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  THE HYPOCRITE'S BANE
  by Thomas Brooks
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Summary: A hypocrite is someone who performs religious duties without a
principle of divine love or a sanctified heart, and will be undone
forever.

Topics: "Hypocrisy", "Sincerity in Faith"
Scripture References: Luke 18:11

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Thomas Brooks emphasizes the dangers of hypocrisy in religious practice,
illustrating how the Pharisees performed many outward acts of piety
without true inward transformation. He argues that a hypocrite may
engage in prayer, fasting, and giving, yet lacks the genuine heart and
spiritual principles that should underlie these actions. Brooks warns
that such hollow practices, devoid of sincere love and faith, ultimately
lead to spiritual ruin. He contrasts the hypocrite with a sincere
Christian, who finds true fulfillment in Christ rather than mere
religious duties. The sermon serves as a call to examine the heart's
condition in relation to God and the authenticity of one's faith.

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CONTENT
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("Touchstone of Sincerity")

"The Pharisee took his stand and was praying like this:

God, I thank You that I'm not like other people--greedy,

unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I

fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get."

Luke 18:11-12

A hypocrite . . .

may know much,

and pray much,

and hear much,

and fast much,

and give much,

and obey much

--and all to no purpose, because he never does

anything in a right manner; he never carries on

his work from inward principles of faith, fervency,

love, delight, etc.

The scribes and pharisees fasted, prayed and gave

alms--but their hearts were not changed, renewed,

nor sanctified--and this proved their eternal bane.

A hypocrite never performs religious duties from

spiritual principles, nor in a spiritual manner. A

hypocrite is never inclined, moved, and carried

to God, to Christ, to holy duties--by the power

of a new and inward principle of grace working

a suitableness between his heart and the things

of God. A hypocrite rests satisfied in the

mere external acts of religion, though he

never feels anything of the power of religion

in his own soul. A hypocrite looks to his words

in prayer, and to his voice in prayer, and to his

gestures in prayer--but he never looks to the

frame of his heart in prayer. A hypocrite's heart

is never touched with the words his tongue utters;

a hypocrite's soul is never divinely affected, delighted,

or graciously warmed with any duty he performs.

A hypocrite's spiritual performances never flow from

spiritual principles, nor from a sanctified heart. Though

his works may be new, yet his heart remains old; his

new practices always spring from old principles; and

this will prove the hypocrite's bane, as you may see

in Isaiah 1:15, "When you make many prayers, I will

not hear, for your hands are full of blood." These were

unsanctified ones; their practices were new--but their

hearts were old still.

A hypocrite has no . . .

inward,

saving,

transforming,

experimental,

affectionate,

practical

knowledge of God.

A sincere Christian is enamored with Christ above all.

He cannot be satisfied nor contented with duties or

ordinances, without enjoying Christ in them, who is the

life, soul, and substance of them. But when hypocrites

do duties--all they do is from common principles, from

natural principles, and from an unsanctified heart--and

that mars all. Hypocrites make a great profession and

are much in the outward actions of religion; they make

a very fair show, they hear, they read, they pray, they

fast, they sing psalms, and they give alms; but these

duties being not performed from a principle of divine

love, nor from a principle of spiritual life, nor from a

sanctified frame of heart--are all lost, and the authors

of them are undone forever and ever. "If anyone does

not love the Lord, that person is cursed!" 1 Cor. 16:22

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/thomas-brooks/the-hypocrites-bane/
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