A Hypocritical Form Of Christianity

In the fiftieth Psalm, Asaph warned the Israelites that their worship of the Living God and their lifestyles had become formulaic, and like many Christians today, the Israelites were going through the motions and acting out of a sense of duty rather than outflow (Lewis, 2016). In addition to just going through the motions, many Christians have also fallen under the influence of cultural norms and thereby develop exceptions to the Christian Faith which are reflected through lifestyles that are centered on individuality, personal choice, and personal fulfillment (Kavanaugh, 1994). Unfortunately, Christians who make exemptions to the Christian Faith, create a hypocritical form of Christianity that stymies both the outflow of one’s faith and

181). Furthermore, Christians are often seen as arrogant concerning their beliefs and thereby fail to figure out what the other person is thinking (Kinnaman & Lyons, 2007, p. 182). Thus, being judgmental results from the Christian’s sense of self-righteousness and the need to compare one’s life to another’s life (Kinnaman & Lyons, 2007, p. 182). According to Kinnaman and Lyons (2007), rather than being judgmental, Christians need to listen, and instead of comparing, Christians should see themselves and others as needy, hurting people with great potential to become one of God’s sons and daughters (Kinnaman & Lyons, 2007, p. 193). Thus, judgmental behaviors are to be replaced by displaying compassion and mercy towards others, but how will this author’s lifestyle reflect compassion and mercy? Through selflessness (Philippians 2:4), control of the tongue (James 1:26), and by committing myself to serving the needs of others ahead of my

F. (1994, February 26). Imperatives of faith. America, 170. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=10&sid=bf674fe8-abee-447a-bbb0-b895e876e2e7%40sessionmgr4009

Kinnaman, D., & Lyons, G. (2007). Unchristian: What a new generation thinks about christianity and why it matters Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books

Lewis, C. (2016). Do you worship out of a sense of duty or thankfulness. Retrieved from https://christianitymatters.com/2016/08/24/do-you-worship-out-of-a-sense-of-duty-or-thankfulness/

Nikkel, B. (1995, December). 10 tips for sharing your faith through friendship. Today’s Christian Woman, 17. Retrieved from