In this increasingly secular world, there are multiple reasons why a person might not come to faith and join the church. Some think they’re too smart for it; others love their sin too much; others simply don’t care. But it would be a lot easier on our consciences if those were the only reasons. Arguably the most common reason I’ve heard for why people avoid the church is because church people don’t practice what they preach. Sadly, to many people, we have a reputation of being a house of proud hypocrites. Sometimes it’s overblown—but sometimes it’s a fair assessment.
This is by no means a new problem. In fact it’s kind of inevitable considering the church has been filled with imperfect people since day one. That’s why Paul spends so much emphasis on it. In this section of his letter, as he describes the extent of the sin issue, he has to really drive the point home for proud people who don’t practice what they preach, because oftentimes they don’t even consider it applying to them. I myself have definitely been guilty of this. Oftentimes, when I study God’s Word and find an important nugget of truth, my first thought is how I would teach it to others rather than how I would teach it to myself. Anyone else able to say the same?
Yet the worst part of all of this is the fact that unrighteousness in the church actually blasphemes God’s name to the rest of the world. The body of Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, is supposed to be the light of the Father’s glory shining over all the nations of the world and drawing them into him. Yet when the church fails to live out the gospel, the world sees it and wants nothing to do with God! We who boast in having God’s commands are supposed to be honoring him by keeping them!
What this world needs most, right now, is for the global church people to be overflowing fountains of love, wisdom, humility, peace, righteousness, service, and joy. We all know the commands of God—many of us even teach them. But the world needs to see us follow them in humble obedience to God. Then the secular world will see God’s glory shine through his people. And in my opinion, with the help of the Holy Spirit, that goal is not out of reach.
