Christians, how do you react (even internally) when called hypocrite?

Question

Do you find yourself taken aback and shaken?
Do you try to justify yourself?
Do you explain that EVERYONE is a hypocrite?
Do you explain that all have sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God?

Answer 1

Nothing, first of all, as a christian, I never claimed myself to be better than anyone else, I am infinitely better off. I still makes mistakes, I still strive on obeying God.
But here's the example, It's like two men on a plane, one of them is wearing parachute while the other is not. Neither is better than the other, but the man with the parachute is certainly better off than the man who is not wearing a parachute. The difference will be seen when they jump from the plane at 20,000 feet. Jesus warned if we jump into death without Him, we would be perish.
Even harsher than the law of gravity is the 'LAW' of infinitely holy and just creator.

(Romans 5:10 and Hebrew 10:31)
So, I acknowledge my sins, and I don't want to judge other people's heart and motives. Only God truly knows the genuine from the false.

Answer 2

It kind of depends on the circumstance. I usually say I may not be perfect but through the grace of God I'm trying, and though I may stumble I know and acknowledge what the ideal is (Jesus). If something is wrong then it is wrong even if everybody in the world does it. A hypocrite is someone who knows something is wrong and while condemning it for others practices it them self and justifies their sin. While I may fall into a sin I do not justify it but call it what it is...sin.
Then there is also the person who has no interest in any persuasion and then it's pretty much a waste of time...pearls before swine kind of thing.

Answer 3

If someone were to call me a hypocrite - personally, I would think about everything I've said/done and whether it was true. People many times will just scream out insults without any justification - if it was an insult from somebody that didn't know me, I would still be thinking if I fit the profile. Am I really acting like a jewish religious leader of Jesus' day? Am I one of those saying "Do as I say, not as I do" kind of people? I don't feel that everyone is a hypocrite - if you are humble, you wouldn't tell someone they need to do this or that, if it's not true...I always am thinking of an example Jesus gave about a man who was trying to get a splinter out of his neighbor's eye and couldn't because he needed to get the rafter out of his own eye first.

Answer 4

I feel an incredible sense of frustration. Nobody feels their own selves to be a hypocrite, and everyone gets called one sooner or later. Usually I either change the subject or just walk away, depending on the circumstances. I have tried to say that everyone is a hypocrite to a more or less extent because nobody is perfect, but most of the time the accuser doesn't listen.

Answer 5

Wow, now, that's a very good question.
I know that I am a sinner, saved by grace...
And I know that there are times when I tend to think I'm better than I actually am (unfortunately, these moments are rather fleeting, LOL)...
I hope that I have not offended anyone unjustly, or tried to force my opinions on anyone, or tried to put my opinion in the place of God...
I hope that I have tried (at least most of the time) to live up to my own standards...but when I have fallen on my face, I do know Who to call on to help me back up again...
No, I don't think I'm a "hypocrite" by any definition of that term that I know...but, if you think that I am, please alert me, and explain what I have done that makes me, in your eyes, a hypocrite, so that I might try to correct my behavior...

Thanx!!

Answer 6

True Christians understand that they will be insulted and attacked by enemies of truth.

(Luke 6:22) Happy are you whenever men hate you, and whenever they exclude you and reproach you and cast out your name as wicked for the sake of the Son of man.


However, Jesus himself showed that anyone who elevates human tradition above the bible is rightly called a hypocrite.

(Matthew 15:6-9) You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you, when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines


Ironically, in recent days and weeks this questioner has himself insisted upon judging Jehovah's Witnesses in other so-called "questions" and "answers". While the questioner criticizes teachings the Witnesses abandoned 75, 100, or 125 years ago, there is no evidence that the questioner performs the life-saving house-to-house ministry which Christ himself commanded. Truly a "straw" compares to a "rafter"!

(Matthew 7:1-5) Stop judging that you may not be judged... how can you say to your brother, ‘Allow me to extract the straw from your eye’; when, look! a rafter is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First extract the rafter from your own eye


In fact, anyone who argues against the preaching work is working against the Christ.

(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.

It seems signficant that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are the ones best known for their worldwide preaching work. Yet Jesus commanded that ALL who would call themselves "Christian" perform this public work:

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/
http://watchtower.org/e/20030301/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20020401/article_01.htm

Answer 7

I usually do a self diagnostic to see if there is a reason for someone saying that. If I find that I have been hypocritical in an area of my life, I confess it and try to change my actions and attitude. If I don't see why they said it, I figure they are just bashing Christians in general.

Answer 8

I would first question the person's definition. I would point out the difference between saying one thing and doing another vs. knowing something is wrong and still struggling with it. I think hypocricy is telling others that something is wrong, while saying it is ok for my self. I don't believe that I do that.

I have friends who drink, yet tell me I shouldn't. Is that hypocricy?? I think the answer can be yes and no. If they say I shouldn't drink but they should, yes. If they say I shouldn't because they hate that they do it and wish they could quit, no.

I don't feel the need to defend myself, but if I was specifically asked, I would answer this question.

Answer 9

I don't like it when people generalize Christians.I feel good about myself as a Christian. I do not preach, I do not judge,I don't damn people to hell.And everyone is a hypocrite at one time or another.

Answer 10

I don't think the people answering this question are able to make the distinction between 'hypocrite' and 'liar'.