The Hypocrite's Bane
A hypocrite is someone who performs religious duties without a principle of divine love or a sanctified heart, and will be undone forever.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the dangers of hypocrisy in religious practice, illustrating how the Pharisees performed many outward acts of piety without true inward transformation. He argues that a hypocrite may engage in prayer, fasting, and giving, yet lacks the genuine heart and spiritual principles that should underlie these actions. Brooks warns that such hollow practices, devoid of sincere love and faith, ultimately lead to spiritual ruin. He contrasts the hypocrite with a sincere Christian, who finds true fulfillment in Christ rather than mere religious duties. The sermon serves as a call to examine the heart's condition in relation to God and the authenticity of one's faith.
Text
("Touchstone of Sincerity")
"The Pharisee took his stand and was praying like this:
God, I thank You that I'm not like other people--greedy,
unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I
fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get."
Luke 18:11-12
A hypocrite . . .
may know much,
and pray much,
and hear much,
and fast much,
and give much,
and obey much
--and all to no purpose, because he never does
anything in a right manner; he never carries on
his work from inward principles of faith, fervency,
love, delight, etc.
The scribes and pharisees fasted, prayed and gave
alms--but their hearts were not changed, renewed,
nor sanctified--and this proved their eternal bane.
A hypocrite never performs religious duties from
spiritual principles, nor in a spiritual manner. A
hypocrite is never inclined, moved, and carried
to God, to Christ, to holy duties--by the power
of a new and inward principle of grace working
a suitableness between his heart and the things
of God. A hypocrite rests satisfied in the
mere external acts of religion, though he
never feels anything of the power of religion
in his own soul. A hypocrite looks to his words
in prayer, and to his voice in prayer, and to his
gestures in prayer--but he never looks to the
frame of his heart in prayer. A hypocrite's heart
is never touched with the words his tongue utters;
a hypocrite's soul is never divinely affected, delighted,
or graciously warmed with any duty he performs.
A hypocrite's spiritual performances never flow from
spiritual principles, nor from a sanctified heart. Though
his works may be new, yet his heart remains old; his
new practices always spring from old principles; and
this will prove the hypocrite's bane, as you may see
in Isaiah 1:15, "When you make many prayers, I will
not hear, for your hands are full of blood." These were
unsanctified ones; their practices were new--but their
hearts were old still.
A hypocrite has no . . .
inward,
saving,
transforming,
experimental,
affectionate,
practical
knowledge of God.
A sincere Christian is enamored with Christ above all.
He cannot be satisfied nor contented with duties or
ordinances, without enjoying Christ in them, who is the
life, soul, and substance of them. But when hypocrites
do duties--all they do is from common principles, from
natural principles, and from an unsanctified heart--and
that mars all. Hypocrites make a great profession and
are much in the outward actions of religion; they make
a very fair show, they hear, they read, they pray, they
fast, they sing psalms, and they give alms; but these
duties being not performed from a principle of divine
love, nor from a principle of spiritual life, nor from a
sanctified frame of heart--are all lost, and the authors
of them are undone forever and ever. "If anyone does
not love the Lord, that person is cursed!" 1 Cor. 16:22
Sermon Outline
- I. Definition of a Hypocrite
- A. A hypocrite may know much and perform many religious duties
- B. But a hypocrite never does anything in a right manner
- II. Characteristics of a Hypocrite
- A. A hypocrite never performs religious duties from spiritual principles
- B. A hypocrite rests satisfied in external acts of religion
- III. The Consequences of Hypocrisy
- A. A hypocrite's spiritual performances never flow from spiritual principles
- B. A hypocrite's heart remains old, even when their practices are new
Key Quotes
“A hypocrite never performs religious duties from spiritual principles, nor in a spiritual manner.” — Thomas Brooks
“A hypocrite's heart is never touched with the words his tongue utters; a hypocrite's soul is never divinely affected, delighted, or graciously warmed with any duty he performs.” — Thomas Brooks
“When you make many prayers, I will not hear, for your hands are full of blood.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- To perform spiritual duties in a right manner, we must do them from spiritual principles and a sanctified heart.
- Performing duties from an unsanctified heart will result in them being lost and the person performing them being undone forever.
- A sincere Christian is enamored with Christ above all and cannot be satisfied with duties or ordinances without enjoying Christ in them.