Lights, Camera, Action!

My playground was the theatre. I'd sit and watch my mother pretend for a living. As a young girl, that's pretty seductive.

Gwyneth Paltrow

As I was reading this week I came across an article detailing The Top Ten Historical Impostors and I began to thinking: Who am I and is what I portray to the world who I really am?  Am I doing what is quoted above and pretending for a living and  by doing such am I seducing and being seduced at the same time?

 

Hypocrisy : a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion.

Pretending on stage is referred to as art and theater, but offstage it is hypocrisy and here is what Scripture has to say about it:

1. Job 8:13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:
2. Proverbs 11:9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.
3. Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
4. Matthew 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
5. Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
6. Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
7. Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Not a pretty picture that is painted of the Hypocrite is it?  I do not believe that it is one that many of us want to purse, but how often do we?  How many faces do I wear throughout the week, months, and years of life?  How about you?  This is not about the different roles that we all have in our lives such as Spouse, Parent, Child, Employee, Friend, Disciple and Discipler but rather about who we are on the inside and what God has done for us.


When you are at Church, Work, or just out and about are you the same person that you are at home when no one is watching?

Numbers 32:23But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

Galatians 6:7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

We do nothing in private for God is everywhere at all times watching over His children and sinners alike.  He knows who we are behind the facade that we have built up around ourselves in an attempt to deceive others.  Are we Holy only when we think it counts in public?  How often do we  to ingratiate ourselves to those around us, to ward off trouble, or to simply lift our own ego's at the expense of others?


Nothing is hidden that will not be brought to light and who you are will eventually be exposed for all to see.

What is inside will come out and where your treasure is there will your heart be.  Men, how many " sneak " peaks have you taken of pornography this week?  How long did your stare linger on the women passing by?  Did you neglect the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of your spouse and kids while portraying otherwise to the world?  Women, who have you gossipped about this week?  How many people have you torn down over the phone, the internet, or at the watercooler at work?  Have you neglected your children and husband while watching Dr. Phil, Judge Judy, or your " shows "?

Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

How many people have come into the church by the testimony of others and been hindered by our poor witness?  Why do we so urgently work to spread the Gospel to those most in need and then slam the door on them through our hypocrital lifestyles?  The World does not need a Christ or Christians who are no different than themselves and they have rejected wholesale the notion of carnal christianity.  The proclamation of the Gospel is to be in Truth and our lives should bear out Whose we are and why we are His.  If Christ cannot Transform those who claim to be His why would an unconverted sinner want a limp-wristed Savior?  They don't and we need to quit offering them one.


We are not perfect as Christians and we will not be this side of Eternity, but we are to live in His grace and our lives should be a model of sanctification and Godliness.

Romans 6:1
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Who we are on the inside will show forth by our actions, our words, and our very thoughts. 

Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

John 17:17
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

1 Thessalonians 5:23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are to be continually sanctified through the truth of the word and the work of the Holy Spirit.  We are not perfect but we are to be repentant.  We are commanded to live holy and blameless doing our good works before men so that our Father in Heaven will be glorified ( Matthew 5:16 ).


We must be honest with ourselves and with others.  We fail, falter, and fall but God is there to restore and rejuvenate our lives.  He will never leave His children alone and we must quit acting perfect when everyone including God knows we are not.  Drop the mask, be real, and live according to God's Holy Word because in all reality most of our pretensions are not Broadway caliber performances but rather Carnival Side Show Freaks anyway. 


Be Real. Be Honest. Be Faithful. Be True.