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Douglas S. Cone and Donald Carlson always seemed busy with business. Mr. Cone was a 74-year-old millionaire owner of a Tampa, Florida highway construction company who was gone most weekdays. Mr. Carlson was also frequently away from home on business. His family had said that his job was in a sensitive government position that required him to travel extensively. No one had a clue that Mr. Cone and Mr. Carlson, who had lavish homes and families only 20 miles apart, were one and the same man.
The wives drove Rolls-Royces and moved among Tampa's elite society. By all accounts, his wife of 52 years, Jean Ann Cone never suspected a thing. Both sets of children attended the same prestigious prep school. Both women served as trustees at the school. There were even facilities which bore their names-the Jean Ann Cone Library and Carlson Field, made by generous donations by their "husbands." Well, it all unraveled when Mrs. Cone passed away at age 75. Family became suspicious when their father legally married his former secretary, Hillary Carlson. They are finding out the truth. Their father had lived a double life all these years.
Jesus condemned the Pharisees who had professed a belief in God, but didn't live lives of holiness. They made great claims about being God's people, yet would not lift a finger to aid those who were weak and needy. The word he used was "hypocrite."-Matthew 6:5.
The word "hypocrite" comes from a word that simply meant "one who replied or answered." Then it came to mean acting, as actors dramatized the lines of a scene. Finally, the word was used in the worst sense: "play-acting; pretending; one who wore a mask to hide his real self; one who acted one way, but who was really another way; one who put on an outward show."
Two passages come to mind: "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."-Romans 12:9. Here is love that is genuine; love that doesn't say one thing and do another. The other passage deals with our faith; "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."- 1 Tim. 1:5. Here, Paul says that our faith is not about play-acting! Our Christianity is genuine.
The true Christian is a transparent one. They are the "real deal!" What you see is what you get. No playing the part on Sunday and living another kind of life during the week. There is no duplicity in them. There is no double life! They are not perfect, but forgiven, striving with all their being to serve others and to please their God or as the apostle says, it is our "goal…to love…from a pure heart…and a sincere faith," that is, without hypocrisy.
What kind of life are you living? Is it a double life or a sincere one? Only you…and God know.
Tom Nuckels |