"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."

-Matthew 15:8

These are the words that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees; but I am afraid that if Jesus was walking the earth today He would say the same words to some of us. Throughout Scripture, it is made clear time and time again that the Lord hates hypocrisy. It doesn't matter if we have everything right on the outside, if our heart isn't right it's all in vain. Notice what God says in Jeremiah 3:10,11:

"And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah."

In these verses, God said that Judah was even more wicked that Israel because they had forsaken God, but continued going through the motions pretending they were alright. Mere outward conformity has never, and will never, be enough.

"...for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

-Deuteronomy 13:3

It doesn't say that God "proves" us to see if we go to church every Sunday, or to see if we are faithful in our tithes and offerings. It says that He looks to see whether or not we love Him with all of our heart and soul. I once heard a preacher say that just because the outward is right, that doesn't always mean the inward is right; but if the inward is right the outward will always be right.

If we intend on making it to heaven, hypocrisy has to go!

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."

-James 3:17

"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,"

-II Peter 2:1