What are the consequences of pretending to be what I am not?

Proverbs 15:8The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but he delights in the prayers of the upright.

Proverbs 20:23The Lord detests double standards; he is not pleased by dishonest scales.

Proverbs 21:27The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives.

Amos 5:21“I hate all your show and pretense—the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.”

God is so opposed to hypocrisy—pretending to be what we aren’t—because it reveals a dishonest heart. We risk the anger of God when we are dishonest and hypocritical.

Psalm 101:7I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence.

1 Peter 2:1-3So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

Much of our pretending, especially as adults, grows out of the desire to deceive, which is harmful to our spiritual growth. The folly behind every deception is the assumption that if we can mislead another person, we can also mislead God. The temptation to deceive anyone should be an immediate reminder for us to repent.

Psalm 25:3No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

Pretending, which is often driven by a desire to avoid shame, eventually leads to disgrace. So we risk even greater shame when we are exposed.

Jeremiah 7:8“‘Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie!”

Micah 6:12The rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence. Your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.

1 Timothy 4:2-3These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth.

2 Timothy 3:13Evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.

After a while, a habit of pretending based on deceit becomes common and even acceptable to us, dulling and even killing our consciences. Eventually deceivers deceive themselves, cutting themselves off from the truth.

Psalm 5:6You will destroy those who tell lies. The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.

Ezekiel 14:10False prophets and those who seek their guidance will all be punished for their sins.

Galatians 6:7-9Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

God promises to punish all who practice deceit as a way of life, in part, because they are mocking God and failing to love their neighbors.