by Tom McLemore

Is it easy to find a greater obstacle to overcome in winning people for Christ than the reprehensible behavior of some Christians? How it must grieve the Lord Jesus when he looks down from his throne at God’s right hand to observe some of the very ones who wear his name sabotaging the efforts of his church to win souls with the message of his gospel!

First, there is the deplorable state of division in the church. The Lord said that all people would know who his disciples were because they would have love one for another (John 13:34, 35). The restoration movement was launched on a plea for unity in Christ. When the church of Christ pleads for the unity of the Spirit on the basis of the word of God, and "with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed, by schisms rent asunder" (Samuel J. Stone), how will we be taken seriously? Will they not say, "Physician, heal thyself?"

Then there is the noxious character of some individual members. The gospel is good news, but there is so much bad news about some who are associated with the Lord’s church that the good news is overshadowed in the minds of potential converts. How shocking it is to find out–from someone whom one is trying to lead into the fellowship of Christ–that a person who is presently associated with that fellowship has been abjectly unchristlike in dealings with the very person one is trying to win! Whether it be crooked business dealings, discourtesy, manifest greed, profanity, vulgarity, known sexual immorality, or whatever, the good news that one wants to share about Christ and his church is obscured by the bad news about someone who wears the name of Christ and claims membership in the church!

How disheartening to be informed that folks highly esteemed in the church have a despicable reputation with those who are without! Most of us in the church still cling to the desire to proceed with a certain naivete when it comes to one’s church family, i.e., that everyone in the pews around one every Sunday is what he or she appears to be. Though one might feel the need to be savvy out in the world, one would still like to think that suspicion need not be exercised when one comes to worship.

Regardless, it continues to shock us to learn that the same fellow who so fervently and eloquently leads prayer on the Lord’s Day is known for his vulgarity and profanity on the job or among his weekday associates...to hear from someone who is invited to visit the local congregation, "Well, doesn’t so and so attend there? It seems that the kind of religion you folks practice there hasn’t done him or her any good. Why do you think that I would be benefitted?" As much realism and humility is involved in recognizing that we all sin and come short of the glory of God, one still is thrown for a loop when a pagan makes the claim that he has a higher level of morality than some church member(s), and one realizes, on the basis of a description of behavior the speaker has witnessed, that the claim is valid!

Perhaps the thing which has contributed most to this dilemma is the failure of the church to discipline hypocrites when their hypocrisy becomes known. Yet, even when it is learned that said hypocrisy has been detrimental to the church’s efforts to evangelize, in congregation after congregation, there is great reticence to act. Let the hypocrites give enough or be active enough in the affairs of the church, and their evil will be overlooked, ignored, and accepted. Let them be prominent enough, and their ignoble and reprehensible character traits will never be mentioned. Let them be adequately involved in the life of the church, and their shameless self-centeredness, pompous pride, and heedless hatefulness toward others in daily life might even be viewed as quite tolerable. All of this in the name of preserving the harmony of the church and keeping the flock content, while effectively guaranteeing its ineffectiveness in doing what it is commissioned to do!

If nothing else were to be considered, is the hypocrite himself or herself being done a service when the church sanctions his or her hypocrisy? Even hypocrites are precious souls for whom Jesus died. And yet the road to salvation for hypocrites includes passing through repentance. But will any hypocrite repent as long as church members not only tolerate, but encourage, the hypocrisy? Oh, but there is so much to be considered!

Mind you, hypocrisy on the part of God’s people will not be an excuse for unbelievers not having obeyed Christ on judgment day. The gospel is true, and Jesus is the Son of God, even though the behavior of some of those who claim to be his disciples is reprehensible. Christ is the only way of salvation regardless of the fact that some who say they know him walk in darkness. The truth is still true, even though some members of the church deny it with their deeds. Judgment will be meted out according to the truth "on that day when...God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus" (Romans 2:16). Hypocrisy is no excuse, but hypocrites will not be excused.

Are you one who has shored up your resistance to the gospel with the hypocrisy of church members? We plead with you to consider that you are attaching yourself to a doomed crowd. Hypocrisy will be the cause for the damnation of many church members. While God will not allow the presence of hypocrites in the church of our Lord to serve as justification for rejection of Christ, the sentence of condemnation will put one "with the hypocrites" (Matthew 24:51).

Instead, we plead with you to recognize that there are many who are living humble, upright lives in the service of Christ. They do not claim to be sinless, and they confess their sins regularly, but then they are not trying to pass themselves off as something they are not. Consider them. They are on their way to heaven. Attach your hopes to their way, and obey the gospel that they represent! Refuse to use the hypocrites as your excuse for sharing their fate and joining them in hell!

Are you one of the hypocritical among those who claim to follow Christ and to serve God? God knows of your hypocrisy. You may rest easy at the present in the fact that some of your fellow Christians may not know of your hypocrisy. It is essential that you realize that the revelation of your true character is only a matter of time (1 Timothy 5:24, 25). Furthermore, it is well for you to recognize that there are more of your fellow Christians who know of your hypocrisy than you think.

If you are among the hypocritical in the church, realize the serious danger you are in. One is hard pressed to think of anything that would displease God more than for one who claims to be one of his people to give cause for his name to be blasphemed (Romans 2:24). Is there anything more detrimental than for one who claims to honor God to behave in such a way that the name of God and the teaching may be defamed (1 Timothy 6:1), in such a way that God’s word may be discredited (Titus 2:5)?

It is difficult enough to get people to overcome Satan’s influence and accept the good news. Even if all of God’s people "adorn the doctrine" (Titus 2:10) with lives of holiness and attractiveness of godliness, there will still only be a few who would be saved (Matthew 7:13, 14; 22:14). However, those few might be far greater in number than they are, were it not for people who claim to be Christ’s undermining the truth by their hypocrisy.

Would you desire to be in the presence of God having given the lost an incentive to reject Christ? Better for one to have a great millstone fastened round one’s neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea, said Jesus (Matthew 18:6)! Please consider the relationship that such hypocrites have to betraying Judas, who betrayed the Son of God with a kiss. As Jesus said, "It would have been better for that man if he had not been born" (Matthew 26:24)!