Pastor's Pen

We live in a world today, which honors those who pretend to be someone they are not. Every year Hollywood holds the Academy Awards. These are the highest awards for actors who portray someone other than himself or herself. Billions of dollars and millions of hours of time are spent on watching these actors. At least we know that they are acting.

However, the Lord did not hold the acting of Ananias and Sapphira in high esteem. Ananias and Sapphira were pretending to be someone they were not without telling anyone. This is hypocrisy. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines hypocrisy as “an act of playing a part on stage; a feigning to be what one is not; the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion.” A hypocrite is one who fakes virtues or qualities he does not have.

The essence of hypocrisy is this – you appear strong on the outside, but in reality, you are hollow and rotten on the inside. Beloved, are you as real inside as you are outside?