The Danger of Hypocrisy

Titus 2

1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

It is clear from this passage that we older Christians are to set an example for the younger generation that is coming up behind us. Not only are we supposed to teach them with our words, but show them with our actions. We can’t let them hear us talking one way at church, while seeing us act another way elsewhere. In Revelation 3 Jesus warned the Laodiceans about being “neither cold nor hot.” There is nothing quite as refreshing as a cold drink of water when you’re thirsty, and hot water is good for cleaning and disinfecting. Jesus referred to the Laodiceans as lukewarm because they had become the same as the world around them. He said that because of this, He would spew them out of His mouth. When Christians become like the world around us, it disgusts the Lord.

A trap that many Christians fall into is that we convince ourselves that we can get away with harboring some sin in our lives. We think that as long as we’re careful to cover our tracks, nobody will ever find out. As long as nobody knows about it, nobody will be hurt by it, right? Jesus warned us in Luke 12 to, “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.”