Skip to main content

Where have all the Pharisees Gone? Part Two

In yesterday's blog I came down very hard on liberal Pharisees in our society.  I did this because those on the left are the most oblivious to their own self-righteous tendencies.  They are the first to quote the command of Jesus "judge not lest ye be judged" even as they are standing in judgment over the people to whom they are quoting the verse. 

However, my ultimate goal is not to self-righteously complain that liberals are among the most self-righteous. Rather, it is my observation that self-righteousness is a trait of our entire human species.  Whether we are on the right or the left or somewhere in between, we all tend towards the sin of self-righteousness by our very nature.  We all desire to stand justified before God and men by the standards of our own goodness.  Ironically, we want this even as we are unable to keep the laws that we ourselves force on others.

The Bible speaks to this tendency in humans.  It says that all our righteousness, whether conservative or liberal, are filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).  Anyone who believes that their own righteousness is sufficient is delusional.  Our only hope is for a righteousness that comes from outside of ourselves - a righteousness that comes from God, not man.

Fortunately for all of us, such a righteousness is available.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it--the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Rom 3:21-22 ESV)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oops!

I can be a real klutz.  I have very few manual skills and I never grew out of the "tripping over my own feet" stage of life.  I have fumbled and dropped more than my fair share of balls. In other words, "oops" has been a regular part of my vocabulary. It is not only in the physical world that I have fumbled things.  I have messed up relationships.  I have prejudged people before ever getting to know them.  I have used and abused those who love me most in this world.  I have failed and sinned my way into more than one tight corner and created untold disasters.  Oops is not even sufficient for the ways that I have blown it. Perhaps that is why something Paul, our worship leader last Sunday, said resonated so deeply with me this week.  He said "Oops is never said in heaven."  Our God never is clumsy.  He never makes mistakes. His plans never go belly-up.  He never fails.  He never ever has to say oops - and that comforts me.
Post a Comment
Read more

The walking, talking providence of God

Today I met a man in Israel I will never forget.  Fifteen years ago he was voting in a primary for candidates of the Likud party.  At the polling station, two Palestinian terrorists burst in upon the crowd who were choosing their candidate for the next election.  They sprayed the crowd with automatic gunfire.  Seven people fell to the floor, wounded by the barrage.  The terrorists moved among the fallen, stopping to shoot each one between the eyes to make sure that they were dead.  Six people died that day.  Today I met the seventh. He was wounded four times in the initial burst of gunfire - once in each leg, once in the arm and once in the side.  The terrorists then put a gun two feet from his face and put a bullet between his eyebrows.  I saw the deep scar with my own eyes.  The next year he spent in a coma. Today I met him at the little restaurant he owns outside the gates of the ancient ruins of Beth She'an.  He stood in f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Getting Ready for Friday

Learn to know Christ and him crucified. Learn to sing to him, and say, "Lord Jesus, you are my righteousness, I am your sin. You have taken upon yourself what is mine and given me what is yours. You have become what you were not so that I might become what I was not." --Martin Luther
Post a Comment
Read more