"HYPOKRITES"

20 “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

1 John 4:20

Hypocrites are perhaps some of the most hated people in the world. They condemn the moral failings of other people but commit the same sins themselves. Even the Lord Jesus, being the gracious, understanding Lord that He is, heavily condemns hypocrisy.

We find it relatively easy to spot hypocrisy in others, but it is a dreadful task trying to detect it in ourselves.

What is a Hypocrite?

Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary defines it as “a person who pretends to be something he or she is not.” The Bible uses the Greek term “hypokrites,” which means “an actor, a pretender.” A hypokrites was originally an actor who replied back to the chorus in Greek plays, turning speeches into dialogue. It eventually came to mean someone who pretended to be something that he was not, especially in the moral aspects of life.

In today’s verse, John creates a scenario wherein one claims to love God but hates his brother at the same time. He calls such a person “a liar.” The Greek term used is “pseustēs,” which can be translated as “a false and faithless man.” A liar is not in the truth, as his actions clearly show. With this definition, it wouldn’t be wrong to conclude that such a professor is not a true Christian. In other words, he is a hypocrite.

John explains why he said this. A person who has no love for fellow believers whom he has seen cannot truly have a love for God whom he has not seen. Essentially, John is saying that it is impossible to love God if we do not love our brothers.

Love for God yields love for others. Since we cannot see God, we prove our love for Him by obeying Jesus’ command to love one another. This love is based on Christ’s sacrificial love for us. We love others not because we benefit from them; we love them because it’s we choose to do so.

In this series, we are going to discuss five unmistakable signs of a hypocrite.

Pursue the Savior today!