Let's Be Honest About Dishonesty In The Church

Why does the church have a problem with honesty?  If I must rely on what I can do this week to make myself approved by God, I cannot look at my sin.  I have a stake in not seeing it.  It is not to my benefit to be honest.  It is too threatening.  However, it is the righteousness of Christ credited to my account that frees me to be honest about my struggles and sins, and not to be crushed by them.  Unless I hold on to this by faith, honesty is just too hard and frightening.  Hypocrisy is then just a small step away.   From Intro to Chapter 3 of World Harvest Mission's "Sonship"

It is a simple proposition: We have a hard time facing our failures when we base our self-image and security on our successes.  When I'm "succeeding" - at least in my own eyes - I'm feeling fine about myself.  But when I fail at my goals or personal expectations, I face a real insecurity and disappointment.  It's a cycle that encourages me to avoid facing my failures because of the consequences for my self-identity.

This is what makes the Gospel of grace so powerful and life-changing.  It breaks the whole cycle of performance - failure - dishonesty.  When my self-image and security are a gift from Jesus, secured for me by Him at the cross, I am set free from the self-deception and depression that otherwise comes when I am forced to face my failures.  When my heart is secure in the Gospel, then I can begin to face my failures honestly.  This is the first step in living beyond my failures, with a new freedom to have a new life welling up from inside me.

For some people, church life becomes the "success" that they use to avoid looking at their deeper failures.Their "right doctrine" or "right behavior" or "right denomination" become a self-justifying "success" that prevents them from digging deeper to examine the source of their activities.  Jesus challenged the Pharisees for using their "success" at tithing insignificant things as a cover for their evil with regard to more important things. (Matthew 23:23)  Decades ago, churches in the South stood for historic doctrine, while supporting a culture of racism that completely contradicted Galatians 3:28.  Today we, .  .  .  .