Love Without Hypocrisy

To begin today, let's turn and read Romans 12, verses 1-2. In the book of Romans, Paul is admonishing and encouraging Christ's followers to live a life of willing submission and self-sacrifice to God. And in these particular verses, Romans 12, verses 1-2, Paul emphasizes that once we commit ourselves to God and His way of life through baptism and laying on of hands, we must thereafter live according to God's will. And so here, Romans 12, verses 1-2, we read, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And so, in short, we must stop living like the world does. We got a good picture of that in the previous message today. We must not be focusing our lives upon ourselves as so often happens around us in the world, a world filled with pride, a world opposed to God, His law, and way of life. Instead, we must allow God's Holy Spirit, working with His holy scriptures in our hearts and minds, to so impact us that the very way we think, speak, and act is changed, and we become more like God. That's our goal. And then, dropping down a little further, let's look at verses 9 through 23. It's a list here. Paul lists many good works that we are to be striving to do with God's help, help of His Spirit, and through living faith in Jesus Christ. Now, these good works include esteeming others better than ourselves, includes practicing hospitality, and let's see, repaying no one evil for evil, but only with the help of God's Holy Spirit working in us are we able to turn this list of words into truly good works, into action, and into a new way of thinking, speaking, and doing, whereby we will become less like the world and more like God and Christ.

In today's message, the second message, we will be focusing upon the meaning and application of Paul's first statement found here in Romans 12 verse 9. That statement, the New King James version reads, let love be without hypocrisy. Let love be without hypocrisy.

Now, this concise admonition bears great meaning, which we will consider today. And I've entitled today's sermon, a split sermon, Love Without Hypocrisy. Love without hypocrisy. Now, we need to seek to understand the important meaning of Paul's admonition, let love be without hypocrisy. In fact, if you take out the two italicized words, it actually reads, love without hypocrisy.

Let it be, or something editors have added. In particular, then, we're going to consider the meaning of two words or phrases here, love and then without hypocrisy. The word love here is the Greek word agape, which can broadly mean benevolence and goodwill. But in Scripture, agape describes God and the love of the Father has towards Christ, and the love Christ has towards the Father, and of course the love they have towards us, and the love they want us to have towards them and to everyone, towards all humanity.

The same love is what we are to be growing in, and especially, I might say, towards our brethren, to those in the body of Christ. Now, if you put a marker here, a bookmark, ribbon, whatever you might have here in Romans 12, we're going to be coming back to this after we look at a few Scriptures.

I'm going to look at a few Scriptures that help to define, to make sure we are all clear, the basic understanding of the love of God. So, hold your place here. Let's look back to John. Turn over to John 15. John 15 verses 9 through 13. John 15, 9 through 13, we see that agape, as revealed in God's commandments, defines the bond and relationship of God and Christ for each other, and yes, for us as well. John 15 verse 9, Jesus said, As the Father loved me, I also have loved you.

Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you, and greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

Now, God's commandments define love. That's ten commandments, how we are to live lives of willing and loving obedience and service to God, of loving service to neighbor. And in John 13 verse 34 through 35, John 13, 34, 35, Jesus made clear our need to love one another as he has loved us. Again, John 13, 34, Jesus says, A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

You get the point? We're to love one another. By this, all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Jesus is emphasizing just how vital it is that we're to be striving to love one another in accordance with God's law and Christ on example. Our agape towards one another is to be an identifying, distinguishing quality that marks us out from other people, that distinguishes us as Christ's disciples and followers.

And so, yes, we must practice daily repentance. We must seek God's help in improving how do we live our lives according to His law. And as Matthew 19, we can read this quickly, Matthew 19 verse 17 through 19, make clear, Matthew 19, 17 through 19, Jesus was not referring to some new commandment of love.

He's not commandment of, be nice, thou shalt be nice. That should be understood from keeping the ten. Now some try to argue it's a different commandment. No, He's referring to the ten commandments. Matthew 19 verse 17, we're going to start in the middle of verse 17, more or less. He's responding to a question was asked, and he says, but if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. And the young man who had asked a question said to him, which ones?

Good student, good question. And Jesus said, well, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness on your father and your mother. And then kind of summarize it, he says, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Now can there be any doubt he's referring to the ten commandments? Apparently there is, but there should not be to us in God's body, in Christ's body, the church. Jesus Christ lived according to the ten commandments, God's ten commandments, and in their fuller spiritual intent. Certainly, if we hope to receive eternal life and salvation, then we must, through faith in Christ's sacrifice and with the help of God's Holy Spirit, we must be striving to live by these same ten commandments. And then in 1 John chapter 4 verse 8, towards the back in 1 John 4 verse 8, John states explicitly that God is love, God is agape. And then notice as we continue reading verses 8 through 11, verse 8, then, he who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that he has sent his only begotten son into the world, that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. And so again, if we truly desire to fulfill our Father's calling, if we want to have eternal life, if we want to become his divine sons and daughters, then we know we're to be a resisting sin in our lives, which is rebellion against these laws, rebelling against God himself, and love one another, keeping his commandments.

Now, hold your place here, and let's go back to Romans 12, verse 9. So I got you holding in two places. Hold in 1 John 4, and we're going to flip back now to Romans 12, verse 9.

And so now again, we're approaching an understanding of this phrase Paul says, love without epoxy. He's referring then to a love that goes far beyond love that is a friendship, filio love. It's filio, it can be a general term for love. He's talking more about love than just being nice to people. Agape is the love that God is and has towards us in all humanity. It's a love described in his commandments. It's a love that was exemplified by Jesus Christ, given his himself for all humanity. That's the love we're to be learning, developing, practicing as we strive with God's help to transform, to become more like God. And so now that takes us to the next word or Greek word, but it comes up as a phrase in English in Romans 12, 9, and we need to define it. Define it. The second word is anopokritos. Greek is not necessarily an easy thing for me to pronounce at times. It's spelled A-N-U-P-O-K-R-I-T-O-S. I usually get one or two people wanting to know how did you spell that, so that's why. This word is often translated as the phrase as we see here without hypocrisy. In English, it's two words. It can also be translated as unfamed, sincere, genuine, or authentic. Other Bible translations read this way. The RSV reads, Let love be genuine. The NIV reads, Let love be sincere. The NLT New Living Translation using more of our vernacular of today puts it this way, Don't just pretend to love others. That one rings. I can hear that. Don't just pretend to love others. We must aim to love others and God, then, without any pretense, without hypocrisy. Now, flipping back to 1 John 4, 20 through 21. Here, 1 John 4, 20 and 21, John emphasizes this very same point that Paul is making. 1 John 4, 20. If someone says, I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from him, we have from God, that he who loves God must love his brother also.

So it's vital that we be striving to love God and others without hypocrisy. The Bible, in fact, contains many warnings and examples against the pretense of love. We're going to consider some examples. Let's turn to Psalm 55. Back in Psalm 55, we read part of a lament of David. David laments the hurtful deceitfulness of a false friend. If any of you ever felt the hurt of a false friend, I suspect we all have. Psalm 55, verses 12-14, here's what David says about the pretense of love. For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me, who has exalted himself against me, then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion, my acquaintance, we'd say my friend. We took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in the throng. Someone who knew so well, we'd say they went to services together. They worshiped together. Verse 21, also, let's look at verse 21. He said, the words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. His words were softer than oil, and yet they were drawn swords. He knew what the pretense of love felt like. Now, the Bible also provides vivid examples of love, the wrong sort of love, the love with hypocrisy, kind of the contrast, the type of love we do not want to be practicing. It's a type of love. A love with hypocrisy is what God hates, and so must we. Let's turn over to 2 Samuel next, 2 Samuel chapter 20. And here we find the example of Joab and his malice towards Amasa. 2 Samuel chapter 20, a little backdrop. If it's been a while since you read this section of the Bible, Joab and Amasa were cousins. They were cousins. They were also David's nephews. Each of them a nephew from a different sister of David's. But during Absalon's rebellion—Apsalon was David's son—during Absalon's rebellion against King David, these two cousins led the opposing armies. Joab was with King David, and Amasa was with Absalon. Now, Joab could be a very vengeful and violent man, a very cruel man. When Joab's army routed the army of Absalon, and then Joab discovered Absalon trapped by his long hair in the branches of the tree.

Joab at that point thrust three spears into Absalon's heart.

By doing that, he cruelly disobeyed David's order, which was to deal gently with Absalon.

And in turn, King David punished Joab. King David punished Joab by replacing him with Amasa as commander of his army. That must have been a pretty hard blow for Joab. Now, all this is leading up to what we're going to read here. It leads up to Joab's feigned love, his pretense of love, and the treachery he acted with against Amasa. Now, again, Joab was a very vengeful man. And we pick up the narrative now. 2 Samuel 20, verses 8-12.

Look what happened when Amasa happened to meet Joab and his men. Verse 8, Now when they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came before them. Now Joab was dressed in battle armor. On it was a belt with a sword fastened in its sheath at his hips. And as he was going forward, it fell out. And then Joab said to Amasa, Are you in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab's hand, apparently with his other hand, and he struck him with it in the stomach.

And his entrails poured out on the ground. It's not a pretty image at all. And he did not strike him again. He didn't need to strike him again. And thus he died. Now, I think you'd agree with me, this is a very gruesome act of murder. And also what he treacherous betrayal Joab made under the pretense of love. But there's an even more infamous example of betrayal that we are familiar with. And it also includes a kiss of friendship. We can pick up the narrative of that incident in Matthew chapter 26. Matthew chapter 26 verse 14 through 18. And this we pick up here with Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot, of course, the disciple and a friend of Jesus of Nazareth. And it also includes the paltry sum of 30 pieces of silver.

Matthew 26 verse 14, picking up the narrative here. Then one of the twelve called Judas Iscariot went to the chief priest and he said, What are you willing to give me if I deliver him, Jesus, to you? And they counted out to him 30 pieces of silver. And so from that time, he, Judas, sought opportunity to betray him. Now, apparently days later on the night of Passover, Judas maintained, as we can see, Judas maintained this pretense of love before his friends and before Jesus as well. Now, verse 20. When evening had come, Jesus sat down with the twelve. Now, as they were eating, he said, He said assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray me. And they were exceedingly sorrowful, all of them. And each of them began to say to him, Lord, is it I? They're broken up at this, that it could possibly be them. And he answered and said, He who dipped his hand with me in the dish will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would have been good for that man if he had not been born. And then Judas, who was betraying him, he answered and said, Rabbi, is it I?

Probably with eyes blinking innocent. Is it I?

And he said to him, You have said it.

Now, later that same night, Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. Verse 45 through 50. Then he came to his disciples, and he said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand. And while he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude of swords and clubs, came from the chief priest and elders of the people. Now his betrayer had given them a sign saying, Whomever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him. And immediately he went up to Jesus and said, Greetings, Rabbi! And kissed him. But Jesus said to him, Friend, why have you come? And then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took him. Judas' betrayal of Jesus may remind us of what we just read. What we just read in Psalm 55, 13-14, a few minutes ago. But it was you, a man of my equal. New English translation reads, A man like me, my companion, my acquaintance, we took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in the throng. They worshiped together.

Again, another odious example of pretense and love with hypocrisy.

Now surely, surely, we could never do anything remotely akin to what Joab and Judas Iscariot did. We couldn't do that. Or could we?

If we could not do that, then why would Paul admonish us to love without hypocrisy? There's something within us that could possibly do that. Of course, the truth is, in various ways, any of us can betray our calling from God. We could betray our calling from God by not striving earnestly to be repenting and practicing God's law and way of love sincerely and genuinely as we ought to do. Any of us could slip into practicing a mere facade or pretense of God's love. How? Well, let's be turning to Ezekiel. Let's be turning back to Ezekiel chapter 33. Ezekiel 33 verses 30-32. Ezekiel 33, 32-32. Here God revealed to Ezekiel the hypocrisy of his God's people who love to hear Ezekiel speak. They love to hear Ezekiel speak, but they fail to do what he said. And as we read these verses, I think we must ask ourselves, could we do this?

Ezekiel 33 verse 30. As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and the doors of the houses. They speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord. So we get this sense, they're talking to each other, encouraging. Let's go hear what Ezekiel's going to say this time. Let's go hear these words from God. Verse 31. This is God speaking to Ezekiel as we read. So they come to you as people do. They come to you as people do. They sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them. For with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. And indeed, you are to them as a very lovely, delightful, pretty song of one who has a pleasant voice and could play well on an instrument. For they hear your words, but they do not do them. They do not do them. And so here God describes his people's superficial love for him and his word. We get the sense here that with great enthusiasm they urge one another to gather. Let's hear Ezekiel preach God's word. They are eager to sit before Ezekiel among their family, their friends, community members, neighbors, and so show themselves as being God's holy and obedient people. Holy and obedient people. In his Bible commentary, Albert Barnes states that they only assumed the attitude of God's people listening to his prophet. They only assumed the attitude of God's people listening to his prophet. Now, why would they do that? Well, as verse 31 states, although they showed much love—love here is not agape or a similar Hebrew word that would mean something similar of love towards God—this love is egeb, the Hebrew e-g-e-b. It means delight, pleasure. They showed much delight and pleasure. But they're love. In other words, their hearts were set upon their own interest and upon their own gain. That's what we see in verse 31. They show you much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. The Hebrew word for gain here is betze, B-E-T-S-A, and it's often translated as covetousness. They had their own ideas that they would—other things they'd rather do. And so, theirs was a mere show of love, not actual devotion to do the things Ezekiel preached. Their love for God was not genuine. They mouthed the correct words about loving God, and it seems that they may have truly enjoyed hearing Ezekiel's words. They may have said something like that was really a good, meaty message today.

Yet they did not do what God through Ezekiel instructed them to do. They did what they wanted to do. They pursued their own interests, their own desires, contrary to God. They loved God with hypocrisy because they heard but did not do. And again, it's the same warning I'm sure we're all very familiar with from James 1.22. James 1.22, but be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. deceiving ourselves.

You might put this image in your mind's eye as you think about what they were doing. It's as if the people kissed—it's as if the people kissed God on the cheek and listening to these words, but then betrayed him by not doing what he said.

Again, would we ever do such a thing? Betray God in his instruction. That's something we need to ponder on. Now, multiple times, Jesus instructed his followers not to be hypocrites in their worship of God. He had some very specific instruction about that at times. Let's be turning now to Matthew 6. Let's be turning now to Matthew 6. And yes, Jesus especially condemned the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes. Pharisees and scribes proudly thought that they were the embodiment of righteousness. But Jesus also taught everyone to have a right relationship with God, a relationship based upon sincere love, not motivated by pride, a sincere love without epoxy. And we see some of his instruction over in Matthew 6. Let's read a bit here. Matthew 6, verses 1 through 4, for example, here Christ gives instruction about doing charitable deeds. Matthew 6, verse 1, Jesus said, Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. That's pretty much it. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward, will himself reward you openly. And so, we need to remember this instruction. Our good deeds, we do, we are to do them, should not be motivated by a desire to be noticed by others, desire to look good before others, or desire to make a name for ourselves. You see, all that's about human pride and vanity. That's about pumping up our ego. True charity, as Jesus is explaining here, is motivated by God's love and compassion, and a sincere desire to help another. And so, please God. If we continue in verse 5 through 6, even our personal and private prayer should be given from a humble and sincere heart. God does not hear prayers, it seems, if they are motivated by pride or a desire to simply appear righteous before others. Here, Jesus said, verse 5, And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly I say to you, and they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. So again, our prayers are not to be a show. It's not a show off contest. See who can pray the longest or the loudest. That's not what it's about when you're striving to love without hypocrisy. Let's look also at verses 16 through 18. Christ instructs even that our fasting, of course, must not be done as a show of pride. Fasting is not about appearances. Verse 16, Jesus said, Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites. I think we're getting that message. Do not be like the hypocrites, for they said, countenance. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to be fastened. Everyone's going to know that I am fasting. Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, make yourself look good, wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting. But to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret, He will reward you openly.

Our relationship with God and our worship must be genuine and sincere. Our relationship with God must not be artificial. It must not be contrived. It must not be fake.

What more should we remember when it comes to loving others without hypocrisy?

We find some more valuable instruction over in 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verses 1 through 3. 1 Corinthians 13, of course, is often nicknamed the love chapter.

In the first three verses of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul provides a sobering moral, or we might call it a moral or spiritual equation. An equation about having only the appearance of God's love without actually practicing God's love.

Again, it's this moral or spiritual equation about having only the appearance of God's love without actually practicing God's love. The outcome of this sort of equation is nothing. You get zilch. You get nada for this sort of fake love. We've seen this moral equation before, you see. It's the kissing of a cheek in love but without practicing love. It's the making a show of love without actually practicing love. And that's what we see in verse 1. 1 Corinthians 13, verse 1.

Paul writes, Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding or noisy brass or a clanging cymbal.

Here Paul directly addressed the high values. In this context, he's addressing the very high value the Corinthians happened to place on the gift of tongues, the ability to speak in different languages. And such a wonderful gift would make one appear to be filled with God's love. But it could also become a source of pride for some. It could also, on the other hand, become a source of jealousy for others. And so Paul's point is that unless such a gifted person has and practices God's love, agape, his gift of tongues is just so much noise. It's just a bunch of racket. Having the appearance of God's love without practicing God's love is nothing like strident music without a tune, without a melody. Now Paul continues in this similar strain in verse 2. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, there's the equation, I am nothing. It equals nothing without love.

Again, Paul lists more wonderful gifts. And again, human pride can arise from having the gift of prophecy, as inspired teaching, or of having particular knowledge. And any of us can get caught up in thinking we have special, secret, mysterious knowledge most people don't understand. But we do. We do. We can even have great faith as Jesus taught. Yet all of these are vanity. All these are worthless if one does not actually try to practice God's love.

Unless we genuinely strive to love our neighbor, our gifts, our abilities are nothing.

All our knowledge, our supernosis, our super knowledge we think we have that's so superior to others, it doesn't matter if we don't have love. No matter how vast we may think our knowledge or faith to be, we will not receive eternal life without practicing love. We will be nothing in that sense. In verse 3, and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing. It equals nothing. To give all that we have to the poor, even to the point of suffering terrible martyrdom, would seem to be most wonderful good works. But again, without love, without agape motivating us, sincerely they gain us nothing. They gain us nothing if we are not actually motivated by God's love. If our giving is motivated by pride or desire for recognition, but not by that sincere love for God and neighbor, then our sacrifices gain us no advantage. Without agape, our efforts are as nothing to God. That's God's view. Now, one of Paul's key points here, then, is that we must love others with the genuine love of God. It's a love that is founded upon God's love towards us, and that we bear by His Holy Spirit, which He places in us. We reflect God's love through faith in Christ's sacrifice and through our willing obedience to His commandments, through repentance from sin and living God's love which is unfamed, without pretense, and without hypocrisy. As we read first at the start of this message in Romans 12, verse 2, we are no longer to conform to the world but to be transformed by allowing God's Spirit and His Holy Scripture to help change our minds so that we become more like God. Love. We must not merely profess our love for God or His Word or His way of life. We must do much more than kiss the cheek of God in a faint of show of love for God and neighbor. As A.T. Robertson wrote, fainting love, pretended love, is no love at all. Pretended love is no love at all.

And so it's imperative that we love without hypocrisy, and for that we must seek God's help in transforming our minds. It means we need to be praying to God. We need to be seeking God's help. What might we pray for? Well, in this area, we might ask our Heavenly Father for help in three ways.

This is what I pray for. And you, of course, we all can admit more to this. We might ask our Heavenly Father to help us love as He is love. Pray and ask our Father to help us love as He is love. And that's what He wants. And I know that's what all of us want, too. And we can do this with sincerity with more of God's help. Ask God to help us love as He is love. Pray that ask the Father to help us be hearers and doers of His Word. To be hearers and doers of His Word. That's what we want to do both. I know we do. God wants us to do both, too.

And let's ask our Father in our prayers to help us be increasingly faithful and loyal to Him. That He would help us to be increasingly faithful and loyal to Him. Isn't that what we all want to be? We want to be faithful. We want to be loyal. No matter what, we're going to stick with God. We're going to stick with His way of life. And so God is love. And aren't we glad for that?

And God will help us to become loved, too. He wants us to be His children and His divine family. And we must do our part, then, to reject any pretense of His love. Let us yield to God's will, then. Let us yield to God's will so that we can and so that we will love without hypocrisy.