A preacher once visited a farmer to invite him to church services. "Why, I wouldn't attend church services there," the farmer said. "I know some of the members, and they don't live any better than me. I am as good as they are." Everywhere the farmer went, he told about the hypocrites in the church.

One day the preacher dropped by to see the farmer again. "Let me buy a hog," he said. So the farmer showed him his best hogs. Then they came to the runt. "That's the one I want," the preacher said. "But you don't want the runt do you?" the farmer asked in a puzzled tone. "Yes sir, I sure do," the preacher replied. So they loaded the runt in the truck, and as the preacher was leaving he said to the farmer, "Now, I'm going all over the county and tell folks this is the kind of hogs you raise." "But that is not fair," the farmer cried. "I have some nice hogs. I don't want you to show folks that runt!" The preacher answer, "Well, if it is fair for the church, it is fair for the hogs!"

Jesus (Luke 12:56), Paul (Galatians 2:11-15), and Peter (1 Peter 2:1) all condemned hypocrisy. You should never "dial down" your devotion to Christ because of what others mistakenly believe about the Lord's church. Let your love (Romans 12:9; 2 Corinthians 6:6; 1 Peter 1:22), faith (1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 1:5), and wisdom (James 3:17) be a model of genuineness.

The Gospel Teacher, 4/7/13