Hypocrisy

1 Timothy 1:15, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

These are the words of the apostle Paul to Timothy. How about that for a self reflection… Paul calling himself the foremost of all sinners, and yet he is attributed to two thirds of the New Testament. Here is a man, at the end of his life, whose letters will survive and be used by God for millennia admitting he is far from perfect.

How is it that we can accept the murders and imperfections of Paul -- follow his teaching on Christ, and can find the reason to call anyone within the body of Christ a hypocrite?

Hypocrisy is the pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs. Was Paul pretending to be pious when he describes himself as chief among sinners? Does the fact that Paul was responsible for killing Christians negate his writings concerning Christ? Does Paul, or any of us, being sinners negate our love for God?

Because I am a sinner, does that negate my writings or teachings? Is the anointing of the Holy Spirit to minister limited to those who achieve perfection, or is God’s word true in that our sins are covered by the blood of Christ and not our own doing?

Does the truth coming from the mouth of a sinner make it any less truthful?

I am a sinner, who is deeply in love with God. I am a sinner who trusts in the blood of Jesus Christ to allow me access to my Father. I trust in the Christ obedience as the ONLY way for me to have access and awareness of the kingdom of God.

I am not a hypocrite. There is no pretending in me. I may cause offense. I may have freedoms that other’s doctrines will not allow them to have, but like Nathanael I pray it will  be said about me in heaven that I too was one that “in whom there is no deceit.” (John 1:47)

I laugh a little because so many are confused by the idea of Christianity. They think that it is a system of behavior. And in fact, over time, with each encounter with Christ behavior changes, but it has little or nothing to do with behavior. In the gospels Jesus tells some who healed and cast out demons in His name to depart from Him because He never knew them. He goes on to say there are only 2 commandments… love God, and love our neighbor. Christianity has never been about what you do? It's about who you are. Are you a friend of God? Do you love God? Do you love your neighbor?

There is no hypocrisy in love. There is no guile in love. And for me, there is nothing that will ever stop me from proclaiming that love. It is unconditional.