Avoid Hypocrisy – Walk the Talk

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not” (Matthew 23:2-3).

Jesus offered those words of warning regarding the strictest of the Jewish sects. He was not complimentary and pointed out their hypocrisy. It is hypocritical not to practice what one preaches. The Pharisees were notorious for demanding of others what they were unwilling to do themselves.

Francis Bacon once said: “It is not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; not what we preach but what we practice that makes us Christian.”

Our life reflects our relationship. We can talk a good religion and still make a miserable failure of it. The apostle Paul instructed Christians in the church at Philippi: “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ: so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). What we preach and what we practice must be the same to avoid hypocrisy.

Many people have been “turned off” to New Testament Christianity by the inconsistent practices of “professed” Christians. True Christianity isn’t something we do just on Sunday. It involves a life of holiness, godliness, and righteousness consistently lived every day. Christians are not perfect. We do, however, have a perfect Savior whose life and example we seek to imitate (1 Peter 2:21). We may not always do a good job of it, but we are trying.

Yes, there are some who claim to be Christians who, like the Pharisees, don’t walk the talk and show their hypocrisy. Please don’t judge us all by them.