Winter brings an avalanche of people to the ski country of Aspen, Colorado. If we were there, our senses would be captivated by the crisp air, the softness of fresh snow underfoot, and the intriguing snowcapped peaks that surround that area. Possibly, though, we would be just as intrigued and just as captivated by the conversations that take place in the lodges, cabins, and cafes of that unique little town.

In one such cafe after one such day of skiing sat four people, two couples who came to Aspen with a group from Fort Worth. They finished their meal and the two wives engaged in a conversation with each other. The men sat quietly awhile. Then Mac broke the silence.

"I've been thinking," he said, "and I've come to the sad conclusion that I don't want my daughters to live like anyone I know." He then sat quietly a few more seconds, sipping his hot chocolate, his eyes gazing at the still but steady snowfall outside the café window. Then, coming out of his trance, he looked at John and continued, "What's even sadder, I don't want them to live like I do either!"

John nodded an understanding response. He was not sure what to say. Mac had been his friend since high school. As a lawyer, John had represented him; as a real estate investor, Mac rented John his office space. But there was on thing they did not share--John's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

John had been a Christian for years, but Mac thought his beliefs were all foolishness. Five years before that Aspen conversation, John had tried to make a case for Christianity by showing it was responsible for all the social progress and moral improvements of the human race. Mac had said, "Aw, that's your idea. I think the Irish potato did all of that!" It was the end of their conversation about Christianity for five years. But John had kept praying for God to give him an opportunity, a second chance. This looked like it. They both had teenagers and were naturally concerned about their future.

"I know what you mean," John finally answered. "I don't want mine to live like I do either."

"Really?" Mac seemed surprised. "Then how would you like them to live?"

"Like Jesus of Nazareth," John answered.

"Oh, good grief!" Mac returned. "Not me. Christianity is full of hypocrites, and I sure don't want my daughters to be like that."

"I didn't say anything about Christianity," John continued. "I'm sure Christianity is as full of hypocrites as anything else that's valuable. Light always tends to attract bugs, you know. Any good idea will attract people who want to get in on a good thing without really being part of it. What I meant was, I want my teenagers to live like Jesus Christ."

"But if Jesus had the true religion, why do so many of the people who believe in Him turn into hypocrites?" Mac asked.

"The Bible doesn't say that everyone who believes in Jesus Christ will be perfect, just perfectly forgiven. Actually, a biblical Christian is one who admits that he is a sinner, which is just the opposite of a hypocrite. A hypocrite is someone who outwardly pretends to be good."

"But," Mac objected, "if believing in Jesus is going to be worthwhile, it seems like He ought to make people better morally."

"Are you sure He doesn't?" John answered, finishing off his hot chocolate. He continued, "You see, if somebody receives Christ into his life, the Spirit of God begins to work on his desires so that after a while he should be changing for the better."

"I know some real creepy people that are supposed to be Christians," Mac broke in.

"Sure," John continued, "but you need to compare them with what they were, not with what they would be if they were instantly perfect. The inconsistencies in their life should be steadily decreasing, but that doesn't mean they've arrived. If a guy five feet tall who weighed 250 pounds spoke to us about great eating habits, we'd probably call him a hypocrite. But if we learned he weighed 300 pounds a month ago, that would change the picture."

"Well," Mac insisted, "it still seems to me that if the Bible is right, we should be able to look at people who associate themselves with it and se better people."

"Any product must be considered by looking at that product itself," John reasoned. "You wouldn't recommend that people quit working for a company because some other people just work there to make money."

"I don't know," Mac exclaimed. "I guess there's just something in me that hates hypocrites!"

"Well, you're in good company," John said. "You and I and Jesus all agree about that. As a matter of fact, when Jesus was talking to some religious hypocrites, He said, 'You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell?' [Matthew 23:33]."

"I sure wouldn't want to be a hypocrite," Mac added. "That's why I'm not a Christian, I guess."

"But Mac," John insisted, "the very fact that you don't think you're good enough to be a pattern for your daughters makes you the opposite of a hypocrite. A hypocrite is somebody who outwardly pretends he is something he's not. A hypocrite would never admit he can't be perfect."

If Christianity is to be doubted because there are hypocrites in our churches, we must first be sure those hypocrites are really Christians. The legitimacy of anything original cannot be judged by qualities of a phoney.

My grandmother used to send away for the best recipes. But when they came, she would substitute ingredients she already had on hand for those listed in the recipe. Lard was substituted for butter, regular salt for seasoned salt, and so on. When the dish came out tasting sort of funny and nobody ate much, she would write to the company and tell them what she thought of their recipe.

Unregenerate people who go through Christian-sounding religious formalities without having received Jesus Christ as their God and Savior are not real Christians. The presence of such hypocrites is just a fact of life about anything worthwhile. There are false diamonds in jewelry because real diamonds are valuable. We make copies of Rembrandt's paintings because the real ones are priceless. Quacks spring up in the medical profession because good doctors are an asset to the community. Actually, the fact that Christianity attracts phonies is a good indication that it is real. As John recognized, "Light always tends to attract bugs."

There is no claim in the Bible that true believers in Jesus Christ become perfect in this life. A true believer is one who recognizes his sinfulness and need for Jesus Christ as his Savior. (see 1 John 1:8-10) Although Christians do change for the better, the change is from the inside out. It does not begin with outward appearances, as it does with hypocrites.

Jesus was harder on the hypocrites than on any other group. His words in Matthew 23 are considered by many to be the harshest language He ever used. Jesus was talking to and about hypocrites. It is interesting to contrast our Lord's description of a hypocrite in Matthew 23 with the Bible's description of a real believer.

Hypocrites, Jesus said, "do all their deeds to be noticed by men" (v. 5), whereas biblical believers seek only to be approved by God (Romans 6:5-6; Colossians 3:23; Ephesians 5:10).

Hypocrisy turns people off from religion (verse 13), but godliness reasons with people in a gentle, understanding way (Acts 28:23-24; 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8).

Hypocrites train others to be what they are. Speaking about their converts, Jesus told them, "You make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves" (v. 15). But real Christians train others to be like Christ, not like themselves (Matthew 28:18-20).

Hypocrites deal with external formalism, neglecting internal qualities (vv. 25-27). Biblical believers, on the other hand, emphasize inner attitudes, knowing that God changes people from within (Galatians 5:22-24).

Though God does deal with true believers, He does not make them perfect all at once. It is a great compliment to Christianity that people expect Christians to be better people. But some people expect instantaneous change. When someone complains to me that a certain person who claims to have received Christ is living inconsistently, I generally respond with something like, "Maybe so. But if you really want to know whether there's anything to his faith or not, look at him closely. Get to know him really well. See if there has been any change in his life. But be careful," I warn, "you might find Christ that way, and when you receive Him but are not yet perfect, others may think you're a hypocrite."

Even Christians forget how long it takes to grow. Frequently people tell me how disappointed they are in old So-and-So, who received Christ two weeks ago and has not yet joined the church or attended their Bible study. Besides that, he still smokes and goes tot he tavern. I assure them that, over a period of time, changes should be noticeable. But I also ask them, "If I made a list of all your actions and attitudes two weeks ago and another list today, how much change would I notice? Probably not much! But that does not mean you are not rally a Christian or the Spirit of God is not working in your life. It is just that God works from the inside, and real growth takes time. It is hypocrisy that emphasizes overnight change in external appearances."

We must encourage people to consider Jesus Christ and the Bible, rather than what people do with them. Any product must be evaluated on its own grounds. We do not stop going to hospitals because some doctors are in medicine just for the prestige and wealth they can accumulate. Either hospitals are a good idea or they are not. If they are, then insincere doctors do not make them a bad idea.

Jesus must be presented to people as God, and the Bible must be presented as God's verbal revelation to man. That often requires getting our hearers off the hypocritical things that have been done with Jesus Christ or the Scripture and getting them back to the real product itself.

To hate hypocrisy is to agree with Jesus. It is helpful for someone to realize that you and he and Jesus Christ are all on the same side of this issue. You might further point out Christ's own comment that hypocrites would not "escape the sentence of hell" (Matthew 23:33). So, if a certain unbeliever dislikes hypocrites, that is good. But you might help him question the wisdom of his decision to spend eternity with them. To not receive Christ is to end up the same as the hypocrites--eternally speaking.

After the conversation in Aspen, Mac asked John where his teenage daughters could go to get more information about the Bible. John steered them to a neighborhood teenage group where, after a while, both girls received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. One day at lunch, about a year later, Mac said to John, "You know, this Christianity has not exactly created peace and tranquility in our home. My daughters are telling me I'm not a Christian, and you know, I think they are right." A little bit later, Mac received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior--following in his daughters' footsteps.

This book has been intentionally not copyrighted. Please feel free to use any portion of it for any purpose at any time.