Bible Verses to Explore: Isaiah 29:13
Hypocrite. That is such an ugly word. No one wants to be called a hypocrite.
What exactly is a hypocrite? In Isaiah 29:13 God said, “These people come near to me
with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Also, Jesus said these words about hypocrisy and hypocrites in Matthew 15:7-9 – “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’” That is how God defines hypocrisy – pretending to be something you are not or saying one thing then doing another.
Here are some examples of hypocritical behavior:
* If a person says, “I’m religious,” or “I’m a Christian,” but spends more of your time and energy looking out for himself or herself than serving others, that person is a hypocrite.
* If a person says, “I’m glad Christ died so I could be saved,” but doesn’t even try to live a holy life, that person is a hypocrite.
* If a person talks about going to church, telling people about Jesus, serving people, or other God-pleasing things, but rarely, if ever does any of those things, that person is a hypocrite.
I hope none of these descriptions fits you, but if you do see a bit of yourself in any of these hypocritical behaviors, what are you going to do about it?
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, forgive any hypocritical behavior in our lives. Help us to live our faith consistently and honesty. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
I would like to encourage you now to download the Inductive Study Guide and dig a bit deeper into Isaiah 29:13 and Matthew 15:7-9. Enjoy your time in God’s word!