Published in The Des Moines County News on September 15, 2016.

Here we go, Sunday morning:  put on your worship face!  People who sin all week, and come to church pretending to be holy.  Parents angry with kids as they get ready for church, and then walk in smiling.  Promising yourself and God you’ll do better, only to fall back into the same routine by Monday.  Feeling condemned because you’re certain everyone around you is better… or at least they think they are.

Is that what church is all about?  Who would want to do something like that every week?

Let me nudge some correction into this line of thinking!  Because the only way you could feel like a hypocrite is if you thought Christianity was for holy people.  The truth is, the church is filled with imperfect people.  No one walks in on Sunday morning having lived a perfect, sinless week.  That feeling that you’re a wretch?  That’s natural; even the apostle Paul cried out:  “O wretched man that I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).  But his conclusion was this:  “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

We weren’t meant to live freely in sin.  That wretched feeling of guilt should drive us to Jesus, not away from Him.  He says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  He’s not waiting for us to be perfect; He’s inviting us to come to Him and find love and acceptance and satisfaction.  We shouldn’t try to be perfect or pretend that we are perfect…  Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).

So take off your masks!  Come to Jesus as an imperfect sinner.  Go to church as an unrighteous worshiper.  Stop promising yourself perfection, but take steps to grow.  Talk to a trusted friend and find help without judgment.  The church is about a bunch of people, saved by grace, forgiven of sin, challenging one another in love to make better decisions – not condemning one another in guilt for not being as good as they appear to be!

There is freedom in living without masks.  I can discipline my children in love, not because they’re embarrassing me for not being perfect, but because I want to help them make better decisions without feeling condemned.  I can recognize others around me who may need a word of encouragement.  I can get back up again when I do something wrong, taking responsibility for my wrong instead of covering it up, apologizing instead of justifying.  I can walk into church without fear of my cover being blown, and I can walk out encouraged that I’m loved with an unconditional love that doesn’t depend on my moral performance.  I am freely loved by God because He delights in blessing me!

Christianity isn’t about hypocrisy; it’s about admitting our imperfections and giving grace to one another, as God gives to us!

Luke Scallon
Pastor, Faith Baptist Church of Danville