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Many non-believers see hypocrisy in the Christian church and delight in pointing it out.
True. Being perfect isn't easy.
Of course, the expectations non-believers put on Christians, as well as the expectations Christians put on other Christians, are silly. Out of the hundreds of people mentioned in the Bible, only one of them is perfect. The rest are just like us. Fundamentally flawed.
For example, despite being a man after God's own heart, David bedded another man's wife, got her pregnant, and then tried to selfishly hide what he had done by arranging for her husband to be killed.
The only thing I can figure about what is meant by David being "a man after God's own heart" is that despite his selfish decisions, David had a heart that, deep down, cared. Every time he made one of his multiple bad, hurtful, decisions, his heart ached over the things he had done, even as he sometimes continued making bad decisions, digging himself deeper in attempt to clean up the initial mess. He paid for those hateful decisions with the loss of people he loved, and when those loses came, he knew why.
He had a conscience. Not everyone does.
He loved God, and despite appearances, he did love others. Not everyone does.
The difference between David and people that are far from God's heart - I figure - is the heart. Some people really don't care when or how they hurt others and they certainly don't care about God. All they really care about is themselves. The Bible mentions again and again how someone's heart was hardened, or how someone's heart was evil, or how the heart needs to be guarded. And how God knows the heart. There is no fooling him with feigned compassion.
So while we will never be perfect in our Christian walk, and it's inevitable that - despite intentions and vows not to - we will end up making some selfish decisions that will hurt others. But we will do even worse if we don't commit ourselves to follow God's instruction, care about His Will, and care how others feel (ie: loving God and others). Only by following his Word and praying that our hearts will become like His can we take noticeable steps away from our selfish nature.
So ...what exactly are God's instructions....
Well, there are the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, as well as the Ten commandments...for starters.
Hmmm...but...do we really have to follow Mosaic Law in order to please God?
Five Parts: Part II Does Walking the Walk and following God's instructions mean following Mosaic Law? - June 1, 2010
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