Hypocrisy comes from a combination of two Greek words: "under" and "to answer". Most of us are aware that this word was originally used to describe the Greek "actor" or "stage performer". Performers in the elaborate public plays would assume the role of a character and speak and act to engage the audience. They would often speak from "under" a mask - thus the idea of "to answer from under" - hypocrisy.
The key to "unmasking" our own hypocrisy is very simple. STOP trying to impress or engage MEN!
Jesus made an amazing statement - "I do not receive glory from men" and so He lived only to please the Father and cared only about the Father's approval - that's why the Father was WELL PLEASED with Him.
Actors are those who do what they do BEFORE MEN - to be seen by men, to be approved by men, to be applauded by men. Their audience is on the earth. Those who fix their eyes upon Jesus, have as their audience Jesus and the great unseen crowd of witnesses. Those who do everything in the consciousness that they are before the "eyes of the Lord" are not hypocrites. They know they can never speak from "under" anything that the Lord can not see clearly. "Nothing is hidden from the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do." The impossibility of doing anything in secret is a reality only to those who live before the eyes of the Lord.
All we need to do to unmask hypocrisy in our own lives is realize "we will all give account to the One who searches the hearts and minds to reward everyman according to his deeds." Genuine awareness of this reality will cause us to "set the Lord continually before" us and thus all of our thoughts and actions will be done in the consciousness of "BEFORE HIM." We will speak and act like those who are going to give account to the audience of ONE - the ONE who sits on the Great White Throne to judge the world. "
And I beheld a Great White Throne and the One who sat upon it.from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works."
When we have set the LORD continually before us - we shall not be moved - instead we will remove the mask of our hypocrisy in any area we speak or act to gain men's applause. Those who walk with the Lord before them cease performing before men. Their eyes and hearts are fixed upon the One who sits upon the throne. He is the One they are seeking to engage in every situation where men are involved and in every situation when no men are involved.
Those who sin in secret while they pray in public show who they really fear the most. Hypocrites are simply those who are more conscious of men as their audience than they are of God.