Are You Feeling Like a Hypocrite Because of Your Sins?

Are You Feeling Like a Hypocrite Because of Your Sins?

by Eric C. Wheeler  eric@sharingtheway.com

Like every human being, I, too, have my own personal struggles with sin. In fact, these occasional struggles at times used to discourage me so much, making me feel like a hypocrite, that I didn’t even want to preach and teach anymore. I would become so saddened and discouraged during these moments – not wanting to be a “hypocrite” – that I, at times, wondered if I should just give up, and quit telling people about what’s right and wrong, and leave the ministry altogether. Occasionally, I would complain to God, saying, “What good does it do for me to preach and teach Your Holy Word, Father, when I myself have not yet been fully able to overcome and quit things that I know and realize are evil? I don’t want to be, and I am not trying to be a hypocrite, Lord. I don’t want to give occasion to the unbelievers and to those who hate You to blaspheme Your holy name, Father, by my own inconsistencies of character, wrongful behaviors, faults and sins. I don’t want to besmirch Your great holy name and Your right ways and truth! Yet, Lord, I can’t seem to permanently overcome in myself what I know to be wrong. I don’t want to preach and teach anymore because I feel like such a hypocrite at times – and I don’t want to be. And Lord, I’m honestly NOT trying to be a hypocrite!” (And yes, I realize that quitting and giving up is actually what Satan wants from me. And that if I, or any of us, do that, then Satan wins. God forbid!)

In light of these words and feelings that I have expressed to God in prayer, and for the benefit of others who may also be struggling with these same feelings and frustrations, I want to share what God responded to me when I poured my heart out to Him regarding these things. His answer has since given me great encouragement – and has definitely spiritually made me much stronger – especially in helping me to overcome what I have (and had) struggled with for many years. This is what the Lord spoke to me when I was crying out to Him in discouragement, feeling like a hypocrite:

“Eric, have you not read how the apostle Peter was still sinning, even after he was preaching mightily, and doing great miracles among the people; so much so that his very shadow was actually healing people, and he was literally raising people from the dead, yet he was still a sinner? The Scripture says he was being a hypocrite by showing favoritism and partiality within the Church – which My Word clearly declares is a sin!”

(The Holy Spirit then brought the following verses to my mind so I would know what God was referring to as He was saying these things to me:)

“And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people… And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also, a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.” (Acts 5:12-16)

“But Peter put them all out and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body, he said, ‘Tabitha, arise.’ And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.” (Acts 9:40)

“But when Peter had come to Antioch, I [Paul] withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were Jewish Christians. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.” (Gal. 2:11-13)

“My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and say to the poor man, ‘You stand there,’ or ‘sit here at my footstool,’ have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?… If you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” (James 2:1-9).

God then added, “Or, Eric, have you never read how EVEN AFTER the apostle Paul – having been a mature and devoted Christian for many years – who had preached to many people, and had performed many wonderful and amazing miracles and healings throughout his ministry – still wrote towards the end of his life about his ongoing personal struggles with sin, writing: ‘For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do… For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.’ (Rom. 7:15-20)? Even though he did many mighty works in My name, and preached to many people – himself being truly converted – Paul still personally struggled with sin, even rhetorically asking and writing, ‘Who will deliver me from this body of (sin and) death?’” (Rom. 7:24).

After God said these things to me, the Holy Spirit began to expound on what the Lord had just told me. Peter and Paul were not hypocrites. They were faithful Christians fighting “the good fight of faith” – continually striving to endure and persevere to the end. While we are in these bodies of sin and death, we must continue to constantly fight against sin, believing and knowing that one day God WILL deliver us from our sinful flesh, by redeeming our bodies and giving us new glorified spirit bodies (see Rom. 8:18-25; I Cor. 15:35-58). But Jesus warned that we MUST CONTINUE this struggle and fight against sin until the very end. We cannot give up. For Jesus said: “He who endures until the end will be saved.” (Matt. 24:13). It does no good to do righteousness if we then fail to finish. God says in His Word that He will forget all of our previous righteous works if we do not persevere in righteousness until the end of our physical lives (Ezek. 33:13-20). We must not give up or give in. Ours is a life-long battle against sin. The apostle Paul said this: “Therefore I run [this race] thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified… If by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind.” (I Cor. 9:26-27; Phil. 3:11-15). At the end of his life, Paul then wrote: “The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (II Tim. 4:6-8).

It’s also important to realize that WE ARE CHRISTIANS BECAUSE WE ARE SINNERS! If we weren’t sinners, we wouldn’t need Jesus Christ to save us! As the apostle John wrote: “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. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation [atoning sacrifice] for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.” (I John 1:8-10 thru 2:1-2). Think about it – this is what separates us from the world! This realization and acknowledgement – and subsequent regret and sorrow (repentance) – that we are sinners who NEED to be saved is what actually makes us Christians! This is why we come to Jesus in the first place – in order to be saved by Him and through Him! Otherwise, like the rest of the world, we would just continue on thinking that we are alright as we are, and NEVER stop to realize that apart from God we are headed towards permanent death (“for the wages of sin is death” – Rom 6:23). The people who are of the world don’t repent and come to Jesus because they don’t realize or acknowledge that they personally need saving. This very fact is what separates us from the world and specifically makes us Christians! If there is no need to be saved, neither is there any repentance or compulsion to refrain from sinful ways. This repentance and acknowledgement that we need saving is what actually sets us apart as Christians from the rest of the world. This is not to suggest that we glory in our sins; but rather that we acknowledge them, repent of them, and understand that we need to be saved from them! This realization is what brings us to the Gospel – the “good news” – that Jesus Christ personally died for us to save us, if we will believe Him by following Him (doing what He says). This act of faith and obedience by coming to Him to be saved is what makes us Christians (“Christ followers”). We literally come to Him in order to be saved! Isn’t this what Jesus told the Jews of His day? “Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; but these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life… For if you do not believe that I Am, you will die in your sins” (John 5:39-40; 8:24).

The primary difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is that the Christian has come to the realization and understanding that as a sinner, he or she must repent and surrender to God, acknowledging the fact that unless God personally saves them from their sins, and its eternal consequences – death – there is no hope. And as a result of this acknowledgement of their sins, in and by faith, God brings that person to Jesus (see John 6:44, 65; 17:2, 6) who then becomes their own personal sacrificial Lamb – their “Passover Lamb” – whose blood then covers their sins, so that the Death Angel passes over them and does not exact deserving justice upon them (see Exod. 12:3-23; I Cor. 5:7). This is by God’s grace; and not by any so-called “righteous works” that we may or may not have done (Eph. 2:4-9). It is the gift of God to all who believe – that is, to those who trust Him and follow Him (do what He says).

You Can’t Be Shown Grace Until You Are First Convicted

Unfortunately, many Christians today don’t understand this basic truth: you cannot be shown grace until you first have been convicted! Let me explain. Grace simply means “a free unmerited pardon”. As most people know, a governor, a president, and/or a judge cannot grant a pardon (grace) until one has first been convicted of a crime. They MUST be found guilty before grace (a pardon) can be granted and/or given. Likewise, until a person is convicted of their sins, and remorseful for them, that person WILL IN NO WAY be shown grace or receive a pardon from God! Nobody grants a pardon (shows grace) to an innocent person. That would make no legal or logical sense. Grace is a free unmerited (undeserved) pardon. It isn’t handed out until a person is first convicted of wrongdoing – sin. Yet, many Christians sitting in church pews today wrongly think they have been granted “grace” (a divine pardon) merely because they go to church, claim to be a Christian, and/or profess the name of Jesus. They erroneously believe that they can continue sinning – sleeping with their boyfriend or girlfriend, get drunk, get high, do recreational drugs, cheat, steal, lie, take God’s name in vain, use filthy and profane language, gossip, lust, mistreat others, etc. because they “are under grace”. Nothing could be further from the truth! Many pastors and so-called Bible teachers actually promote and teach this ridiculous heresy. Yet, the Bible does not remotely teach anything like this at all.

The Bible teaches that “if we confess our sins and turn from them” – THEN God will forgive our sins and restore us. THEN and ONLY THEN will God show us grace! THEN and ONLY THEN will God grant us a pardon (forgiveness)! As God once said to me: “Those who expect judgment, will receive mercy. But those who expect mercy, will receive judgement!” Notice that Scripture says this very same thing:

“For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.” (I Cor. 11:31)

“If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness…. And you know that He [Jesus] was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not [continue in] sin. Whoever [willfully] sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who [practices] sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (I John 1:9; 3:5-8)

“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (Jam. 5:19-20)

“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgement, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:26-29)

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness…” (Jude 3-4) [licentiousness means “anything goes” – i.e. willful sinning]

Notice these are all New Testament verses cited here! They are not from the Old Testament. False pastors and teachers cannot therefore gloss over them trying to falsely explain them away by saying: “You’re too harsh. We’re under the New Covenant now, and that sounds like Old Covenant teaching!” These verses from the New Testament are warning us to NOT become lax with sin, and NOT to take the blood of Jesus Christ for granted – by trivializing, devaluing, and cheapening His precious sacrifice by willfully sinning! According to Scripture, anyone who does this will NOT be able to claim Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins. These New Testament Scriptures clearly say so!

Don’t Try to Cover Your Own Sins, Let God Cover Them

I want to share a very valuable spiritual lesson I was taught directly by the Lord Jesus from the Scriptures. He once told me the following:

“Eric, don’t ever try to hide and cover your own sins and shortcomings. This is not living in the Truth. You know you are a sinner; therefore, live in the Truth. Don’t deny it. If you live openly in the Light – I Am the Light and the Truth – then I will conceal and cover your sins for you. But if you try to cover and conceal your sins, then I will expose them openly. Confess them, and I will cover them. As He was speaking these truths to me, the Holy Spirit immediately began pulling up the following verses and principles from the Bible in my mind’s eye so that I could see them:

II Samuel 11:1-27: Notice that David tried unsuccessfully three times “to hide and conceal” his adulterous sin with Bathsheba when she became pregnant. He deceitfully tried to get her husband Uriah to go home and sleep with her in order to cover up the pregnancy (verses 8-11). When that failed, he unscrupulously tried to get Uriah drunk so he would go home to his wife (verses 12-13). But when that didn’t work, he secretly wrote a letter to Uriah’s commanding officer to have him purposely killed in battle (verses 14-25). Obviously, David was trying to “hide and conceal” (cover up) his sin so that no one would know or find out. He was living a lie, and wasn’t living in the truth, openly confessing and admitting his wrong and his sin. He forgot what Moses had warned: “Be sure your sin will find you out!” (Num. 32:23). God gave David time to repent and to come clean, but he didn’t do it; so God sent Nathan the prophet to confront him with the truth. God said: “You did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun!” (II Sam. 12:12). In other words, “You tried to cover up and hide your own sin, David. And because you did this, and didn’t openly and penitently confess, I will now expose it publicly.” As a consequence, God had it published in the Bible for all the world to see for all time.

David had temporarily forgotten the rich spiritual principle that he had previously understood about the Lord. That is, if you try to conceal and cover up your own sins, God will expose them. But if you openly confess them to God (and also, at times, to other people when necessary – see Jam. 5:16; Matt. 5:23-24), and repent of them, God will then cover and conceal your sins for you and will also clean you up (“cleanse us from all unrighteousness” – I John 1:9). Notice what David wrote:

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity; and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. For his cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found… You are my hiding place… Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.” (Psa. 32:1-10)

The apostle Paul echoed David’s same sentiment here, writing: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” (Rom. 4:7-8). This is the same truth that God was trying to share with all of mankind through Adam and Eve at the beginning of creation. God obviously knew the truth of what Adam and Eve had done. He was giving them the opportunity to come clean and admit to disobeying Him by eating the forbidden fruit. Yet, instead of openly acknowledging and confessing their sin to God, they foolishly tried to run away and hide, sewing fig leaves together in which to cover and conceal themselves (Gen. 3:7-10). Later on, however, after God confronted them with their sin, Scripture says that “the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them.” (Gen. 3:21). Most people have absolutely no idea that this “clothing of them” (covering of them) with animal skins by God was a prophetic foreshadowing pointing to Jesus Christ’s future sacrifice for all of us (as our “Passover Lamb”) being the covering for us for our sins! As it is written of Jesus: “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8). The point is that if we live openly and honestly in the Light (that is, in Jesus) before God and before others, not being liars or hypocrites – that is, not trying to deny the truth that we are indeed sinners; and not trying to cover up and conceal our sins ourselves – then God will cover and conceal our sins for us in and through His Son Jesus Christ!  We are therefore NOT hypocrites, if we openly acknowledge and confess this truth – always striving to overcome and conquer this sinful flesh, while waiting and looking forward to our eternal redemption in Him which is the gracious gift of God to all who will believe!

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