Are Christians Hypocrites? (Addressing A Common Objection to Our Faith)
An objection I regularly run into when sharing my faith is that Christians are hypocrites.
Why would I want to subscribe to your religion, the argument goes, when it is full of people who don't practice what they preach: Christian hypocrites who gossip and lie and think they're better than everyone else and hate gays and people of color?
Thanks, but no thanks.
I'm sure there are non-Christians out there who feel genuinely turned off by some of us who claim the name of Jesus.
But I also think the "Christian hypocrite" objection can be a copout, an excuse nonbelievers use to not go to church or to read the Bible for themselves.
So, how should you and I respond?
One thing I try to do is bring to the person's attention that the hypocritical Christians they're referring to may not be real Christians. Oh, these "hypocrites" may say they believe in Jesus, but remember, even the demons believe in God (James 2:19)!
Sometimes, it can be tricky to know who's a legit Jesus-follower.
According to Jesus Himself, in Matthew 7:16-20, the way to know is to look at whether the person's 'fruit' is good or bad. (By 'fruit,' He was referring to the actions and attitudes that a person demonstrates in their life, which are a reflection of their inner beliefs and character.)
Jesus then makes this unabashed statement: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter" (verse 21).
Our Lord's point is that there is more to being a Christian than merely stating that we are one. To be saved from our sins, we need to believe from the deepest place: the heart (Romans 10:9).
If this belief (that is, our faith) is genuine, it will be evident in how we live our lives. The Bible goes so far as to say that if we don't walk in obedience towards God yet claim to have a relationship with Him, we're "a liar" (1 John 2:4, 20)!
You and I should never assume to know for a fact that someone isn't a real Christian and that they're on their way to hell. We need to suspend judgment because, ultimately, only God knows the true state of a person's heart and how it will all turn out in the end.
That said, as long as we stay humble, exercise caution, and give grace, there's nothing wrong with being a fruit inspector. After all, God instructs us to be people of discernment (John 7:24; Romans 12:2; 1 John 4:1)!
That's the first point I try to get across: It could be that the "Christian hypocrite" is not a genuine follower of Jesus.
Second, let's remember that we're all a work in progress. We Christians, like everyone else on the planet, are in the process of learning and growing. Often, we struggle. And many times, we fall short. Even sincere people who love Jesus can make poor decisions.
Maybe the Christian who's acting hypocritically is new in their faith and isn't too familiar with God's Word yet. Or maybe their less-than-perfect choices are the result of emotional baggage or wrong teaching they've been subjected to in the past.
Could also be they don't really have an excuse. That the explanation, quite simply, is sin.
As Christians, even though we've been made new creations in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17), we still battle the remnants of our old nature. There are times when we know God's truth but still choose not to apply it.
The apostle Paul wrote about this very thing in his letter to the church in Rome:
"For the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me" (Romans 7:18-20).
Christians, too, are imperfect. We, too, mess up. That's the second point I try to get across to the person objecting that Christians are hypocrites.
Thirdly, I take a moment to stress how very sorry I am that they've had a negative experience with the Christian faith. I sincerely apologize to them on behalf of myself and every other true believer in Jesus who may, in some way, shape, or form, have contributed to giving Christianity a bad rep in their eyes.
Finally, I leave them with this thought: Maybe we would all be wise to look a little less at how Christians act and more at how Jesus acted.
Because Jesus never said that to be saved, we must "follow Christians." He said, "follow ME" (Matthew 4:19; 16:24; Luke 9:59; John 12:26, emphasis added).
He alone, being God in the flesh, is fully qualified to show us how to live.
The above are the four main points I would make. Whether I think the "Christian hypocrite" objection is coming from a genuine place or I think it's more likely to be a smoke screen, this is how I would handle it.
Above all—once again—I would emphasize that the way to avoid being disappointed by the inconsistencies we notice in people's lives is to make Jesus, not flawed humans, our role model for Christian conduct. And from there, hopefully without further diversions, I would get right back to sharing the Gospel with the person.
L.B.
Has anyone ever said to you that Christians are hypocrites? What are some other objections to the Christian faith that you have encountered? Please share in the comments section below!
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