May the Lord grant us grace to pursue holiness without the illusion of perfection.

I have a friend who refuses to go to church because “it is full of hypocrites.” This is not uncommon. Many reason, “Nobody’s perfect, and the church is full of hypocrites so why bother with organized religion? I’ll just follow my own subjective spirituality.”

I’m reading Matthew 23 and it hits me that, among other things, Jesus teaches that we should learn to distinguish between flawed but sincere believers and the kind of performative, self-righteous hypocrisy that damns souls. He’s specifically talking about the Pharisees. Leaders and self-righteous “fathers” who he describes as “whitewashed tombs.” They look good on the outside, but inside is death.

I can see how some might look at pastors, priests, elders even friends and neighbors as hypocrites. But the error for those claiming a perfected faith and those complaining about hypocrisy is very similar. “Nobody’s perfect” is true, but it should drive us toward the church, God’s word, and the means of grace, not away from them. Biblical churches are hospitals for sinners pursuing holiness together under the Word and Spirit, not clubs for the already-flawless.

I must say here that there is much confusion about holiness. At justification (when we are saved from our sins), we are declared righteous (positionally holy in Christ). We are righteous in standing, but sinners in practice. In Matthew 23, God does not expect flawlessness in this life but calls us to grow in holiness, empowered by the Spirit, not the flesh or law.

Let me put it this way. If I had my way I would like to be perfect and it is my pursuit is to be so in Christ Jesus. Yet my standing rests on Christ’s finished work, not my progress. So in practice “I press on.” Technically it’s called sanctification. Believers should agonize after purity while resting in grace, exposing the self-deception of those who hide behind imperfection as an excuse for not going to church or studying God’s word. Yes, claims of reaching holiness always produce the hypocrisy Jesus denounced. And flawless performance is not possible, but to not purse reformation of our sinful behaviors is worse than visible hypocracy.

The Pharisees’ error was claiming external righteousness (legal perfectionism) while neglecting the heart—exactly what drives many away today. “Nobody’s perfect” is true, but, to repeat myself intentionally, “this should drive us toward the church and means of grace, not away from them.”

Chew on this one – Church fellowship and corporate worship counters subjective isolation. Isolation breeds deception.

My friends modern tendency to detach himself from the visible church and craft a personalized “faith” based on feelings and preferences avoids accountability. His isolation, he says, stems from the very hypocrisy Jesus exposed in Matthew 23, but again, staying away and neglecting the scriptures is not the solution. Instead, Scripture calls believers into a committed, gathered community, essential to genuine holiness and spiritual health. “Good, natural health and healing” are popular solutions these days. Why not apply them to “religion?” Go to church!