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This is the ninth audio message for the Heroes & Villains series.

Abstract

There are many forms of hypocrisy. The most common form that we normally associate with hypocrisy is a person who verbally claims righteous convictions but then fails to behave according to them. But another form of hypocrisy exists that may be nearly as common. This person behaves according to righteous standards that he himself doesn’t truly believe. His "conditional" good behavior is usually temporary or sporadic because it is motivated by factors other than God’s pleasure. When a “godly” young person tubes her faith when she goes off to college, we’re forced to ask what motivated her "good behavior" before she went. When a “godly” traveling business man morally fails every time he leaves town, we’re forced to ask what motivates his "good behavior" when he’s home. If our righteous behavior is motivated by anything other than God’s pleasure, what will happen to our behavior when that motivation is removed?