“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:9-11 NASB1995)
What kind of love is this speaking of here? It’s a love which centers in moral preference, which prefers what God prefers. And God prefers all that is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, and faithful. So should we who are Jesus’ followers. And it’s a love which shows benevolence (concern, compassion, kindness) for one another, and for one another’s needs. So, when we love with this agape love, we will not deliberately and habitually sin against one another, but we will do for others what is for their good.
So, what does hypocritical love look like? Well, it is not love at all – not in the eyes of God and according to the Scriptures. It is words spoken but not in truth, and not followed up with actions which speak love, but often with actions which speak the opposite of love. It is like a man or a woman who is married who tells their spouse that they love them only to turn right around and do the exact opposite of what love is. A primary example of this is if one spouse is living in adultery against the other spouse, while professing love.
Another way this can be hypocritical love is if one person professing love to another leads that other person into sin deliberately, and for the sole purpose to get that other person to fail morally and spiritually, because it brings them pleasure to see the other person fail. And yes, there are people like this, even people professing faith in Jesus Christ, who get pleasure and enjoyment out of seeing others fall into sin. And the Bible talks about the punishment of those who lead others into sin, too (Matthew 18:6-7).
But do you know that is what many pastors and preachers of the word of God are doing to you when they feed you lies which give you the impression that your sins no longer matter to God once you “believe” in Jesus, and so you are free to keep sinning without feeling guilty about your sin, since you believe all your sins are forgiven and heaven is guaranteed you upon death? For any pastor/preacher, who willfully omits God’s biblical requirements for us to put sin to death and to walk in obedience to God, is doing that.
For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
So, it is not okay with God if after we make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ that we go right on sinning against him deliberately and habitually, especially without conscience and without true remorse. However, this does not mean we will never sin/fail (1 John 2:1-2), for we are still human beings, mere clay in the Potter’s (God’s) hands, being conformed to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ, which is a life-long process of sanctification, if, in fact, that is where we are spiritually, and that is actually taking place.
For we are to be children of God who have died with Christ to sin, and who are abhorring what is evil, and who are clinging to what is good, as God terms “good.” And we are not to be selfish people who think only of ourselves and what gives us pleasure, without regard for how our actions impact those we claim to love. But in love we are to give preference to one another in honor, but never in giving preference to what is evil and to what might destroy them morally and spiritually, if we teach them lies.
For, if our faith in Jesus Christ is genuine biblical faith, it will result in us dying to sin and walking in obedience to our Lord, in practice, by the grace of God and in the power of God. And our desire will be for the Lord, to do what pleases him, in service to him and to his will and purpose for our lives. And this doesn’t mean that we are going to get everything right all the time, but we should keep pressing forward in the strength and wisdom of God, in following our Lord, and in doing what he says, in living for him every day.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
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Hypocritical Love is Not Love
An Original Work / October 29, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love