Romans 2:21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

Which is the greatest sin?

OK, that is a trick question because all sin is equal in God’s sight.

So which sin is most harmful to a Christian ministry?

Hypocrisy.

Luke 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

One cannot lead men in the Way if he cannot walk in it himself.

We do not expect our teachers to be perfect, only repentant.

That was the first of the woes to the leaders of the temple by Jesus.

Luke 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

We have a high expectation of our preachers and teachers and we examine them closely, but not so closely as what his Lord does.

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

For we are all subject to examination by anyone who should ask and answerable unto our Lord for our answers.

 

Matthew 27:4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

I was interested in innocence this morning and found that the word innocent only appears twice in the KJV New Testament. These are those two verses. Both ended with phrases that imply emphatically, “That’s your problem.” See thou and see ye implies personal responsibility is required of that and it, which is the innocent blood of Jesus Christ.

Strangely enough the most prophetic words spoken in this chapter is given in response to Pilate by the crowd in verse 25.

“Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.”

Do you see it? “all the people” In the crowd was a mixture of believers and non-believers. They all answered and rightly so, that the innocent blood was on them and on their children, meaning all generations to follow. That’s on us, it is our problem. See to it. What are we going to do?

Will you stand in the blood, which is to be guilty of the blood?

Or will you be covered by the blood which hides all your sins from the eyes of the Father?

The choice is yours.