The Harmful Influence of Careless Hypocrisy

In the November issue of Our Daily Bread was an article for the 24th entitled, Careless Preachers. Its substance was summarized in the final statement, "It's a mistake to think that we can impress the world by compromising with it." The great Apostle Peter did just that and was called to task for it by another great apostle, Paul (Galatians 2:11-13). His hypocrisy influenced a great many of the saints in the Syrian church in Antioch. Even the great Barnabas began to compromise because of Peter's actions. This is serious. Unsaved people may not be so much against Jesus as they are against hypocrisy. We repeatedly hear scoffers say, "The church is full of hypocrites!" Of course, it seems to be a good ploy to get out of their own responsibility to face up to the gospel. But let's not ignore that statement and dismiss it without taking heed lest they be true. We tend to think that it's not true of us. But let's think again. How many times have we been like the woman who glanced through her window, only to see a nosy, noisy neighbor approaching her door! Her young, impressionable children heard her as she grumbled, "Oh, no—not her again!" Whereupon she opened the door and gushed insincerely, "How very nice to see you!" Our lips and our lives often preach a mixed message. Let us be careful lest some of our friends are influenced by our careless hypocrisy.