Devotions/Partners

Matthew 23:25, 28 (KJV): “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

COMMENTARY: In this passage, Jesus rebuked these religious leaders for their double standard, their dual “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” personalities. On the outside, they were Dr. Jekylls—upright citizens. On the inside, they were Mr. Hydes—spiritual monsters!

APPLICATION: Some people praise the Lord during weekend worship services, look and act so holy, but if you saw them in their workplaces you’d see a different person. The first step in overcoming hypocrisy is acknowledging that you are guilty of it. If the Holy Spirit is convicting you that you’re a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, don’t beat yourself up. If the truth were known, all Christians are hypocrites in one way or another. The only true hypocrisy-free person to walk on earth was Jesus Christ.

Humble yourself before your God, pray and ask Him to forgive you and supernaturally set you free of hypocrisy from this day forward: “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:5b-9)

As you grow in the Lord, obey the Word and walk in the Holy Spirit, your hypocrisy will diminish.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Ecclesiastes 7:1 (KJV), read There Is No Way to Find Out What Is Good to Do (Eccl 6:10-8:17) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.