The hypocrite, certainly, is a secret atheist; for if he did believe there was a God, he durst not be so bold as to deceive Him to His face.
A Puritan Golden Treasury, compiled by I.D.E. Thomas, by permission of Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 2000, p. 151.
It is not the being seen of men that is wrong, but doing these things for the purpose of being seen of men. The problem with the hypocrite is his motivation. He does not want to be holy; he only wants to seem to be holy. He is more concerned with his reputation for righteousness than about actually becoming righteous. The approbation of men matters more to him than the approval of God.
Reverence is that affection of the soul which proceeds from deep apprehensions of God and indicates a mind that is much conversant with Him. To manifest irreverence in the things of God is to manifest hypocrisy, and that the heart agrees not with the tongue.
The Reformed Pastor, Chapter 2, Section 2.
Hypocrisy can plunge the mind of a man into a dark abyss, when he believes his own self-flattery instead of God’s verdict.
It is a sad thing to be Christians at a supper, heathens in our shops, and devils in our closets.
A Puritan Golden Treasury, compiled by I.D.E. Thomas, by permission of Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 2000, p. 152.
The hypocrite (Greek- hupokrites) was originally an actor. Theatrical make-up in those days took the form of a mask which the actor wore. On it would be painted the character and the mood which the actor portrayed. It might be a smiling face which hid the sad heart of the actor behind it. It might be a face of virtue which hid behind it a life of vice. In acting there can be a great discrepancy between the part which is played and the reality of the life which lies behind it… The same can be true of faith. We can profess much and possess little. Indeed there is always the temptation in Christian fellowships to pretend to be something other than what we are.
Grow in Grace, 1989, p. 133, by permission Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA.
A hypocrite says one thing but means something else. He pretends to do one thing but intends to do another. He is play-acting, dissembling. He is hiding his real face under a mask.
Matthew, Baker, 1973, p. 802.
If men’s religion prevails not to conquer and cure the wickedness of their hearts, it shall not always serve for a cloak. The day is coming when hypocrites will be stripped of their fig-leaves.
In the lives of many churchgoers today, there is a yawning chasm between profession and action, professed faith and works – and that chasm gives the lie to people’s loud claims to real faith.
Taken from James by Kent Hughes, copyright 1991, Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton Illinois 60187, p. 115, www.crosswaybooks.org.
Parents, take inventory in your own hearts. Do you thirst for God as the deer pants after the water? Or is your own life sending your children a message of hypocrisy and spiritual indifference? Is our own commitment to Christ what you hope to see in your children’s lives? Is your obedience to His Word the same kind of submission you long to see from your own kids? These are crucial question each parent must face if we really want to be successful parents and good role models for our children. Parents who are lax in these areas virtually guarantee that their sons and daughters will fail spiritually.
Successful Christian Parenting, Word Publishing, 1998, p. 23-24.
In many ways, the attitude of obedience is much more vital than the act, because if the attitude is right, the act will naturally follow. But the right action with the wrong attitude is nothing but hypocrisy.
Successful Christian Parenting, Word Publishing, 1998, p. 126.
It is always a temptation to neglect the private inward service for the sake of the public outward service. Jesus called this inversion of priorities hypocrisy (Matthew 6:1-18). Our Father sees and rewards in the secret place. It is our love of appearances, our need to make an impression, which neglects that secret place.
Blog Post: The Cathedral Within, September 22, 2010, Used by Permission.
If Jesus is a wonderful Savior in every way except where we are the most hypocritical, then He is no Savior for us.
Blog Post: Drawing Near in 2012, December 2011, Used by Permission.
This religion is of a sort that is public, and not private; plenty abroad, but none at home; plenty without, but none within; plenty in the tongue, but none in the heart. They are altogether unprofitable, good for nothing, they bear no fruit.
Home at Last!
Of all the things in the world that stink in the nostrils of men, hypocrisy is the worst.
It is a terribly easy matter to be a minister of the gospel and a vile hypocrite at the same time.
Because there is one hypocrite, met set down all the rest the same. I heard one man say that he did not believe there was a true Christian living, because he had found so many hypocrites. I reminded him that there could be no hypocrites if there were no genuine Christians. No one would try to forge bank notes if there were no genuine ones.
1.171.
A hypocrite wants to impress others with an external façade of religious piety that he knows is devoid of internal spiritual substance.
One Thing, Christian Focus, © Enjoying God Ministries, 2004, p.12. www.enjoyinggodministries.com. Used by Permission.
May God deliver us from a ho-hum attitude. Young people can read their parents. They can see right through their teachers, and they turn away in disgust from a make-believe faith.
Who Said That? 1994, Moody, p. 245.
