Hypocrisy and Pride: A Double-Edged Sword

"It is common for those that are farthest from God, to boast themselves most of their being near to the Church."  - Matthew Henry, British Nonconformist and Presbyterian minister (1662-1714)

Jim Jones, a self-proclaimed cult leader, built the Peoples Temple along with a life of deception. He diverted his followers' money while manipulating them in his cult. In the end, over 900 of his followers died as the result of a forced mass suicide at Jonestown, Guyana in 1978.

This unfortunate incident is an extreme example of how hypocrisy and pride, if allowed to thrive, can result in catastrophic consequences. To aid in our discussion of these, let's first examine what they are.

• Hypocrisy is defined as the difference between one's public image and their true nature, a display of virtue that conceals an insincere or immoral heart.
• Pride, a form of self-worship, is often the underlying cause of this deception.

Using scriptural examples, we can learn how to identify these sins (hypocrisy and pride) in our lives and strive for humility. Let's start by first examining hypocrisy, which is, as we will see, just a hollow façade concealing a person's inner moral emptiness with an outward appearance of righteousness. 

Jesus himself harshly rebuked the religious leaders of his day for their hypocrisy, providing purposeful illustrations of its nature, as in:

• Matthew 7:3-5 - Jesus uses the embellished imagery of a person with a large "plank" in their own eye trying to remove a tiny "speck" of sawdust from someone else's eye to illustrate the hypocrisy of focusing on the minor faults of others' while ignoring one's own much larger shortcomings.
• Matthew 23:25-28 -  Jesus admonishes the Pharisees and teachers of the law for their hypocrisy, comparing them to cups and tombs that are clean on the outside but full of greed, self-indulgence, and inner wickedness. He encourages them to first cleanse the inside of their hearts to become truly righteous, instead of just maintaining a beautiful outward appearance.

Thoughts to Reflect On (using the Bible references given above):

1. What does the imagery of "whitewashed tombs" teach us about the heart of a hypocrite?
2. What is the main idea of the "log and speck" lesson? What message does this convey regarding the connection between pride and judgement?

Now, let's move on to the nature of pride. The Bible directly teaches that pride is detestable to the Lord, and paves the way to destruction. C.S. Lewis called pride "the complete anti-God state of mind." Here are a few examples:

• Proverbs 16:5 (NIV) - This verse points out that God finds pride in the heart detestable and promise that these sorts of people will answer for their arrogance. 
• Proverbs 16:18 (NIV) - This verse cautions that excessive arrogance and a haughty attitude can lead to ruin and downfall. It emphasizes the danger of self-confidence that becomes an inflated ego, which can result in significant physical or spiritual damage. 
• Proverbs 16:19 (NIV) - This verse underscores the value of humility and the negative consequences of arrogance. It suggests that it is more beneficial to empathize with the oppressed and be humble than to associate with the proud, especially if that association involves unfair or unlawful personal benefit.

Thoughts to Reflect On (using the Bible references given above): 

1. As stated by these verses, what is God's view of a proud heart?
2. How does the warning "Pride goes before destruction" in verse 18 reveal itself in people's lives?

We've now seen some scriptural causes and consequences of hypocrisy and pride. The Bible also shares some ways to remedy them, such as veering away from both through sincere humility and repentance. 

In this manner, we recognize that real value is not derived from the praise of others but from the grace of God, as shown in:

1. James 4:6-10 (NIV) - This passage is a strong encouragement for believers to reject pride and embrace humility, leading to a restored relationship with God.
2. 1 John 1:9 (NIV) - This verse highlights that God's character of faithfulness and justice provides assurance of forgiveness and cleansing for those who humbly acknowledge their sins. 

Thoughts to Reflect On (using the Bible references given above): 

1. What core distinction does John derive from 1 John 1:9?
2. How does obedience to God and resisting the devil relate to overcoming hypocrisy and pride?

In general, it can be said that hypocrisy and pride are like a double-edged sword. Both are involved in self-glorification, either by claiming recognition for God's blessings or by misrepresenting a false image to the world.

The sole remedy is to redirect attention from ourselves to God and others. We must show humility, thus allowing God's grace to reveal and cleanse our "inner" life so that our "outer" life can evolve into an authentic representation of His character.

Prayer: "Dear God, I confess my own hypocrisy and pride, and ask for Your forgiveness. Open my eyes to see Your truth, so that I may constantly seek it and be protected from my own self-deception. Amen."

Grace be unto you,

Lamai