayer, and above all sanctification. By the time he wrote the letter to Timothy, Paul had already gone on three missionary journeys. He had spread the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the known world. He had planted scores of churches. As an apostle, he was welcomed and embraced by the twelve in Jerusalem. Hey, the guy wrote scripture. Yet, Paul was the worst of sinners. So he said.
When Paul confessed this, I don't think he was counting the offenses of the old pre-conversion Paul. I think this came from the heart of a truly humble man. He knew what God had done with him and counted himself not worthy. Could any of us go this deep? could any of us be this transparent? Paul finishes this segment by saying, "But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life." I don't think Paul ever felt like he was a better man because of Christ, but he saw that he was used by Christ in spite of his sin to glorify God. Read Roman 7:15-25 to see how real Paul gets about the depth of his sin. I think Paul saw himself as worse than when he started by the time he wrote these letters. He was convicted more later in life than at his conversion.
This is what I see as the necessary element of a personal relationship with our God. Every day that we grow in the knowledge and understanding of who our God is, every day that we learn to trust in the truth of scripture, and every day that we feel more in love with our saviour, should be a day that we see deeper into our very sinful nature. Each day as we grow as Christians we also open our eyes wider to the truth of our total dependence on, and need for Jesus. When we sing " I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see", the thing we see is who we really are. " . . . . How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed." Thankfully when we see the scope of our depravity, grace appears.
When we sit across a table from a questioning non believer and the issue of hypocrisy arises, I suggest we confess. It is hypocrisy to act as though we are beyond the realm of sin. It is hypocrisy to not own our own hypocrisy. Can we be like Paul and confess that we are sinners of the worst kind right now? Isn't our humiliuty in acknowleding this the best we can offer to one who would accuse us of hypocrisy? I fear that the world already knows who we are. Could it be that we are the only ones who can't see that we are hypocrits? Our ears should be wary of the man who says he is better today then he was yesterday, and calls it growth. Let's open our eyes and see like Paul. I praise the Lord for what he has done with someone as bad as me.
