Christians Are Hypocrites (Defending Christianity)

If you’ve met any unbelievers, then I’m guessing you have heard objections to the Christian faith. Some are easy to dismiss while others require much more knowledge about Christ, the Bible, and the nature of our own souls. Can you respond to criticisms about Christianity? As 1 Peter 3:15 teaches, are you “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you?” One of the first accusations you might have to defend against is simple but should cut us deep. Christians are hypocrites.

They’re Right: Christians Really Are Hypocrites

I recently wrote about how I feel hypocritical as a mother sometimes because I struggle with being consistent with my kids. I simply don’t always practice what I preach, so to speak. Here’s the good news for me. Hypocrisy isn’t unique to motherhood or to me. There’s bad news for all of us, though. Hypocrisy isn’t unique to motherhood or to me. See what I did there?

Before we can address this problem with unsaved friends, family, and aggressive strangers, we must first acknowledge the uncomfortable truth that Christians are hypocrites. Because we’re sinful people in a fallen world, perfection is always going to be out of reach. Therefore, yes, there are times in all of our lives that we fail at living out what we know and proclaim to be right. Certainly, this isn’t bragworthy, but it doesn’t do much good to pretend to be free of any and all hypocrisy. Own it.

Quick note: Not everyone struggles with the same sins as much as others. You might feel this is not applicable to your life. All right. I’ll concede that some are more hypocritical than others, but we all face this issue at one point or another, even if in small measure. If it don’t apply, let it fly.

What The World Sees

We might be able to console ourselves about our hypocrisy if it is a private struggle, but the world watches on as we go about our allegedly private business. They see us in the community, on social media, and as professionals. Apparently, what they see isn’t very impressive.

The Episcopal Church in the United States had a survey conducted by a third party called the Jesus in America study. It focused on how Americans perceived Christians with a specific focus on current cultural issues (e.g., January 6, 2021 and racism). The survey features 3,119 American respondents over eighteen years of age from varied religious backgrounds. The responses were telling.

Of non-religious Americans, 55% view Christians as hypocritical. In fact, it was the number one description that the group gave to characterize believers. Meanwhile, hypocrisy didn’t crack believers’ top ten adjectives for Christians. Evidently, there is a massive disconnect between how non-religious Americans and Christian Americans see believers. This, of course, is not entirely unexpected. Let’s learn from this information, however, rather than pretend it doesn’t matter. We need to know how to address this criticism because it’s a major obstacle to reaching unbelievers.

Christians Are Hypocrites, But They Can Fix It

To begin, take an honest look at yourself. Does your life represent Christian values? Do you live in such a way that your neighbors and coworkers wouldn’t know you’re a Christian? I can’t overstate how significant our walking testimony is as believers.

So, you found some areas in your life that need improvement? Join the club. Be careful now because this is a potential problem spot. The temptation may be to pretend when you’re in public. That approach may feel like you have fixed the hypocrisy problem because your outward behavior matches what you say you believe. In public, at least.

But how are you at home and when you’re alone? Have you repented and had a heart change, or are you just playing a part? If you’re playing a part, then you are still a hypocrite, albeit a shiny, spiffed up one. Pretending to be one thing while being another is hypocrisy despite how well your behavior may line up with the beliefs you claim to hold.

If you discover a hypocritical area in your life, then repent, pray to God for help, and make every effort to improve. Most importantly, own the reality. Faking your “perfect” Christian life hurts other believers, the unsaved, and you. If you’re transparent about this, others will have the blessing of seeing God working in your life and transforming you more into Christlikeness. Not to mention, it gives others the opportunity to encourage you and pray for you.

Hypocrisy Isn’t A Modern Phenomenon

When the Bible said there’s nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9), it wasn’t a joke. Hypocrisy goes all the way back through history, but often the first people who come to mind for many of us when discussing hypocrites are the Pharisees. They appeared righteous to the world, but it was all a show because they focused on what people saw rather than who they were inside.

“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. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 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.” (emphasis mine)

Matthew 23:13-15

Jesus continues on in this manner until He finally says:

“Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”

Matthew 23:33

Can you guess how the Lord views hypocrisy? Unfavorably, right? That final verse might give you pause. If you act like a hypocrite, then maybe you can’t escape Hell… That’s not the case, though, because if you’re a born-again Christian, then you are no longer condemned. Remember what Jesus said in John 10.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

John 10: 27-29

You, believer, are safe in His hands. Thankfully, you can’t lose your salvation. That said, as a believer, you should aim to follow after Him and be more like Christ over time. Sanctification isn’t a suggestion. It’s an evidence of your salvation. In other words, it will happen if you’re saved. After all, you’re a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and you should see fruit of the Spirit develop (Galatians 5:22-23) as old things pass away.

Even The Best Christians Are Hypocrites

Peter. Oh, Peter. We have a good ol’ laugh at him, don’t we? He was so impulsive, flawed, and a carrier of “foot-in-mouth disease.” I think that’s why I love him so much. We can all see a bit of ourselves in Peter, but we also see God use this imperfect person in astounding ways. The Lord really does use unexpected people!

As a human being, though, Peter was caught up in some trouble. He struggled with how to behave among Gentiles and Jews and ended up behaving hypocritically and being called out by Paul.

“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”

Galatians 2:11-13 (ESV)

Peter didn’t slink away into hiding, however, after Paul’s correction. He continued to minister, and Peter even warns against hypocrisy in his first epistle.

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

1 Peter 2:1-3 (ESV)

Peter, much like us, had a long way to go, but it didn’t prevent him from serving the Lord. And he even warned others to avoid sins (i.e., hypocrisy) in which he had engaged. Keep that in mind because you have the opportunity to do that, too. And you should.

Ultimately, I just don’t want you to let moments of hypocrisy derail you from ministering to others.

Of course, being a hypocrite should not be a defining characteristic in your life, but it also shouldn’t make you feel unredeemable. You can come back from it because you don’t need to rely on your own strength. You have God’s strength and wisdom upon which to lean.

How Do We Respond?

With the knowledge that all Christians are hypocrites at some time or another, how do we respond when someone tells us that they won’t be a Christian because “the Church is filled with hypocrites?”

Responding is difficult because it’s easy to get defensive and say Christians are never hypocritical. Tread carefully, though, because we can’t even point to one local church that can stand by such a claim let alone the whole of Christianity. Here’s how I might handle it.

1. Acknowledge Hypocrisy

You really want to throw someone off when they trash talk Christians? Agree with them! Admit that Christians struggle with hypocrisy just like everyone else does because it’s true. Also, readily share with this person that hypocrisy is a sin and God expects more from His children. This is your opportunity to be humble and transparent. So, don’t sabotage the conversation with your pride and the need to defend believers from (correct) accusations.

2. Explain That Christians Aren’t Perfect

I blame believers for the incorrect perception that Christians are “perfect” or “better than everyone else.” We put so much effort into looking the right way on social media and in public sometimes that we promote the false idea that we have spiritually “made it.”

Your run-of-the-mill unbeliever doesn’t know a thing about sanctification. The idea that a Christian will struggle with sin and temptation is new to a lot of people. They see one failing on a Christian’s part, and they think that believer has failed and disproved the gospel. (No pressure, right?)

I like to remind people that if Christians could be perfect, then what would they need Jesus for? He is perfect, and His sacrifice was necessary because I could never earn my own salvation.

With Jesus in mind, who saves? Christians or Christ? So many people say they like Jesus, but they don’t like Christians. Well, He’s perfect, so I suppose I understand the sentiment. But it’s foolish to toss aside Christianity because the humans involved aren’t flawless. In what other context would someone do such a thing?

The free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ isn’t changed or negatively impacted because His followers act like imperfect people. He is Lord. They are fallen people. Have realistic expectations. 

3. Challenge Incorrect Perceptions

A huge issue we face in modern culture is the modern culture. The narrative around Christianity is that it is based on love and acceptance. Unfortunately, that’s all wrong.

Christianity is about love…God’s love for us as seen through the gospel. On the other hand, society thinks love is to be undiscerning about right and wrong. Instead, we should support nearly everything and everyone. Not the conservative stuff, of course, but everything else. This might require dismantling someone’s long-held beliefs about what it means to be a Christian.

No matter how deep you get into this conversation, make sure you explain love. First, we see love through the Jesus’ work on the cross. Second, believers display love for God when they don’t accept and support literally everything because sin is disobedience to God. We’re talking about the same God (the only God) who, though we could never earn it, gave us everlasting life through His Son’s sacrifice. Third, love is telling others about their sin and need for a Savior rather than watching them spiral into deeper and deeper sin. How much must I hate someone to know how they can be saved and keep it to myself?

4. Not All Christians Are Christians

A lot of people call themselves Christians who are simply not believers. There’s no fruit, they rely on their own works, they live as if God doesn’t exist, and/or they vaguely believe in a god. No matter how they may present in daily life, they are not born again.

These would-be Christians are not always just the Easter and Christmas visitors. Some sit in our churches, serve in ministries, or even fill leadership positions in churches. Don’t hesitate to explain to an unbeliever that calling oneself a Christian doesn’t make you one. Help them understand those hypocrites in their crosshairs may not be truly saved. This alleged hot take gets me a lot of criticism, but it’s unwarranted because I’m just sharing what we see clearly in God’s Word.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Matthew 7:21-23

Final Thought

Don’t let someone’s accusations of your faith take you by surprise. Be prepared for what critics will say and have a response. I’m positive hypocrisy will come up eventually because, friend, Christians are hypocrites. Sometimes, at least. And the world watches us and waits for us to mess up. There are people rooting for us to fail as a Church and on a personal level, too.

Are you ready to engage in these difficult conversations? I encourage you to think through this objection to Christianity, own your personal failures, and always point critics back to Christ.

What objections have you heard about Christianity?

Image courtesy of Sander Sammy via Unsplash.