Timm's post about rebukes reminded me of an aspect of hypocrisy that people often don't take into consideration when condemning it. Hypocrisy can be as much of a sign that you are on the right path as it is a sign that you are doing wrong. A moral code that you can live up to may work for you, but it is hardly universal. Usually, to not be a hypocrite, one would have to set the bar so low as to hardly be able to call their guiding philosophy a code of morality. Such a thing is self-serving, as it just serves to make you feel good about yourself. For that reason, it is hardly something that others should live their lives by, as it is only universal in the vaguest sense, and probably not useful for them. Certainly not useful for making them improve their character since each person has different flaws and foibles.
This is why it is no vice to be a hypocrite as a Christian, so long as you are trying to not be one. God's law was never designed in such a way that we could live by it (Romans 3:19-20). We know that we are sinners because we can't obey it anymore than Sisyphus can finally push his rock all the way up to the top of the mountain and leave it there. That doesn't make it useless to us; far from it! Rather, it reminds us to work harder, and realize that in our hypocrisy, we are, on some level, like everyone else and need to show compassion toward others accordingly when they fail.
This is why it is no vice to be a hypocrite as a Christian, so long as you are trying to not be one. God's law was never designed in such a way that we could live by it (Romans 3:19-20). We know that we are sinners because we can't obey it anymore than Sisyphus can finally push his rock all the way up to the top of the mountain and leave it there. That doesn't make it useless to us; far from it! Rather, it reminds us to work harder, and realize that in our hypocrisy, we are, on some level, like everyone else and need to show compassion toward others accordingly when they fail.
And to add to what you said, in addition to working harder, I believe it also reminds us of the hope we have in Christ- the One who fulfilled the Law and did live up to that standard. If we merely work harder (which is a necessary part) we miss the whole point of the need for a christ figure. We miss the lesson shared with us via Adam and Eve, via the Israelites, and via our own failures and shortcommings. We need to look to One outside ourselves.
Good point Mike.
j razz