Are You An Actor?

Micah Webb
03/18/23 - Hypocrisy

If I were to hear someone say “Hollywood” you would probably instantly think of the place where movies are made. Perhaps you would think about your favorite movie or your favorite actor or actress. What makes good movies is the ability of the actors and actresses to pretend to be something they are not.  The best actors and actresses are those who have been able to pretend to be something they are not and make movies good because of it.

            While Hollywood is the home of actors and actresses on screen, there are many good actors and actresses around the world that are not on screen. These are ordinary people and not movie stars. Let us consider for a moment these actors and actresses.

What Actors Are

            In Matthew 15:7 Jesus calls the Jewish leaders “hypocrites.”  The Greek word translated hypocrites is the word hupokrites. According the BDAG this word means, “Mostly in the sense ‘play-actor, role-player’; in our literal metaphor, actor, in the sense pretender, dissembler.”  What Jesus is saying in this context is the Jewish leaders act like they love God and want to serve him faithfully, yet they are only worshipping outwardly as their heart is not in it.  A similar point is made in Matthew 23.

Some Are Actors

            One being an actor is not just a term Jesus used, but something we see in the scriptures multiple times. In Luke 20:20 some went to Jesus asking questions and they “pretended to be sincere” or “pretended to be righteous.”  In 2 Timothy 3:5, Paul warns Timothy of those who have “the appearance on godliness” or “have a form of godliness."  In these texts we see an example of some who were actors and a warning about some actors.  Today, we will still see some who are actors or hypocrites.  They claim to be serving God faithfully, yet they do not live as faithfully as they may claim. Some of these occupy pews in churches every Sunday.

Signs You Are An Actor

            We need to know how to identify if we are an actor. Consider the two main ways you can identify if you are an actor:

1. You Do Not Practice What You Preach – This is what the Jewish leaders were doing when Jesus called them hypocrites (Matthew 23:2-3).
2. You Live Different in Public Than in Private – You may talk about how important God is. Perhaps you are seen at church “serving” God but at home you live how you want, do what you want.

Overcoming Being An Actor

            If one realizes they are an actor or pretender, they need to take care of it. The question is, “How?”

1. Study God’s Word – God’s Word is how we produce faith (Romans 10:17). The more we study the stronger our faith becomes.  Then we will have a sincere faith like Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5, 3:14-17).
2. Pray – Just like studying makes a stronger and closer to God, so will prayer.  If we realize we may be pretending to be righteous, we need to be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12) and it will help us grow close to God and be righteous instead of pretending to be righteous,
3. Remember We Are Called by A Holy God – In 1 Peter 1:15-16 Peter points out that we should be holy for God is holy.  If we remind ourselves that God is holy and has called us to be holy, it will help us strive to live holy.

Conclusion

            There are some who are actors not in the movie industry.  Some of these actors occupy pews in church buildings. If we realize we are one of these actors, we need to overcome it. The question to consider is, “Are you and actor?”    

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