Hypocrisy in our day uses the best of Christian beliefs to disguise the worst of Christian behavior.
Having breathed in the atmosphere of heaven for a while, Job decides to return to earth and plead his case once more (Job 27:1-12). The three-man jury have already made up their minds, but Job isn’t quite ready to give it up as a lost cause. He calls God as his witness, and then plows the same furrow once again. “Far be it from me that I should say you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live” (vv 5-6). Job seems especially stung by the accusation that he’s been a pretender. But, he asks, “what is the hope of the hypocrite?” (v 8). Such a man may at first profit from his schemes, but sooner or later he’ll be found out. And who would dare try to maintain his deceit when dealing with the all-knowing God? “Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?” (v 9). See the fallacy in your argument, Job scolds his friends. What hypocrite would appeal to God for a full hearing, as I have, if he knew all the facts would come out in the trial? “Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call on God?” (v 10). No imposter would want full disclosure. Instead, says Job, I have had an ongoing relationship with the Lord. Because of this, “I will teach you about the hand of God; what is with the Almighty I will not conceal” (v 11). In this way, I may convince you that I’m not a sham; my interactions with the Lord have not been in duplicity but in “delight.” Besides, he adds, you know better than to charge me like this. “Surely all of you have seen it”—the evidence in my life. “Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?” (v 12). Why? Because self-righteousness blinds us to the good in others.