Have we ourselves Become Pharisees?

Do You Qualify?

If you don’t like hypocrisy, you have that in common with Jesus. The Son of God specialized in flipping upside down the religious frauds. The religionists of Jesus’ day had clean cups and dirty hearts.

“And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not (He was probably writing their sins in the sand). 7 So when they (Pharisees) continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:1-11 

Are we ourselves without sin since He saved us? If so, throw on. If not, you may want to drop that stone of condemnation due only in the hand of the Almighty who is the Judge.

“There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” James 4:12

“Some of the Pharisees did repent like the Apostle Paul, but Jesus had to show up and blind him before he could see (Acts 9).” Scott Collins

In our own pride-filled blindness, have we become the very Pharisees Christ condemned by our merciless attitudes and messages, and self-righteous perpetrations against seeking, sometimes stumbling, and weak souls?

Are we ourselves without fault and sin and the need of perpetual divine mercy?

Dare we cast a stone instead of lending a hand upward as Christ did for us while we were yet sinners? Which one of those 3 characters are you in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan? (Luke 10)

Do we call the lost and back-slidden in?

Are we giving them the invitation He gave?

Just WHAT are Jesus and His true Bride saying to the stumbling one, the lost, and the back-slidden of this sinful generation?

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isaiah 1:18-20

Why did Jesus say He came?

”The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19 

One disciple Notes:

“I know many “modestly” dressed plain dowdy looking women who are EVIL at heart and are full of adultery, fornication, and the Jezebel spirit.”

Response:

Amen Asia! Amen! The Bible tells us that “The LORD looketh on the HEART” and that all sins come from the unsanctified hearts of men. Go memorize and study 1 Sam. 16:7 and Mark 7:20-23. Oh, and what did Jesus say of the religious posers of His day and how they cleaned the OUTSIDE of the cup but left the INSIDE filthy (Matt. 23). Some seek to impose their own measures on others, ever notice that? God always starts HIS work from the inside – out.

“Rend your HEART and not your garments (outward)!” Joel 2:13

According to Jesus, both past and modern pharisees always over emphasize the outward. We ourselves must beware of such. | 50 Characteristics of Pharisees

Summation of Jesus’ Lambasting of Religionists Matthew 23 ….. “Hypocrisy is hiding under a cloak of religion the sins which the ordinary moralist and worldling would condemn. It is very injurious, because it hinders men from entering the Kingdom, Mat_23:13. It is punctilious in its exactions, because while it strains out gnats, it swallows camels, Mat_23:23-24. It expends itself on outward ritual-the Pharisees would not enter Pilate’s hall on the day before the Passover, but they murdered the holy Savior. Above all things, let us be true, professing to be no more than we are!” FB Meyer

GOT A PROBLEM WITH SELF-RIGHTEOUS RELIGIOUS PEOPLE? JESUS DID TOO.

“Religious people always get upset when God uses the very people they thought were unqualified.” unknown

This statement above pretty much sums up much of what we read in the Gospels concerning Jesus’ interaction with the religious leaders of His day. They disdained and denied the very Son of God, the Messiah who stood in their face, spoke with divine authority, and did miracles no man had every done.

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