This week, I'm back with another installment of Christian Misconceptions. This series is five weeks long and consists of five different stereotypes that are placed on Christians worldwide. This week's issue is the stereotype that Christians are hypocrites, and is once again written by Biff R. Jones (BRJ), a teacher of theology for over 20 years. To recap from last week, Biff shows the importance of why other mustn't judge all Christians on the acts of a few. Here is what he had to say this week.
(BRJ) : "Misconception #2: Christians are hypocrites.
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Every time a pastor is caught in adultery, misusing funds, abusing drugs, or any of the myriad of circumstances that would represent a precipitous fall from grace, there are those who are quick to pounce and point an accusatory finger at what they perceive to be hypocrisy. These embarrassing circumstances are often highly publicized because of the public positions pastors hold in their communities. Church members and others who claim to be Christian and commit similar acts may fall under scrutiny within their social circles.
What really raises the ire of critics is that there are individuals, as well as some churches, that condemn (often in a condescending manner) behaviors, acts, or lifestyles of others. Jesus taught against this very thing when He castigated the religious leaders of the time for committing the same duplicitous actions. Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Matt 7:1-3) Christianity teaches that men will always fall short of the righteous standards that God has set (Romans 3:23); however, central to Christianity is also the understanding of grace and forgiveness. Grace is the gift of a pardon or the setting aside of the penalty that automatically comes with missing the mark of godly righteousness (also known as sin).
Grace is one of the most powerful, foundational tenets of Christianity. Christians should never condemn the individual because only God holds the power of judgment in His hands. To be clear, behavior, not the individual, can be condemned (e.g. murder, rape, pedophilia, are condemnable actions). Like all of humanity, Christians are imperfect, fallible, and weak, and will always fall short of the standard toward which they strive. So, according to the strictest definition of hypocrisy, and I guess by extrapolation, those who follow Christ can at any given point in their lives exhibit instances of hypocrisy; but, thank God for repentance (turning away from unrighteousness) and His grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. In summary, true Christianity is represented by those who understand that they will continually fall short of the mark and are in need of grace and forgiveness themselves; and, not by those who take a hypocritically judgmental stance toward those around them."
Mr. Jones's eloquent description of the grace that God gives us should empower us to show grace to others around us. Jesus taught that we should "love thy neighbor as ourselves," and there is no way to exemplify that if we are being hypocrites. Tune in next week for the third installment of Common Christian Misconceptions!
