The Danger of Hypocrisy (Part I)

God desires integrity in His children, and one of the things that stops a believer from a life of integrity is hypocrisy!

Vindicate me, O Lord,
For I have walked in my integrity.
I have also trusted in the Lord;
I shall not slip.
2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
3 For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Your truth.
4 I have not sat with idolatrous mortals,
Nor will I go in with hypocrites.
5 I have hated the assembly of evildoers,
And will not sit with the wicked.

6 I will wash my hands in innocence;
So I will go about Your altar, O Lord,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And tell of all Your wondrous works.
8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house,
And the place where Your glory dwells. Psalm 26:1-8

But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
12 My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the Lord. Psalm 26:11-12

Hypocrite (According to Strong’s Dictionary G5237):

1. one who answers, an interpreter, 2. an actor, stage player 3. a dissembler, pretender, hypocrite

In the above passage, David looked to the Lord to vindicate him. He must have been accused of doing evil, but he was looking to the Lord to deliver him and vindicate him. It is not clear of the circumstances that caused him to write the above passage. However, we do know that Saul chased David for year because he was afraid of David’s popularity and his attempt to take the throne.

The above definition about a hypocrite tells us that a hypocrite is an actor. Hypocrites play the game well. They act like they someone they are not. The know how to pretend.

David declared that he wasn’t going to align himself with the hypocrites, evildoers, or with the wicked ones. Interestingly, he placed all those three groups of people in similar category. I would imagine there were people in Saul’s camp who acted like they were on his side, but they might have disliked him or even plotted against him. On the other hand, while David was chased by Saul, he refused to join their camp. He remained a person of integrity and served God. Instead of  joining those with wicked intent against the king, he sough the Lord’s vindication.

Hypocrisy may look like a way of survival to not get into trouble with those in power.  However, hypocrisy causes a person to lose their integrity and act like someone that they are not. It can also damages someone’s true identity when the person continues to try to be someone they are not.

Have you tried to pretend to fit in? Have you acted in order to be accepted?  Are you able to show courage and be true to what you believe!?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

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