Faith in Imperfect Community: A Biblical Approach to Church Life
March 19, 2023
If you’ve already downloaded the 10 sample questions free pdf (linked below if you want it), you’ll recognize this statement.
“When I see inconsistencies at church between what people say and what they do, I want to stay away from church.”
We don’t need anyone to persuade us. We know this world isn’t quite right; we are not quite right.
Recognizing Hypocrisy in the Church
I know it’s not easy when you see people doing things that you don’t think are consistent with the Bible. People are selfish when they’re gossiping or they’re treating each other unkindly. They’re greedy, or you know something about them that isn’t even visible in public, but that clearly isn’t what Jesus would do. And Jesus had some pretty clear things to say about this. He called it hypocrisy.
And in Matthew 23:27-28, he said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything, unclean.”
Really, for those of us who have spent any time in the church, we should know the word of God well enough to be able to live out lives that are holy and consistent with the Bible. But the reality is that we all actually have flaws. We are all imperfect. We are all human. And according to the Bible, we all suffer from the consequences of what it calls sin.
Romans 2:1 says, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” Maybe not exactly the same things. Maybe you’re not greedy. Maybe you don’t have the particular bent of those you see. But we have the same condition, every single one of us.
Understanding Human Imperfection
Really, we all have imperfections morally in our relationships, and in every aspect of our lives. We all make mistakes, we all treat others unkindly, we all have moments for selfishness. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”. All. A.L.L.That means you; that means me. And we can pretend that it doesn’t mean us but that’s really self-deceit (I John 1:8).
Differentiating Between Doctrine and Human Actions
But seeing imperfections in ourselves, and others doesn’t actually stand as a reason not to go to church to worship God. Since there are no perfect people on this earth, the only way to follow his command in Hebrews 10:25 to gather together with other believers is to gather with the imperfect. With the hypocrites. And, as an old friend used to say, “no matter where you go, there you are.” So, even if you or I found a perfect church with perfect people, once you or I got there, you or I would contribute to messing it up.
But it’s a good idea to separate our beliefs about sin and perfection and hypocrisy from the behaviors that we choose to carry out.
What we do needs to be done in obedience to God’s commands because we love him. Even though we won’t do it perfectly–nor will anyone else–we still should care about his commands.
Besides, if I don’t want to take sides with hypocrites, I better take sides with God. So that means I need to go to church, even if there are hypocrites there, because that’s what God told me to do.
So even if there are imperfect people, hypocrites or otherwise, at church I need to go. After all, he tells us in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” So if we want to find him, what we need to do is seek him and take refuge in him (Psalm 34:8).
Promoting Bible-Centered Community
When it comes down to it, what we really need to be doing is gathering together with other believers to understand what God’s word tells us, and encouraging one another to carry out what we learn (James 1:22). That means being patient with one another (Ephesians 4:2). Forgiving one another (Colossians 3:13). Loving each other deeply (1 Peter 4:8). Caring for one another’s needs (Philippians 2:4). Carrying one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). And, hopefully, becoming more like Jesus (Philippians 2:5-7), and less like the hypocrites (1 Peter 2:1).
Now what do I do?
We are convinced of the immediate relevance of developing a 3-dimensional and biblical worldview in students so that they have a firm foundation of beliefs that they live out in their daily behavior as they continue with an attitude that orients their heart toward the Lord Jesus Christ throughout their lives.
If you haven’t yet used the 3-D Worldview Survey with your class, check out the links below for more info:
- What Is the 3-D Worldview Survey?
- Take the 3-D Worldview for yourself
If you’d like to see sample questions to see how the 3-D Worldview Survey could help you or your students better understand a biblical worldview, check out the pdf below for some questions to get you started.
