Today’s Open Heavens devotional, 19 March 2026, is GOD HATES HYPOCRISY
The daily devotion guide is written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVENS 19 MARCH 2026 DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: GOD HATES HYPOCRISY
MEMORISE
He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.
Job 13:16
READ: Acts 5:1-11
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
RCCG OPEN HEAVENS 19 MARCH 2026 MESSAGE TODAY
In Mark 11:12-20, the Bible tells us about a fig tree that failed to produce fruit for Jesus to eat when He was hungry. Usually, when figs are in season, fig trees give a sign by producing many leaves, signalling that there are fruits on them. The fig tree in this passage, however, had leaves but no fruit – it was a show of hypocrisy.
It is also a show of hypocrisy when a minister leads prayer or worship in church and puts up an impressive physical performance but hardly prays or worships in private. A preacher once said that some believers pretend to be very strong in the Lord when they have just failed Him.
In Job 8:13, the Bible says that the hope of hypocrites will perish. Today’s memory verse also tells us that God doesn’t want hypocrites in His presence – this is a serious warning to believers.
Job 15:34 says that the congregation of hypocrites will be barren, and Job 20:5 says that the joy of a hypocrite will not last because it is for a moment.
One of the passages in the Bible that challenged me as a young Christian is the story of Ananias and Sapphira, which is today’s Bible reading. The couple sold a piece of land, kept a part of the money, lied to Peter about it, and this cost them their lives. I thought their punishment was harsh; the land and the money were theirs, after all.
However, the issue was that Ananias and Sapphira attempted to deceive the church. God hates lies, and no liar will go to heaven (Revelation 21:8). As I studied the couple’s story, I discovered that God punished them because they were hypocrites.
Many believers fall into the trap of hypocrisy when they fail to give accurate reports of things that are entrusted into their care.
Even some pastors are known to inflate their church’s attendance records, and when they are asked how the church is doing, they say, “Great”. I believe that a fellow is not doing great until the person doubles what the Lord has placed in his or her hand, as we see in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
Beloved, when you pretend to be who you are not just because you want to look good in the eyes of the people around you, you are only deceiving yourself. Rather, seek God’s face to help you to become who He wants you to be.
KEY POINT
Hypocrisy attracts God’s anger. Avoid it.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Judges 17-19
Open Heavens HYMN 34: YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION
OPEN HEAVENS 19 MARCH 2026 DEVOTIONAL COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: Job 13:16
“He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.”
This verse establishes a fundamental barrier to divine encounter: hypocrisy. The Hebrew word for hypocrite (chaneph) conveys the sense of one who is profane, polluted, or godless—but with a religious veneer. The hypocrite is not an atheist but an actor, playing the part of piety while the heart is absent. Job’s declaration is both personal confidence (“He shall be my salvation”) and corporate warning (“the hypocrite shall not come before Him”). There is a holiness threshold that hypocrisy cannot cross.
BIBLE READING: Acts 5:1-11
This passage is the most terrifying judgment narrative in the early church:
v. 1-2: Ananias and Sapphira sell a possession, conspire to withhold part of the proceeds, and bring the remainder as if it were the whole. Their sin is not stinginess (the property was theirs to dispose) but deception. They wanted the reputation of Barnabas’s generosity (Acts 4:36-37) without the cost.
v. 3-4: Peter discerns the spiritual reality: “Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?” The lie was not primarily to the apostles but to God Himself.
v. 5-10: Sequential judgment. Ananias falls dead. Three hours later, Sapphira,未经通报, enters, confirms the lie, and shares his fate.
v. 11: “And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” The church learned that God is not mocked. Hypocrisy in the house of God is not a minor social faux pas; it is a capital spiritual offense.
The Leaven of Hypocrisy: When Leaves Conceal Emptiness
Pastor E.A. Adeboye returns to the fig tree—this time extracting its deepest lesson: hypocrisy. The tree had the sign of fruitfulness (abundant leaves) but lacked the substance. It was a deceiver, a pretender, an actor on a hillside stage. Using Ananias and Sapphira as the New Testament counterpart, he exposes hypocrisy as a lethal contaminant in the body of Christ. It deceives no one but the hypocrite—and it bars entry into the presence of the Holy God.
1. The Anatomy of Hypocrisy
The Fig Tree Syndrome:
- In fig cultivation, the appearance of mature leaves signals the presence of early figs. Travelers seeking refreshment would scan for leafy trees, knowing that foliage promised fruit. The cursed fig tree was not merely barren; it was deceptive. It advertised what it could not deliver.
- The Parallel: Hypocrites in the church are spiritual fig trees. They display the leaves of religious activity—prayer leading, worship ministry, platform visibility, orthodox profession—but produce no corresponding fruit of genuine righteousness, private devotion, or transformed character.
The Mask of Ministry:
- Pastor Adeboye exposes a specific manifestation: “It is also a show of hypocrisy when a minister leads prayer or worship in church and puts up an impressive physical performance but hardly prays or worships in private.”
- The Diagnostic: Public spiritual performance without private spiritual practice is not merely weakness; it is deception. The congregation is being shown leaves. God sees the absence of fruit.
The Post-Failure Pretence:
- “A preacher once said that some believers pretend to be very strong in the Lord when they have just failed Him.” This is the hypocrisy of the freshly fallen who immediately resume their platform duties without the humility of confession and restoration. The mask is applied before the wound is cleansed.
2. The Fate of Hypocrites
Job’s Testimony:
- Job 8:13: “So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.” The hypocrite has hope—but it is a false hope, built on sand. When the storm of divine inspection comes, it perishes.
- Job 15:34: “For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.” Hypocrisy does not remain isolated; it infects congregations. And the judgment upon such assemblies is barrenness and desolation.
- Job 20:5: “That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.” The applause of men is fleeting. The platform exhilaration evaporates. What remains is the terror of divine exposure.
Ananias and Sapphira: The Ultimate Warning:
- Pastor Adeboye confesses his youthful struggle with this passage: “I thought their punishment was harsh.” This is a common response. The crime—keeping part of the proceeds from a land sale—seems disproportionately punished by immediate death.
- The Revelation: “I discovered that God punished them because they were hypocrites.” Their sin was not greed but deception. They conspired to manufacture a reputation for generosity they had not earned. They wanted the church’s admiration without the sacrifice.
- The Principle: God does not judge us for what we lack but for what we pretend to have. The hypocrite is not condemned for weakness but for false representation. Ananias and Sapphira were not killed for selling their land; they were killed for lying about it.
3. The Modern Forms of Ecclesiastical Hypocrisy
Inflated Attendance Records:
- “Even some pastors are known to inflate their church’s attendance records, and when they are asked how the church is doing, they say, ‘Great.’”
- The Root: The pressure to demonstrate “success” according to worldly metrics leads ministers to exaggerate numbers, manufacture testimonies, and present an image of growth that does not reflect reality. This is fig-tree Christianity: leaves of statistical increase, fruit of genuine discipleship absent.
The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30):
- Pastor Adeboye applies this passage as a diagnostic: “I believe that a fellow is not doing great until the person doubles what the Lord has placed in his or her hand.”
- The Implication: The servant who returned one talent did not lose it; he preserved it. But he was condemned as “wicked and slothful” because he produced no increase. Hypocrisy often masquerades as faithful preservation while concealing the absence of fruitfulness.
4. The Testimony of Daddy Adeboye (Implied)
A Young Christian Challenged by Scripture:
- The confession that Acts 5 “challenged me as a young Christian” reveals a heart that allowed Scripture to shape conscience rather than the reverse. Pastor Adeboye did not dismiss the passage as culturally obsolete or theologically problematic; he studied until he understood. This is the posture that prevents hypocrisy: submission to the uncomfortable Word.
How to Escape the Trap of Hypocrisy
Conduct a Private/Public Audit:
- Compare your private spiritual disciplines with your public spiritual performances. Is your prayer closet as fervent as your prayer leading? Is your personal worship as engaged as your platform ministry? Where there is significant discrepancy, hypocrisy has found a foothold.
Embrace the Freedom of Honest Weakness:
- You do not need to pretend to be strong when you have failed. The body of Christ is not a showcase of perfect specimens but a hospital for recovering sinners. Confess your failure to trusted brethren. The freedom of acknowledged weakness is far preferable to the bondage of maintained pretence.
Reject the Pressure of Impressive Metrics:
- Whether in ministry, business, or personal life, resist the temptation to present inflated or deceptive reports. God is not impressed by numbers; He searches hearts. Trust Him with the truth, even when the truth appears unimpressive.
Seek God’s Transformation, Not Man’s Admiration:
- “Rather, seek God’s face to help you to become who He wants you to be.” The antidote to hypocrisy is not trying harder to look good but turning to God to become good. Hypocrisy is self-improvement apart from grace; holiness is God-transformation through surrender.
Cultivate the Fear of the Lord:
- “Great fear came upon all the church” (Acts 5:11). This fear was not cowering terror but reverent awe—a sober recognition that God is not mocked. A healthy fear of divine inspection is the most effective anti-hypocrisy vaccine.
Warning: The Deception of Self-Deception
The Hypocrite’s Blindness:
- The most tragic aspect of hypocrisy is that the hypocrite is often the last to know. Ananias and Sapphira walked into that assembly believing their lie was undetectable. They had deceived themselves before they attempted to deceive Peter.
The Subtlety of Gradual Compromise:
- Hypocrisy rarely announces itself. It begins with small adjustments—a slightly inflated report, a prayer led without prior prayer, an “amen” spoken while the heart is absent. These small accommodations accumulate until the leaves are many and the fruit is none.
Conclusion: The Blessing of Transparent Integrity
Pray this:
“Lord Jesus, Light of the World, You see through every leaf to the reality of my heart. I confess the hypocrisy that has taken root in my life—the public performances not supported by private devotion, the inflated reports, the reputation I have manufactured that exceeds my reality. Forgive me. I renounce the fear of man that drives me to pretend. I release the need to appear impressive. Today, I choose honesty over admiration. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Transform me from the inside out until my public life is merely the overflow of my private communion with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Action Steps:
- The Hypocrisy Audit: Spend an hour in solitude with the Holy Spirit. Ask: “In what areas of my life am I presenting leaves without fruit? Where is my public reputation greater than my private reality? What am I pretending to be that I am not yet becoming?” Write down the answers. Do not defend yourself; simply receive the revelation.
- The Confession Covenant: Identify one specific area of hypocrisy. Confess it to a trusted, spiritually mature believer. Ask them to pray with you and hold you accountable for authentic transformation in this area.
- The Private Devotion Upgrade: If your public ministry exceeds your private devotion, deliberately reduce public commitments until private practice catches up. It is better to minister less from fullness than to minister much from emptiness.
- The Accuracy Commitment: Make a covenant with God about your reporting—attendance figures, financial accounts, testimonies. Resolve to report only what is true, even when truth is less impressive than the expectations of others.
Remember: God is not looking for impressive fig trees with abundant leaves. He is looking for fruit. And fruit grows in secret, on branches abiding in the Vine, long before it is visible to passersby on the road.
“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Romans 2:28-29). Let your praise be of God.
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