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“I don’t want to be a Christian because there are too many hypocrites in the Church.” Have you heard that before or said it yourself? It’s one of the main ideas that discourages people from following Jesus–Christians seemingly not living according to what they say they believe.

Biblically, the word hypocrite carries the idea of having a hard heart or lacking sincerity and genuineness (Matthew 23:27-28; 1 Peter 2:1), but are Christians really guilty of this? Here are two ways you might explain discrepancies between a Christian’s profession of faith and their actions.

1. True Christians are still a work in progress.

When a person becomes a Christian, God forgives them of the eternal penalty for their sins and that person begins a relationship with God. In theological terms, you might hear this described as justification.

There’s another theological word called sanctification. Sanctification describes the process by which God makes a believer in Jesus holy and obedient to His Word in our lifestyle and matures us in our faith. The Bible is clear that living a holy life and obeying God’s commands are not optional for Christians, and we can’t have a casual attitude about holiness and obedience. (John 14:15-24; 1 Peter 1:13-16; 1 John 2:1-6)

The Bible also teaches us that the sanctification process begins the moment we believe in Jesus, and it won’t be fully completed until the day Jesus returns for His Church. (Philippians 1:6) In other words, spiritual growth takes time.

So, when you encounter a Christian who does something that contradicts our faith, or sins, or says something that isn’t totally theologically accurate it’s not necessarily because they’re willfully being a hypocrite. It’s most likely because they are a work in progress (like we all are) and true Christians still sin and make mistakes at times. I know I do.

As you follow me online or get to know me in real life, you’re not only going to see the part of me that loves Jesus passionately and loves teaching people about Him. Chances are you’re going to get a glimpse of my weaknesses and mess-ups too. I might even disappoint you at some point. I’m trusting God to continually help me learn and grow, just like you are.

As Christians mature in our faith, we’ll progressively sin less often. As 1 John 3:4-10 says, children of God won’t make a practice, or a habit, of sinning. But being a Christian doesn’t mean you’re perfect. It means you’ve been forgiven by Jesus, you’re following Him with your life, and you’re letting Him transform you from the inside out.

If you’re a Christian struggling to live a holy life or you’re young in your journey of spiritual maturity, don’t live in fear that you aren’t truly saved. I love what Isaac David from Daily Disciple had to say about this, because I’ve struggled with the same thing. Have you have responded biblically to Jesus’ gift of salvation by repenting and putting your faith in Him, and are you bearing fruit of sincerely pursuing Jesus and growing in relationship with Him? If the answer is yes, remember that Jesus is committed to the good work He begun in you when you first believed. (Philippians 1:6)

2. Not everyone who believes they are a Christian actually is one.

Here’s a tough truth. There are people who say they are Christians and people who believe they are Christians who are not. (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46-49) Alot of this comes from misunderstandings people have about what it means to be a Christian. You’re not a Christian because you were raised by a Christian family, or you go to church, or you casually prayed a salvation prayer at some point in your life, or you were baptized as a kid, or you like the teachings of Jesus.

A Christian is someone who has put their faith in Jesus to save them from their sins and surrendered their life to following Him. If you have not believed in Jesus in your heart and turned away from sin to follow Him instead (repentance), then biblically you are not a follower of Jesus. (More on repentance in this Instagram video and podcast by Phylicia Masonheimer and this sermon by my pastor, Isaac Bennett)

Genuine faith in Jesus will express itself, not in perfection, but in a sincere pursuit of Jesus and His ways. Genuine faith in Jesus will express itself in someone progressively not making a habit of sinning anymore, but rather you’ll have growing godly desires, thoughts, and actions, and a changed life over time. (Ephesians 4:17-24) A lack of those things (what the Bible calls “fruit”) indicates a possibility that a person hasn’t genuinely placed their faith in Christ.

When you encounter someone whose beliefs and actions consistently don’t match their profession of faith in Christ and there’s no real remorse about that or desire to change and grow, it might be because that person sincerely believes they are a Christian but according to the biblical definition they are not. And, therefore, they aren’t bearing the fruit of being a Christian.

If you’re realizing, “hey, I’ve actually never truly given my life to Jesus,” you can today. Jesus’ free gift of forgiveness, relationship with God, and eternal life is available to everyone who would trust in Him for salvation. He loves you and He’s waiting with open arms to welcome you into His family. Here’s more about how to start a relationship with Jesus.

Christians Won’t Be Perfect, But We Should Be Sincere

Christians, let’s take seriously the fact that we represent Jesus through our lives to a watching world. We’ll make mistakes, but let’s do our best, in His strength, to represent Him well and be willing to acknowledge when we make mistakes.

To my not-yet-Christian friends: I know it can be off-putting when you encounter a Christian (or someone who claims to be) not be representing Jesus well at a certain moment and, honestly, it should be. It grieves us too when we as individuals or our fellow Christians fall short of God’s standard, even with the best intentions to honor Him in every way. But I hope this chat has given you some context as to why that might happen sometimes and how to process it. 

I would encourage you with this: Ask yourself, “are the claims of Jesus and the Bible valid and true on their own merit?” If so, then He’s worthy of your trust and devotion, even if His people don’t represent Him well all the time. And remember, when you become a follower of Jesus you’ll be growing and learning too and you might not represent Him perfectly all the time either.

Lastly, know that God can lead you to friendships with sincere Christians who are truly pursuing Jesus and trying to please Him with their lives–people who can be good examples of faith in Jesus to you and good people to talk with about your spiritual questions. I’m praying for you that He will.

Let’s Talk: How has this discussion changed your view of the accusation that Christians are hypocrites? Discuss this post in the comments below.