TRUE WISDOM IS WITHOUT HYPOCRISY – James 3:17 (continued)

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I’ve spent a lot of time studying and pondering this next attribute of heavenly wisdom.  It has been a very eye-opening and convicting study for me.  I hope and pray it will have the same effect on you also as you read and consider it.  The apostle James, here in verse 17, states that wisdom from above is “without hypocrisy”.  In order to understand this description, we must first have a clear concept of what a hypocrite is.

“Hypocrite” is a Greek word that literally means “under a mask”.  It was used in the Greek culture to describe an actor on a stage.  In the ancient theaters, each actor played several parts.  To change identities he would simply wear a different mask.  This was the word that Jesus used to describe the Jewish leaders.  Over and over again in the Gospels, especially Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus called them hypocrites.  No sin was so sternly denounced by Jesus as that of hypocrisy.  In Matthew 23 Jesus called them “blind guides”, “whitewashed tombs”, and “vipers”.  He used the strongest possible language of condemnation.

William Barclay asked the question:  “What were the things which incurred the anger of Jesus?”  The first thing he mentions is:  “Jesus was angry with anyone who was a hypocrite.”  The following are some further excerpts from William Barclay’s comments.  “A hypocrite is a man who says one thing with his lips and quite another in his heart. . . . The man who is one thing to your face and quite another behind your back, the man who is ostensibly pious on Sunday and completely worldly on Monday, the man who professes a religion of love and of service, and who lives a life of bitterness and selfishness – that is the man who incurred the anger of Jesus” (Day by Day with William  Barclay).

Let’s not forget that the first hypocrite described in the Bible was Satan.  He disguised himself as a serpent when he tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God.  When we act like a hypocrite we are acting like him, following his example.  II Corinthians 11:14 says that he “disguises himself as an angel of light” when he’s really the prince of darkness.

Do we sometimes put on a performance in order to win the applause or approval of others?  Most of us like to “look good”, don’t we?  We like to look good on the outside, and we like to give the impression that we “look good” on the inside.  A seminary professor once saw a bumper sticker that read, “Jesus is coming!  Look Busy!”  He later warned his students about the dangers of “faking it” – pretending to be something we are not.

One way Christians wear a mask is by not sharing their weaknesses, thereby giving the impression that they don’t have any weaknesses.  A close look at their lives will soon show that to be untrue.  And even if people don’t see it, God sees it.  We can’t fool Him!

We sometimes give in to the temptation that we have it all together, don’t we? But a person with wisdom from above recognizes that he has imperfections, struggles, fears, and temptations, and is honest before God and before others.  Such people are sincere, transparent, authentic, genuine, open, and reliable.  As the saying goes, “What you see is what you get.”  There are no “unpleasant surprises”.  They can be trusted because they are not motivated by pride but by obedience to God and love for others.  They are more concerned about pleasing God than impressing people.

Are you happy with the way you look on the outside?  What about the inside? Jesus makes it very clear in Matthew 6:16, “Don’t be like the hypocrites”!

Dr. M.R. DeHaan of the Radio Bible Class Ministries says:  “The biggest hypocrite of all, however, is the man or woman who refuses to come to Christ because there are so many hypocrites in the church.  Such a person is being inconsistent.  Business is full of hypocrites, but that does not stop him from doing business.  Society is full of them, but he does not decide to become a hermit.  Hell is full of hypocrites, so if a person doesn’t like hypocrites he had better make sure he’s not going there.” There’s no bigger hypocrite than the person who pretends that he doesn’t need Jesus.

Our lives are on display, like the ads in the newspaper.  Who is being advertised in your life?  Is the Lord Jesus Christ being advertised on the front page and on every other page of your life?  Jesus wants “top billing”, not  “honorable mention”.

The Coca-cola company used the following slogan in a song about the quality of their product:  “What the world wants today is the real thing.”  I hope that’s true of our world today – that more and more people are seeking the real thing.  If so, let’s be the “real thing” ourselves, not cheap imitations.  Let’s reflect upon the character and the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and let Him shine through us to our world today. That’s what the Spirit of God will do in and through us if we’ll get out of His way and allow Him to take control.  Are you ready and willing?

 

 

 

 

 

A WORK IN PROGRESS

Adam and Eve

My title is not the topic of a sermon but an explanation about what I am now going to be doing on this blog site.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve always enjoyed watching a work in progress – such as a building being constructed, or a road being built.  I watched in wonder as the different machinery and equipment were coming in and out of the construction site, and as the skilled workers were doing their jobs.  As a kid I enjoyed watching the construction project more than I did the finished product.  We used to go out of our way, as kids, to visit a construction site and just stand and  watch the work that was going on.  Sometimes the workers would greet us when they saw how interested we were in what they were doing.

One day the person in charge of the construction project said:  “I’ve got a few left-over nails and pieces of wood.  If you would like them, ask your parents if it’s alright for me to give them to you.”  We received our parents’ permission, and with the nails and boards we started a building project of our own, and kept the construction workers informed about our progress!

Do you like watching a work in progress, even when it means delays, lanes being closed and traffic re-routed?  I don’t really mind.  It gives me more time to watch what’s going on!  The greatest enjoyment for me is the anticipation of what was going to happen next, and what I would see the next day, or the next time I would pass by that construction site.

I’m sharing this with you because, now that I have more time to study God’s Word, I’m going to be showing you my work in progress by publishing my sermons a section at a time as I put them together.  My hope is that you’ll enjoy what I’m  enjoying working on, and watch the building process going on as I put each sermon together.  I hope you’ll stop by more often to see what’s happening.  Begin your own work in progress by doing your own study of this passage along with me and share what you have learned.  The Master Builder would like that, and so would I.

I used this method on this blog site recently when I was studying James 3:1-12.   I didn’t receive any feedback, so I’ll take it that there are no complaints about this method.

I’m presently studying James 3:13-18.  It has been a difficult passage to study at first, but now it’s as if the Lord has put the blueprints in my hands and this passage is beginning to come together in written form.  I would love to have the opportunity to preach the finished sermon to you in person so that you might experience my excitement about what I’ve learned, but the power is in God’s Word and I hope that God will speak to you in the power of the Holy Spirit as you read it.  To Him be the glory!

I hope that you are also a “work in progress”, willingly allowing God to build on the foundation of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, using the blueprint of His Word, under the supervision of the Holy Spirit, employing the workmen He has gifted and entrusted to do the work.  ( I Corinthians 3:9; Ephesians 4:11-13; II Timothy 2:15).

The work must go on!  This site is presently under construction!  Please come again and see what’s been happening!  Grace and peace be with you!

Tom Drenoske