22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24.
Hypocrisy – “The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness. A feigning, (to give a false appearance of) to be what one is not or to believe what one does not. Especially, the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Hypocrisy or hypocrite, these are strong words to use in any statement. A conversation is always unpleasant when someone is being accused of hypocrisy. Being called a hypocrite is not something to be taken lightly.
As Christians, do our very actions and or life styles accuse us of living a life of hypocrisy or being someone who is a hypocrite? Under certain circumstances do we compromise who we should be as believers in Christ because of fear of what others who are not Christians might think of us?
5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:5-6
In Galatians 2:11-14 the apostle Paul boldly refers to an incident where the apostle Peter and others were acting in hypocrisy. When reading this please do not read into this more than what is stated. Paul did not have a long going feud with Peter, looking for any opportunity to confront him, especially in front of others. The point that Paul was making by his rebuke of Peter is found in verse 16, “…a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.” He expounds on this point further in chapter three of Galatians.
Now read about Paul’s rebuke to Peter. Galatians 2:11-14, 11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
There are many spiritual life truths that we can extract and learn from this portion of scripture which are relevant and applicable to our daily lives. The one I am focusing on is very clearly stated by Paul in verse fourteen, “When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel…”
Reading this really makes me to look at myself and ask this question. Are my actions and my lifestyle in line with the truth of the gospel of Christ Jesus? Not just when it is convenient, beneficial or expected, but all the time because of who Christ is in my life and who I know I should be in Him.
But what is “the truth of the gospel” that Paul is referring to? In keeping with the context of the text, one commentator explains it this way. “The truth of the Gospel – which teaches that justification by legal observances (legalism), is inconsistent with redemption by Christ.”
In the context of our text, Peter gave in to the legalistic mindset and practices that “certain men who came from James” believed in and practiced. Peter,because of his fear of what others might think of him, compromised the truth of the gospel by his actions.
There are consequences when we give in to our hypocrisy that we might not be aware of or how it influences other around us such as in this instance with Peter.
The commentator Warren Wiersbe observes Peter’s actions of hypocrisy as a spiritual “fall”. “There are two tragedies to Peter’s fall. First it made him a hypocrite (which is the meaning of the word dissembled). Peter pretended that his actions were motivated by faithfulness, when they were really motivated by fear. How easy it is to use “Bible doctrine” to cover up our disobedience.
The second tragedy is that Peter led others astray with him. Even Barnabas was involved. Barnabas had been one of the spiritual leaders of the church in Antioch (Acts 11:19-26), so his disobedience would have a tremendous influence on the others in the fellowship.”
Tony Evens in his excellent book, “The Grace of God”, says this about the legalistic way of thinking that Peter gave into. “You see, legalism is a guilt-motivated system. We either allow others to put us in bondage to their list of rules, or we shackle ourselves to our own list.”
It is important to know that “the truth of the gospel” can also demonstrated by the way we live and what consider as acceptable. When we are with people who are not Christians, do we have the tendency to compromise who we should be in Christ Jesus by agreeing with and or doing things that are contrary to the gospel of Christ Jesus? In conversation with others, do we agree with non-Biblical morals or values, which are accepted as normal in today’s secular society?
Ephesians 5:8-13
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
It is obvious by what Peter wrote many years later that he understood that hypocrisy was not part of the Christian life. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 1 Peter 2:1. As Christians, are there aspects of the life we once lived without Christ, which we have become comfortable with that we still need to get “rid” of?
I wonder if Mohandas Gandhi in a nice way was referring to hypercritical Christians when he said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Pastor John
