Romans - God’s Glorious Gospel
A Word to the Hypocrite
Romans 2:17-29
* Turn with me to Romans 2 and we’ll read verses 17-29. Today’s message is one which can be disturbing, if we embrace the truths contained in the text. Paul has just completed a message on God’s judgment being based on knowledge, truth, guilt, deeds, impartiality, motives, and the gospel; and now, he seems to punch away at the hard exterior of the religious lost. Think about those two words, “Religious Lost.” He is speaking of those who are religious but are not of the faith; Jesus calls these “hypocrites.” Paul’s words to the Jews follow the same thought pattern as the words of Jesus. None here want to be perceived or better yet, be one. Let’s read our text & hear “A Word to the Hypocrite.” (READ TEXT)
* Of all the things which our Lord took issue with, hypocrisy leads the list. Even a cursory study of the life of Jesus reveals that He took serious issue with the life of the hypocrite. And Jesus pointed a few finger at the religious leaders or Pharisees calling them hypocrites. Turn with me to Matthew 23 and follow along (read verses 1-3, 12, 13-16, 23, 25, 27, 29, and conclude with 33). Our Lord Jesus took a dim view of saying one thing & doing otherwise.
* Somehow it is missed today in the American church that the very people Jesus had trouble with was the religious, church going, established, keepers of the religious traditions. It was these “religious teachers” who finally had Jesus crucified. It you ever really studied this issue, it will sober your thought processes.
* In our text today, Paul deals with the Jew, the Pharisee, or better said, “the Hypocrite.” They say a picture is worth a 1000 words, and Paul gives us 4 snap shots of this truth.
1. The Definition of the Hypocrite – Verse 17 says it this way, “IF you CALL yourself a Jew..?” Think about that. There is a difference in what we call ourselves and what someone else might call us.
* The word hypocrite literally means a “play actor”. The thrust of the word pictures someone on stage, playing a part, and wearing a mask. In short, trying to be someone or something other than they are.
* I read this week about brother Brighton. He was a pompous man who was meticulous about his appearance, holding fast to many religious rules. He was a member of the most prestigious church in town and was very bothered by the behavior of the boys in his church so he decided to become their Sunday School teacher. On his first day of class, he decided to begin by teaching the boys the importance of living the Christian life so he asked them this question: “Why do people call me a Christian?” After an awkward pause, one young boy piped up and said, “Maybe it’s because they don’t know you.” Ouch. Look at three concepts Paul gives;
a. Prideful – Reading verse 17 & 18 one can almost get a sense of the ‘proud’ people the Jews were. Words like “rest, boast, know, approved, and being instructed” gives us a sense that this person has arrived! Then it gets worse;
b. Presumptuous – Paul continues outlining the life of a hypocrite. You are “convinced” that you are guide, light, mainstructor, and teacher, because you have it all together. You THINK you have the “full expression” of both knowledge and truth. The implication is that these Jewish hypocrites had the idea that the Gentiles were fools & only “they” had the knowledge & truth. Presumptuous. When you think it can’t get any worse, it does.
c. Pretends – Paul sticks the knife of inspection in and says, “You who “think” you teach, better teach yourself.” You tell people not to steal, commit adultery, worship idols, boast in the law, and yet, you are doing the same things.
* Consider these 3 qualities and know they dishonor God.
* They hypocrite is one who attends church regularly, knows all the right traditions to uphold, speaks the church language, & then honors Satan during the week.
* By his actions, he tries to convince everyone that he is one thing, but he has no real love of God and no real desire to live a holy and obedient life.
2. The Damage from the Hypocrite – Candidly, as I developed this message, I do not remember hearing a message about the damage done from a hypocritical life. In recent months I have commended to you a book entitled “Unchristian.” This book is a sobering, startling, & stunning revelation of what this culture thinks of us. The very reason this culture thinks badly of us is laid squarely at the feet of those who profess to be a believer. Jude tells us that men have crept in and;
a. He maligns the name of God. Verse 24 uses the word “blasphemes” which means “profanes”, “shames”, “opposes”, “rails against”, “have contempt for”, and even “injures”. Because of the lifestyle of the hypocrite the name of God is dragged through the mud. His words say one thing and His life says something else to the point those outside of faith will have a reduced concept if not contempt for the power of God. Can you see that today in America? In my lifetime I have seen this.
b. He misrepresents the nature of God. When we cause shame and reproach on the name of God, people get the wrong idea about God’s nature. Let’s just visit one example, the love of God. Today, God’s love is portrayed in such a way that HE must simply overlook sin. The thought is a loving God simply MUST allow us to do what we want and be like we desire. Yet the Bible, God’s Holy word, reveals another view of God’s love.
c. He misleads those who need God. Of all the things which the hypocrite does, this one could easily be considered the most severe. Why? Because throughout history God has withstood attacks on His name and His nature. Rodney Griffin of Greater Vision wrote these words, “He’d still been God” – no matter what! Yet, the tragedy is this; the hypocrite has no concept about an “internal change” or a personal relationship so he/she can only share what they possess & it’s not right.
3. The Danger for the Hypocrite – Reading verse 25 reminds us that Paul was writing to the Jews, because circumcism was EVERYTHING to the Jew. The “letter” of the law was their tradition, their Identification, and even their security. See 3 dangers for the hypocrite;
a. He Bows to the wrong thing – We don’t consider ourselves as “bowing” today. Yet, in a symbolic way, we bow before things every day. The priorities for the hypocrite are the things which make him look good to everyone else. He sells His soul for “looking good.” The Jew would have called that “keeping the law.”
b. He Believes the wrong things – The hypocrite is one who actually believes he’s keeping the law. So, he basis his responses from the position that if I simply keep the law (which no one can do), live good, don’t run around, and take care of my family, then everything will be all right. I love southern gospel music with the great songs and lyrics. However, there are some songs which have given us a false sense of security. In 1956, Albert Brumley wrote these words, “If working and praying has any reward,
Then surely some morning, I meet my dear Lord.
With God as my pilot, I’ll climb the high hill,
If anyone makes it, then surely I will.”
It’s a great song to sing, but a horrible song to believe. There is a way that seems right to man, but the end.
c. He Becomes the wrong thing – When we bow to the wrong things and believe the wrong things it only stand to reason that we’ll become the wrong thing. Let’s bring this into the modern day, Americanized church. One of the reasons why unchurched America sees us as unchristian is because too often we act like we have it all together. The impression the hypocrite tries to give is this; because I go to worship, SS, and give my money, I have it all together. The problem is this; people see us and know better. Instead of being “salt and light” in a world who so desperately needs it, we become a stumbling block to the lost.
4. The Decision by the Hypocrite – In order to assist us in understanding this admonition from Paul; allow me to read verses 28 & 29 in a little different way. (read). I submit to you that there are 3 decisions to which we are called. Would you write them down;
a. Recognize – We must recognize our own situation. There is a difference in loving the institutional church and loving God. The love of God comes from the inside with a change, converted, and “circumcised” heart. There are people in the church family who work and work and work, believing that one day God will look at them and say, “Well done. You have worked your way into heaven.” Yet the Bible teaches something completely different. As we said last week, we don’t work to gain a heart change; our heart change causes us to work. We recognize our walk must be by faith.
b. Replace – We replace it with love. In 1983 a young Christian artist named David Meece wrote this;
Where there’s hate give me love Where there’s pride make me be humble
Where there’s pain don’t let me feel resentment deep inside
I want You to make it right
So replace it with Your love in my heart Replace it with Your love in my heart
Just take out all the hatred and cleanse every part
And replace it with your love in my heart
By the way, this changed heart will attack our pride, presumptuous nature, and our ability to pretend. The changed heart leads us to the place of being authentic. Yes, we fall and fail, but looking unto Jesus, we repent, ask for forgiveness, seek His help, and move forward. The witness to those outside of Christ is based on HOW we handle the storms of life.
c. Receive – We must receive God’s offer on God’s terms. We don’t get to control the process, He does. We are not in charge of who’s right and who’s wrong, He is. We must receive His truth, His word, His spirit, and His help. Then we can receive His praise.
