Hypocrisy

INTRODUCTION

REVIEW QUESTIONS

QUESTION: What is God’s judgement based upon?

ANSWER: (Rom 2:2) according to His truth

QUESTION: What does Jesus warn us of for using hypocritical judgement?

ANSWER: to be judged ourselves (Matt 7:1)

QUESTION: Where does God’s judgement begin?

ANSWER: With His own people.

Why? Because we have the revelation of God and we know better

QUESTION: What internal witness do we have that we must pay careful attention to?

Conscience

INTRODUCTION

The second part of chapter 2 is along the same lines as the first part of chapter 2 that we studies last week. It carries the same idea, but with just more precision.

Romans 2:1-16 focused on the Jews being just as guilty as the Gentiles because they did the same things that they did and being called one of God’s own does not exempt us from judgement if we choose to obey sin rather than God.

The second part of chapter 2 focuses on the hypocrisy of the Jews and that they should

1) Failing to practice what we preach blasphemes God’s name to the world

Romans 2:17–20 “But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth”

A lists of positive things the Jews had

“if you bear the name “Jew”

What is a Jew? Jew was a name given to the Israelite people who were in covenant with God. It’s not just an ethnic term but also a religious term.

So when Paul says if you bear the name Jew, to us today, we could just substitute that word “Jew” for Christian. So this is saying to us, if we call ourselves a Christian, then we must consider next what Paul has to say next

“and (if you) Rely upon the Law”

This means that they depended upon the law. That in itself is commendable, but they did not depend upon it like God wanted them to.

They depended upon God’s Word for their religious identity not for true obedience and honor of God

In other words because they possessed the Law, and that possession of the law gave them a false sense of security.

“and Know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law”:

In other words, they bragged about their relationship with God

Because they possessed the Word of God they assumed they knew what He wanted.

And this in itself is a good thing. We learn the will of God from the Word of God.

But, they did not do the will of God, YET the context of this passage implies they did not do it.

They gloried in simply knowing it and they thought that was enough. That is why Paul said above: “it is the doers of the Law who will be justified”

“and are so confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, A light to those who are in darkness, A corrector of the foolish, A teacher of the immature, Having the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of truth

Notice that Paul here is revealing the mission of the Jews here. They are called to be a light to the Gentiles, that is all the people who are outside the people of God.

This is no small responsibility. They were the ones who were responsible for making the greatness and holiness of God known the the entire world so that people could know God personally.

But they were merely hypocrites:

Romans 2:21–24 “you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written.”

QUESTION: What do you think a religious hypocrite look like today?

A hypocrite is an actor. One who acts and pretends to play the part. He is someone who lives a pretend, one designed only for other people to see. One that looks one way on the outside but is completely different inside.

He gives a list of rhetorical questions to prove this point:

“you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

The point is that these Jews are teaching, preaching, and do things that they were telling others not to do things.

In other words they would tell others to tithe and honor their parents, but they would not tithe or honor their parents, and find little ways to break these commands

Or they would tell others not to steal, yet they would steal from people who came in and exchanged their money at the money tables which Jesus flipped over

These are just a couple examples from Scripture

And then he states the implication of their hypocrisy:

(v 23) “You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written.

When we allow hypocrisy to enter our lives, we not only dishonor God, but we blaspheme His name.

The word blaspheme means to slander. It means to speak against someone in such a way to harm or injure their reputation.

So when/if we become hypocrites, were not just committing sin, we are out slandering the very name of God to the entire world

Application:

Like the Jewish people in Paul’s day who were to be a light to the gentiles, we too are called to be a light to a lost and dying world.

If we live in hypocrisy, we not only fail at this, but we actually push people away from God.

When we claim the name of Christ, it is not our name that is on the line anymore, now we represent Jesus Christ. And if we are faithful we bring Hi glory, and if we are unfaithful we tear down His name

QUESTION: According to how you live in obedience to God right now, are you drawing people to God or pushing them away?

True spirituality begins on the inside and then works its way out, not the other way around

Romans 2:25–27 “For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law?”

Circumcision:

Paul was speaking of the physical act of circumcision here that was involved with being in a covenant with God. It had no real spiritual value, but rather symbolized when one’s heart was commited to God.

We do baptism today which is similar to this. Baptism does not save us, nor can it save us, it is only water. It is a symbol of what God has done inside our hearts and we do the outward act to tell the world that.

THE POINT: Circumcision really means nothing to those who are still living unfaithfully to God. The same is true today. Baptism is worthless unless one is truly following Jesus Christ.

It’s whats on the inside that really matters. Its not the marks on our skin, or the certificate of baptism on the wall, or that we make FB Jesus posts on FB for everyone to see, because if we live in disobedience to God that shows who we truly are!

(v 27) “And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law?”

In other words, Paul is saying that one who has never been circumcised, or never been baptized, but is faithfully following Jesus will judge the one who has been a member of the church, circumcised, baptized, seminary degree, if he is a transgressor of the law.

(v 28-29) “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

It is what is on the inside that matters. Those who have been circumcised by the Spirit, they’re not after the praise of men, they’re after the praise from God. Therefore they are obedient to God from the heart, because they know that God see and knows every detail of their lives, and they long to praise Him.

What do hypocrites do?

He puts on a show for others to see hoping that he will be applauded for his show.

The same is true for religious hypocrites. They long for the praise of men, not the

QUESTION: What motivates your faithfulness to God? Praise of men or praise from God? What is more satisfying and what bring misery?

When it has all been said and done, it really wont matter at all what the world thinks. It really wont matter at all what men think of us. What will matter is what God knows of us. And that must be our sole priority in this life ALWAYS!

If you please Jesus, it really doesn’t matter who you displease, but if you displease Jesus, it really doesn’t matter whom you please.

Seek the praise of God not man.