Letter from an Inmate
by David Gibson
In a file folder labeled "Hypocrisy," I found some correspondence I had forgotten all about. It was a letter from an inmate and my reply to his questions.
The inmate’s letter:
There is a whole bunch of guys here who read their Bible and go to church and even the prayer circle, but they have near-naked books sent in and pictures that they swap, sell, and sneak around with, along with these books.
It seems they are OK with the Lord and the church, but they still break the rules and do things they should not.
Because of this, I stopped going to the prayer circle and don’t run around with these guys or study with them. They approach me and start talking about the Lord, and it’s hard for me to accept anything they say. I want to know whether I am wrong about this.
One brother knows the Scripture well and quotes it like the Lord Himself, yet he sneaks around and steals cleaning supplies, which bothers me. What should I do? For the life of me, I can’t make myself love this brother.
My reply
Sometimes, people compartmentalize their lives. They have a category for work, one for family, one for recreation, one for God, etc. But, of course, God owns the whole box and everything in it—our whole lives, bodies, and time 24/7. We are to honor Him in our work, family, recreation, etc. Until a person realizes this, he may try to keep his religion separate from other aspects of his life and not realize this does not work and cannot please God. It is also hypocritical.
I can certainly understand why you would not want to be in a prayer or study group with those guys.
There are at least two kinds of people we might do well to avoid:
- Those who might influence us to do wrong (I Corinthians 15:33) and
- those who have resisted our efforts to teach them (Matthew 10:14-15; Acts 13:44-51).
Is it possible, however, that some of these guys could be helped to realize what they are doing to themselves? You mentioned in a previous letter that you were in a class on the Pursuit of Holiness.
Being holy (set apart for God’s purposes) includes being sexually pure in mind and body (I Thessalonians 4:1-8) and in all other aspects of our lives.
Are any of these guys in the Pursuit of Holiness class? If you think it would help them to attend, you might encourage them to come. If you discuss in the class, what if you were to ask, “Can a person be holy and look at porn?” Or “Can a person be holy and steal?” Or you may wish to explain your concerns privately to the one who leads the study and ask him to address this in class.
What I wish I had also said in my letter:
At some point, have we, too, played the hypocrite? How easy it is to do! On one occasion, when Peter acted hypocritically, Paul reproved him, and Peter evidently repented (Galatians 2:11ff.).
Of course, it doesn’t always turn out so well. But, very possibly, God may be able to use us to pierce some hardened hearts and help them see the better way.
“. . . with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will” (II Timothy 2:25-27 NASB).
Hypocrites need love, too.
