hypocrisy

i had a brief e-discussion that got me a-thinkin'.... or really, added to a thought-process i've already been thinking through....... and this is a thought from that thinking head o mine:

an unrepentant secret-sin 'believer' (key word: unrepentant), is 'worse' in many ways than an unapologeticly debaucherous heathen (someone not claiming to be anything but a sinner).

i'm talking about two polar extremes here, because i am well aware that all men are guilty before God, and no man can claim righteousness of his own. there are many 'shades of grey' between the two. all is sin.

for example: someone who's openly 'out of the closet' and not claiming to be a Christian of any sort - ie an openly and unapologetically debaucherous heathen, vs. a 'piller' of the Christian community who is secretly and -unrepentantly- committing sodomy. who's being more honest, really? both are sinning against God, but only one admits it.

one is rebellious to God, and is honest about what they are doing (albeit probably in denial that it is sin)....

the other is rebellious to God, misrepresenting themselves before God, others, and probably themselves, too. but they are also deceiving the Bride.

i think that's important, not only because my insensitivity to my own sin is what makes me a hypocrite, and i want to remain aware of my fallen nature, and be continually in repentance... and if i come off as anything but a sin-prone yet blood-washed believer, then i'm really just adding deception to my long list of sins....

...but think about it: God's treasure is His Bride. how much in love with us He is! we are the apple of His eye!!!! He is a jealous God. how.... horrible that must be to Him, when one supposedly walking in holiness and sanctification is deceiving and leading His Bride in that unrepentant state!!!!. that is why He was so much more angry with the hypocritical pharisees than with the sinners, tax collecters, and adulteresses..... empty sepulchres filled with dead mens bones, vs someone who obviously needs to be 'forgiven much'.

Lord, may i forever be a 'sinner who is forgiven much' (and a 'saint' by Christ's righteousness alone, and never my own), rather than a self-deceived, self-righteous hypocrite pretending to be a saint, or one worthy of the title. take me there, and keep me there, O God.

i think open confession of our sinfulness is far to rare. i'm not talking about telling all our dirty secrets to everybody and everyone.... i'm talking about openly and regularly admitting our continual struggle with our sin-nature.... free admission that we are no more righteous than any other believer. we have a culture of not admitting our weakness and frailty, and it does a disservice to God and the gospel.

God, don't start with 'them'.... start with me.

even as i write that, i feel the struggle with pride, of 'admitting my weakness to a bunch of righteous people'. ...even though many of those who i would fear telling are those who would have a sinful self-righteousness.... whereas those who i know are truly aware of being forgiven much - and openly confess that - are those who i know will never judge and thus i would have no fear of admitting anything.... OY!!!!!!!!!

(....thank you, mark, for your initial observation that got this thought ball rolling. it goes to show God uses everything we say and do..... :) )