1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,823 Question: What would you say 2 00:00:01,823 --> 00:00:04,406 to a lost person who says 3 00:00:04,406 --> 00:00:05,991 the reason I'm not a Christian 4 00:00:05,991 --> 00:00:09,862 is because there's so many hypocrites in the church? 5 00:00:09,862 --> 00:00:12,537 Clint: Well, I would say to that person 6 00:00:12,537 --> 00:00:16,486 what they're calling the church is wrong. 7 00:00:16,486 --> 00:00:18,436 I would say to that person, 8 00:00:18,436 --> 00:00:20,350 what you're calling the church 9 00:00:20,350 --> 00:00:21,996 is not the true church. 10 00:00:21,996 --> 00:00:24,672 It might be a religious organization. 11 00:00:24,672 --> 00:00:29,168 It might be a denominational gathering. 12 00:00:29,168 --> 00:00:31,957 It might be some religious institution, 13 00:00:31,957 --> 00:00:34,291 but it's not the true church. 14 00:00:34,291 --> 00:00:37,560 The true church of the Bible 15 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,543 is not populated with hypocrites. 16 00:00:40,543 --> 00:00:43,482 That's not to say that a true Christian, 17 00:00:43,482 --> 00:00:48,399 a true believer can't be caught in hypocrisy. 18 00:00:48,399 --> 00:00:50,584 Peter - when he denied the Lord Jesus, 19 00:00:50,584 --> 00:00:52,588 that was an act of hypocrisy. 20 00:00:52,588 --> 00:00:54,995 He had said earlier, "Thou art the Christ." 21 00:00:54,995 --> 00:00:57,422 You're the Christ. The Son of the living God. 22 00:00:57,422 --> 00:00:59,270 Jesus confirmed that statement 23 00:00:59,270 --> 00:01:01,273 and said He would build His church on it. 24 00:01:01,273 --> 00:01:03,162 And then later you have Peter 25 00:01:03,162 --> 00:01:06,245 caught in an act of hypocrisy 26 00:01:06,245 --> 00:01:09,652 denying the Lord Jesus Christ. 27 00:01:09,652 --> 00:01:13,373 That's an act, but Peter was not a hypocrite 28 00:01:13,373 --> 00:01:15,178 in his lifestyle. 29 00:01:15,178 --> 00:01:17,759 There's a big distinction there. 30 00:01:17,759 --> 00:01:19,393 Later on in Galatians 2, 31 00:01:19,393 --> 00:01:22,163 you have the Apostle Paul confronting Peter 32 00:01:22,163 --> 00:01:24,693 over an act of hypocrisy 33 00:01:24,693 --> 00:01:28,449 that had the tendency to lead others astray. 34 00:01:28,449 --> 00:01:33,063 But Peter was not living a life of hypocrisy. 35 00:01:33,063 --> 00:01:38,214 So the true church is not populated by hypocrites. 36 00:01:38,214 --> 00:01:41,338 The local church, local denomination, 37 00:01:41,338 --> 00:01:43,695 or some religious institution - 38 00:01:43,695 --> 00:01:45,500 that might be the case. 39 00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:48,891 So first I would counter with that thought. 40 00:01:48,891 --> 00:01:52,485 What you're calling the church isn't the true church. 41 00:01:52,485 --> 00:01:56,182 And then I would say secondly 42 00:01:56,182 --> 00:01:59,281 to that individual, you're not being honest. 43 00:01:59,281 --> 00:02:01,953 The reason you're not a Christian 44 00:02:01,953 --> 00:02:04,771 is not because of something somebody else is doing. 45 00:02:04,771 --> 00:02:07,065 That's just an excuse. 46 00:02:07,065 --> 00:02:09,395 The reason that you're not a Christian 47 00:02:09,395 --> 00:02:12,297 is because you don't want to submit to God. 48 00:02:12,297 --> 00:02:14,538 That's everyone's problem. 49 00:02:14,538 --> 00:02:15,964 They're proud. 50 00:02:15,964 --> 00:02:18,743 They don't want to bow the knee to God. 51 00:02:18,743 --> 00:02:21,447 They don't want to yield to free grace. 52 00:02:21,447 --> 00:02:22,848 They don't want to receive 53 00:02:22,848 --> 00:02:26,522 from the hand of someone else salvation. 54 00:02:26,522 --> 00:02:29,081 They want to earn it on their own. 55 00:02:29,081 --> 00:02:31,384 They want to love their sin. 56 00:02:31,384 --> 00:02:32,828 They want to keep their sin. 57 00:02:32,828 --> 00:02:36,029 They don't want God on His terms. 58 00:02:36,029 --> 00:02:38,926 That's why they're not a Christian. 59 00:02:38,926 --> 00:02:43,477 So I guess that's how I would approach that. 60 00:02:43,477 --> 00:02:46,502 You can select another part of this interview below. 61 00:02:46,502 --> 00:02:49,591 Or, if you're listening, you can find the rest of the interview 62 00:02:49,591 --> 00:02:52,868 on illbehonest.com or our mobile app.