“It is to our
advantage not to sample the free gifts and give-away graces of stage play
saints, applauding and drinking ourselves drunk with their admiration.
Christ is not
"ashamed to call" the poorest saints "brethren," but He
despises to have His name seen upon a rotten-hearted hypocrite Hebrews 2:11.
Of all sinners the
hypocrite does the most harm in this world and therefore will have the most
torment in the other world. And yet it is religion, which has consistently
proved to be the most effective bait of hypocrites, as they seek to snare
others into their error and sin while posing as children of God. Ehud, for
example, could not have chosen a better key to open the doors into King Eglon's
presence than to say he had brought a message from God. This caused such
expectation and confidence that Eglon welcomed him. When the two were alone,
the king rose to hear the Word of the Lord from the deceiver-- but what he
received instead was brutal death Judges 3:14-30.
I confess the
hypocrite may act his part so well that he may accidentally do some good. His
glistening profession, heavenly speech, and eloquent preaching might bring to
the sincere seeker a measure of real comfort. Like an actor at center stage who
stirs up passion in the audience by counterfeit tears, the hypocrite, playing
his religious role, may temporarily spark the believer's true graces. But that
is when the Christian may be in the most serious danger, for he will not
readily suspect the person who once helped him spiritually.
It would have been
far better had Sisera the Canaanite done without Jael's butter and milk than to
be nailed to the tent floor, having been fooled by that woman's seeming
hospitality. Thus it is to our advantage not to sample the free gifts and
give-away graces of stage play saints, applauding and drinking ourselves drunk
with their admiration. Sometimes a calculated distance from the hypocrite is
the safest way to avoid having our heads nailed by errors.”
Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete
Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell.
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