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Dave Slayer
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Are all Christian's hypocrites? I have heard Christians say that every Christian is a hypocrite. Is that true? Is it Biblical?
Join For His Glory for a discussion on how
https://christianforums.net/threads/a-vessel-of-honor.110278/
https://christianforums.net/threads/psalm-70-1-save-me-o-god-lord-help-me-now.108509/
Read through the following study by Tenchi for more on this topic
https://christianforums.net/threads/without-the-holy-spirit-we-can-do-nothing.109419/
Join Sola Scriptura for a discussion on the subject
https://christianforums.net/threads/anointed-preaching-teaching.109331/#post-1912042
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I'll definately agree with that, it's just what I was about to post!Jon-Marc said:Not all of us--just most of us. How many of us can honestly say as Paul did, "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God."
How many of us can honestly say that when others look at us they see Christ? Unfortunately, I cannot say that truthfully. I won't pretend to be what I'm not. I am born again, but living by faith is not easy for me. Trusting is not easy for me. How many can honestly say they are Spirit-filled and Spirit-controlled in ALL they do? I wish I could say that.
Works4Him said:Put another way: If we preached that we are to lead lives free of sin at all times, yes, we are hypocrites. If we preach that we struggle against the flesh, and we try to lead sin-free lives even if we fall from time to time, that's not hypocrisy (as long as that's how we're living).
Works4Him said:Bottom line: You're not a hypocrite just because you sin. You're only a hypocrite if you pretend not to sin, and if you expect that others lead perfectly sin-free lives as well.
Works4Him said:Relic,
Forgive me if my point wasn't clear. I know that hypocrisy can go well beyond the scope of religion. I was simply trying to keep it narrowed down to the current scope of discussion, which while it wasn't specifically stated that this is in the sense of religious hypocrisy, it was sort of insinuated.
The problem I have with the OP statement is that it seems to use "hypocrite" as a perpetual label, a scarlet letter if you will. Saying "All Christians are hypocrites" is patently false at the bottom line. Right now, as I sit here, I'm not committing any act of hypocrisy that I'm remotely aware of. My wife, sleeping in the next room, is definitely not committing any act of hypocrisy. I'd even wager that you're probably not committing any act of hypocrisy.
Now, if the opening post had asked "Have all Christians at some point been a hypocrite?" I'd have answered absolutely, because everyone everywhere has probably committed at least one act of hypocrisy in their life. From the mom who tells their kid not to eat cookies because they're bad for you (after she's eaten a few herself), to the business executive that fired someone for a mistake they themselves made in the past. If you want to use the broad brush of labeling people hypocrites that's being used in the OP, then we have to label EVERYONE a hypocrite, Christian or not. And if everyone's a hypocrite, then what's the big deal?
Sure, we've probably all done something at some point that was hypocritical. But just because you did that one stupid thing way back when doesn't mean you have to go your whole life carrying the title. My God is big, big enough that I can trust him to forgive me of my sins and wash me clean as snow. Even if I was a hypocrite at some point, God has forgiven me. All the titles I could have had in the past, including the title of hypocrite, have been replaced by the title "Child of the Lord Most High". So I try not to get too caught up in labels. ;)
I think this is the main idea of being hypocritical. Best example is a pastor who cheats on his wife, gets divorced and re-marries. Happened in a church I went to in college. He was convinced that this new chick was the one God really wanted him to be married to. Nevermind that he had been married for 18 years and had 5 kids. First image that comes to mind when I hear the word hypocrite is his face.expects others to do one thing and they themselves do completely the opposite.