Say what? Yes I just said that. This is probably the only time that dealing drugs; can be used as a positive example for illustrative purposes. Maybe you've heard it said this way. "Practice what you preach!" Jesus called the people who didn't live this kind of life "hypocrites". The english word hypocrite is the greek word ὑποκρίτης. It literally means to act. Or it has the connotation to "wear a mask". It is somebody who is not true to the message that they are proclaiming. Here is something important to note here. We've all been hypocrites. We've all known a hypocrite. We have all decided, at one time or another, to not be who we were meant to be. We have all worn a mask hiding who we truly are inside.
We could use many different examples here for hypocrisy. The one example I want to focus on is how we treat the Gospel. The Gospel is literally Good News. It's the Good News about what God is doing in the universe through Jesus Christ. It is the Good News that God has not given up on the world. As a follower of Christ my life should be overflowing with Good News. Why is it then so many Christians are known for bad news? Just the name "christian" has so many bad memories for so many people. I would like to submit to you that when my life hides the Good News I am a hypocrite.
When I love, forgive, care and sacrifice, I am telling the world that there is hope. I am showing that there is Good News. When I hate, hold grudges, neglect others and consume myself with me....I am proclaiming bad news. When I treat others as Jesus would treat them....I proclaim to the world Good News!
There are two choices. I can choose to add to the brokenness of the world or I can choose to join God in putting it back together. I am a hypocrite when I claim to be a person of Good News but constantly proclaim Bad News.
Are you smoking what you are selling?
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