(Psa 32:1-2 NLT) A psalm of David. Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! (2) Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
One tragic result of the legal,
constitutional reading of scripture is rampant hypocrisy. Jesus said that the
leaven of the Pharisees was their doctrine and that it was hypocrisy (Matt
16:12 & Luke 12:1.) So, breaking this down Jesus said that the teaching of
the Pharisees, including their legal, constitutional reading of scripture was hypocrisy.
It meant that their teaching ultimately led to hypocrisy because in reality
they could only be righteous by imputation. I say without fear that the current
evangelical teaching-doctrine about scripture ultimately leads to hypocrisy. As
I have shown over and over on this blog it is akin to the teaching and doctrine
of the Pharisees and it flies in the face of the teaching of Jesus and his
apostles.
The result is that few if any evangelicals
can truly be open and honest with their lives. They have their Sunday face,
Sunday clothes, Sunday behavior, Sunday way of speaking, and Sunday way of
thinking and in large part it is simply a façade. In reality they are fearful
of ever showing the real person that they are. This is truly so sad because it
is completely unnecessary and totally unbiblical. Thus they are merely play acting
and that is the very definition of hypocrisy. David essentially said, tell the
truth and shame the devil… well, actually he said live the truth and shame the
devil. When one lives their lives completely honestly they avoid hypocrisy.
ALL OF US have messy lives to one degree or
another. And, if our lives are not obviously messy at this moment, trust me,
they have been very messy in the past, and there is potential for mess up the
line.
David did not worry about it because he knew that his sin was not imputed to
him. He also knew that God’s righteousness was imputed to him for his faith and
belief.
Solomon wrote this; (Pro 3:5-6) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (6) In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
I once preached a sermon entitled “in ALL
YOUR WAYS acknowledge Him. *All your ways* means precisely to live life
honestly. Acknowledge the Lord in your good ways, and acknowledge his presence
in your not so good ways. Be honest, be yourself… don’t try to hold yourself
out as some great example of righteousness, ( I speak this especially to those
in ministry) Take yourself down off the pedestal… Lift up Jesus and his amazing
grace. After all, didn’t he say “if I be lifted up I will draw all people to
me?”
Let your hair down, let your guard down, live
life honestly!
