This world is full of fake smiles, of smoke and mirrors and pretending. But the church should not be like the world around it. As Christians, we gather as a people that rejoices in God’s undeserved grace and that trusts that our great God and Savior will one day bring an end to all sin, suffering, and sadness.

Have you ever experienced the transformative effect of the church door? My guess is that you have, even though you might not be aware of it. Let me explain what I mean by listing a few examples.

Imagine a married couple. They are not doing well in their marriage. They frequently fight and are easily annoyed by each other. As so often happens, they are leaving the house for church later than the husband planned because the wife needed a bit more time to clean up the breakfast mess that her husband left behind when he got ready to leave. He is already sitting in the car, with the engine running, and as soon as she closes the car door he hits the road at full speed. She tells him in a not-so-kind voice to respect the speed limit, to which he responds in an equally annoyed voice that he would if she were ready and in the car at the agreed-upon time. After all, the dishes could be done later. Then they arrive at church. And as they walk through the door, they hold hands and smile.

Or imagine a single man. He hates being single. Life is just not going well for him. His job is not what he had hoped for when he finished college. He is generally unhappy and grumpy, as you can tell when you look at him. But then he walks through the church door and his facial expression changes. I could go on and give you more examples. Or you might be able to add your own story to it.

The fact is that the church door often has a transformative effect. This might be a really good thing. It might be that when we go through the church door, we are reminded of the God who loves us, who is so wonderfully patient and forgiving toward all who trust in Christ as their Lord and Savior. As we walk through the door, we might just realize anew that God has promised that He will work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). Clearly, sometimes God transforms our way of thinking and our attitude as we come to church. This is great.

But far too often, the change that happens at the church door is nothing but hypocrisy. This might sound a bit harsh, but think about it—as we put on our holy smiles, we pretend that all is good. We pretend that our marriages are strong and happy. And we pretend that we are not struggling with living in a fallen world. Looking around at church, you might wonder if there is anyone who needs a Savior. And then we sing happy songs in which we tell God that we love Him and Him alone and that we worship Him all the time with our whole lives. Praise God that we are not like the unhappy, dysfunctional, angry people that can be found only outside the church door.

Read More