Do you dislike (or even "hate") hypocrisy?
Have you ever known a religious hypocrite?
"For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail." Isaiah 32:6
Religious hypocrites it says above are "vile", and their hearts "work iniquity". I would ask that you read the above and think about it.
We too have been exposed to many religious hypocrites in our day, and in all honesty, we were completely turned off toward anything that had to do with "organized religion".
Consider what Jesus said to the hypocrites of His day:
Matt 23:13-28
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.........................................
27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
28 "Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Just imagine a modern-day carpenter (or any other "blue-collar worker") saying things like this to any so-called "prominent religious leaders" of today!
Probably more people have been tortured, maimed and/or killed as the result of religious hypocrisy than any other group of people in history. Also, so many people have been turned away from anything to do with God due to dealings with these hypocrites in their lives.
It has been said that "one hypocrite can make a hundred unbelievers". Would you agree?
Question: Based on the above, what is a person to do?
Some answers:
Jesus said in John 18:37 "...For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
He also said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)
I’m tight on time at the writing of this, but please ask yourself this question:
Was Jesus a liar and/or a lunatic, or was He telling the truth?
What if it was the truth?
If Jesus was telling the truth, please consider what it means for your life and mine.