The Blatant Hypocrisy Of Knowing The Right Thing To Do, But Refusing To Do It

And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name (Acts 22:16).

Shocking. Stunning. Stupefying. These words come to mind when thinking about people who know the right thing to do, who refuse to do it themselves, but then tell other people that they need to do it! I’m not sure this phenomenon can be explained satisfactorily. And I’m not sure how what they are saying is coming across to those who see the blatant hypocrisy.

The rather benign example is that of a fat doctor telling his patients how important it is to lose weight. The doctor might even defend himself by saying you can be fat and super-healthy … just like him, but since you’re not him, you’re in desperate need to lose weight. Another fine example is that of a lazy coworker who tells you how important it is to show up to work early and leave late; but he never does it himself!? Okay, then—crazy much?

What is much worse—because of the eternal consequences of hellfire and brimstone—is that there are people who know what they need to do to have eternal life (e.g., hear, believe, repent, confess, be baptized, and live faithfully) but who simply refuse to do it while simultaneously telling people that if they don’t they’re going to hell.

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing (James 1:21–25).

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:19–20).

PRACTICING WHAT WE PREACH

Jesus said, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice” (Matthew 23:2–3). This blatant hypocrisy of not practicing what we preach is not modern: it is the plague of mankind.

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. … But if you … boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Romans 2:13, 17–24).

Virtue is imperative to our lives as Christians—in other words, living the life we say we believe we should is far more effective than listening to (or having to endure listening to) hundreds of sermons. So then, if we don’t live it, then we really don’t believe it!

Again Jesus said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37).

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17).

“And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. … For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:47–48).