The nature of hypocrisy

6 I will keep my righteousness, and will not forsake it: mine heart shall not reprove me of my days. 7 Mine enemy shall be as the wicked, and he that riseth against me, as the unrighteous. 8 For what hope hath the hypocrite when he hath heaped up riches, if God take away his soul? 9 Will God hear his cry, when trouble cometh upon him? 10 Will he set his delight on the Almighty? will he call upon God at all times? Job 27:6-10 (1599 Geneva Bible) 

One of the easiest accusations that Christians can hurl at one another is the epitaph “Hypocrite!” I probably receive at least half a dozen emails or comments a week with that accusation firmly pointed at me. Most of those never make it through the spam process. What is a hypocrite?…

A hypocrite may be a very neat imitation of a Christian. He professes to know God, to converse with him, to be dedicated to his service, and to invoke his protection: he even practices prayer, or at least feigns it. Yet the cleverest counterfeit fails somewhere, and may be discovered by certain signs. The test is here: “Will he call on God at all times?” <Continue reading post>