The Sin of Hypocrisy
Eric Lui reflects on one of the sermons by Andrew Gray presented in "Be Reconciled with God", a collection of twelve sermons preached by the Scottish preacher.
“Are there not some (in this congregation) who, upon a serious and impartial search of their own hearts by the candle of the Lord, may be constrained to suspect all their religion is but hypocrisy, that all their enjoyments are but delusions, and all their duties they have gone about are but formality and lying to God with the tongue?”
This was the opening remark of a 17th century Scottish preacher, Andrew Gray, in a sermon entitled, "The Great Danger of Hypocrisy”. The series of sermons from which I have extracted this sermon is called, Be Reconciled with God, wherein he passionately urged his congregation in Glasgow to go deeper into intimate communion and union with Christ.
Why is hypocrisy among professing Christians so rift during his time and today?
You may have heard some of your non-Christian friends saying or thinking that Christian religion is but hypocrisy and all performance of religion (prayer, communion, singing in worship, etc.) are but a form. It is because it is easier to have a facade of outward godliness than to have an inner holiness in the heart. It is also easier to cling to the promises of God than to obey every command of Jesus. The preacher calls these hypocritical Christians “painted Christians” (or wayang kulit Christians in our language) who are without spiritual life. They are “twice dead”, an expression taken from Jude 12, as they are not only dead in their natural state, but also dead in the life they once seemed to have in the early days of their “conversion”. While clinging to the form of religious practices, they lack the substance of these practices, which are ordained by God to give us salvation.
To illustrate what he means by the substance of these practices, the preacher points out seven areas of conviction which a hypocrite will not have:
1. He will not be convinced and mourn over original sin. He will not cry as Paul did, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24). This is because, firstly, the guilt of original sin is only taken up by faith. Nothing can discover the guilt and filthiness of original sin so strongly as faith. Faith is that which exposes a person to that woeful root of bitterness that is within him. Furthermore, as long as a person is a stranger from Christ, he looks upon original sin as none of his own. They will mourn over actual sins of their own, but they cannot believe that original sin, which was committed so long ago, should be theirs.
2. He will not place Christ higher than anything else in the world, or to love Christ above all things.
3. He will not mourn over his unbelief and contempt of the gospel. This is because he does not consider unbelief of the gospel as sin till he discovers the matchless excellency, beauty and worth of Christ.
4. He will not mourn over his participation on the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner. This is because he does not realise spiritually the presence of Christ in these elements.
5. He can never have a heartfelt renunciation of his own righteousness, and flee wholly for refuge to Jesus Christ. The preacher confesses that this is indeed a great mystery of a Christian practice to be wholly denied one’s own righteousness by works of the law and flee to the righteousness of the gospel.
6. The hypocrite cannot mourn secretly and seriously for vain and sinful thoughts. This is because he thinks his thoughts are free and not accountable to God. But God judges us as much for our thoughts as for our words and deeds.
7. He cannot have a constant walk with God. At times, he may have “fits of religion”, such as when he is in great danger of distress, or when he is drawing near to his grave. Or, at times when he is under deep, pressing and strong convictions, when their consciences are pricked, such as during Pentecost, where the hearers of Apostle Peter’s message asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)
What does God think of our hypocrisy?
There are four names under which hypocrisy is called in Scripture, which indicates that it is a very serious sin. Firstly, it is called “blasphemy” in Revelation 2:9—“I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not”. Blasphemy is close to that unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit. Secondly, it is called wickedness—comparing Matthew 22:18 with Mark 12:15, in one place it is called hypocrisy and the other is called wickedness. Wickedness is a sin odious and detestable to God. Thirdly, it is called a lie unto God, “Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.” (Ps 78:36, KJV) Lastly, the hypocrite is called “a double minded man”, which in the original text means a two hearted man, or a man who has a heart within a heart (Jas 1:8).
This led the preacher to wonder sarcastically why “some of us are not carried dead from our prayers when we go to them, for it is certain many of us can speak our prayers unto God while we cannot heart our prayers unto God.”
In concluding his sermon, the preacher asked his congregation five questions as to why they wanted to be a hypocrite:
1. The first question is the same question that Ahijah the prophet asked Jeroboam’s wife, “Why do you pretend to be another?” (1 Kgs 14:6) O hypocrite, what is the reason you pretend to be a real Christian, since you are indeed not?
2. The second question is, do you think that hypocrisy and the form of religion rather than the substance will bring you to heaven? Practising the form of religion might gain the approval of men, but more should be pursued to gain the approval of God. The word which is spoken of Demetrius—“Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself” (3 Jn 1:12, KJV)—is an excellent combination of both, which all Christians should pursue.
3. The third question is, do you think that you can satisfy God with a profession? The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, as Job says. “Though his excellency mounts up to the heavens, and his head reaches the clouds… he shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found" (Job 20:6–8) O know this: God is One whose eyes are as a flame of fire that can discern the secrets and intents of the heart.
4. The fourth question is this, what a poor advantage you have even if everyone praises you and shouts “Hosanna, hosanna” if Christ shall say to you, “I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil.” (Lk 13:27)
5. The last question is, what poor beauty and excellency is the form of religion? And what exquisite and unspeakable beauty is in the power of religion? What then is the reason for pursuing something that is less beautiful. He suggests two reasons. Firstly, the form of religion is much more easily gotten than the power of it. It is easy to be a Christian by name, but it is not easy to be a Christian by deed. Secondly, it is because some persons can discern the beauty of the form of religion but cannot discern the beauty of the substance of religion. He desires that his congregation pursue after truth in the inward parts.
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About the Preacher
Andrew Gray was born in Edinburgh in 1633. At a young age, he was convicted of the sin of ingratitude by unexpectedly seeing a beggar poured out his heart to God near his home. He thought, “There is a most miserable creature, in the most destitute of all conditions, while I have everything I need, and yet I never made such an acknowledgment of my mercies as that poor creature who does not lie under one tenth of my obligations.”
He was ordained as a pastor in Outer High Kirk Church in Glasgow in 1653, when he was twenty years old. His popularity as a preacher was unparalleled in his day. He rendered doctrine intelligible and practical, for scriptural truths had sunk deeply into his heart and molded his life. He excelled in experiential and practical applications. Both in preaching and in personal life, he accentuated sanctification, as his entire demeanor conveyed genuine piety.
He died when he was only 22 years old, in 1656, before his 23rd birthday after contracting “purple” fever.