Freedom — From The Law – Tuesday
TODAY’S VERSE
Galatians 2:13
And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. (ESV)
“Don’t tell your mother.” I often heard these words from my dad growing up. Now, to be clear, these were never concerning words to hear. It usually pertained to something silly I was let in on. One such occasion happened just blocks from our house, when my dad was pulled over for some sort of traffic violation. Smiling, the officer gave my sister and me some gum, then subsequently handed my dad a ticket. As Dad rolled up the window, he looked at us with a grin and said, “Don’t tell your mother.” This was immediately ignored as I ran into the house, holding my candy like a prize and explaining in great detail to my mom how I had come to possess said treat.
In a silly way, Dad’s refrain to “not tell your mother” was at odds with his other maxim of “you need to tell me the truth.” It was a very small and seemingly insignificant form of hypocrisy. When we act in ways that do not align with the words of our mouths, or we pretend and put on masks, we are actively being hypocritical.
The reality is that we see hypocrisy everywhere in the world. We see it in politicians, in our families, and in our schools. But what do we do when it slithers into the church? Are we even prepared to recognize it in ourselves?
I love how one man in our church reacted on Sunday when Scott asked if there was an area of his life where he was being hypocritical. “Ah. No, man. Nope. I’m leaving. That one hits too close to home.” Because the truth is, we all have areas of our lives where hypocrisy has crept in. And this should cause us to stop and evaluate the masks we wear, because hypocrisy is detrimental to the church. Nothing is more unattractive to non-believers than self-righteous Christians who refuse to honestly live out the faith they claim to have. These are often the Christians who forget that they are not saved by what they do or say, but because of who Jesus is.
So what hypocritical mask do you wear that could be a hindrance to the church and to the Gospel? Does the way you react when someone is in “your seat” align with Jesus’ heart for one more? Does your financial stewardship reflect the generous heart of God the Father? Does the way you speak about your coworkers indicate a heart enveloped by grace?
APPLICATION
Scott challenged us on Sunday with these two questions:
Is there any area of your life where you are being hypocritical?
Have you shared that with anyone?
Take time today to identify one area in your life where you are being hypocritical, and then share that with someone. The second half is the hardest, but it will also bring the most freedom as you begin to wrestle down that hypocrisy with the truth of the Gospel!
PRAYER
Lord, show me the areas of my life that are not aligned with You. Give me discernment on who to share this with, the courage to actually share it, and the strength to begin walking in freedom.