When I was finishing up my first year at Liberty University I had quietly become a sin seeking monster. I was a Pharisee of Pharisees. That is what your first year of Bible college does to you, at least that is what happened to me. You hang out with nothing but believers all the time taking biblical classes and talking the biblical talk. It transforms you into the perfect person, a person who stops sinning but can clearly see the sins of others. That was me. My sin detector was always on high and I did not hesitate to go weapons free when sin came into my presence. I would cut down the sinner with biblical text after text, like Anakin Skywalker in the children’s wing at the Jedi Temple, until that sinner was destroyed and the sin eradicated. I was the best. I was superior. I was going on to do great things for The Lord myself.
I was a wretched man blinded by my own self-righteousness.
Here is a scary thought: self-righteous people do not see their sin.
Here is a scarier thought: neither do unbelievers.
Eventually The Lord humbled me by His Word:
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1st John 1:5-10 ESV Emphasis Added.
You see in my Pharisee state I could not see my own sin. I was blinded by self-righteousness. There was no way that I was a sinner. I was quick to point out the sin in others but God…
Who is rich in mercy…
The Apostle John wrote these words to the church, believers. John knew that Christians would sin and fall into sin and some even boldly claimed that they had no sin. I’ve known a few church members over the years with that attitude. Even though John wrote these words to the church we in the church have gotten this idea that these words do not apply to us.
I can remember preaching from this passage at the church I currently serve many years ago. After the message a woman approached me and said these words “I wish {name of church member absent that day} were here to hear this message. They really need to hear this!” My response to her “What about you? Don’t you need to hear this?”. Her response was sadly priceless, I got the “Well I never” look from her as she stormed out of the sanctuary.
Taking up our cross is a daily task (Luke 9:23) along with denying ourself. It is easy to become a Pharisee, remember that. That road starts with an attitude of justification for your sin. Think on that for awhile. I’ll leave you with a quote from BurkParsons:
Self-righteous behavior is a big problem within Christianity (in my opinion). I’ve been on the receiving end of this more than once. I’ve been unfairly judged and told what my sin is and what I need to do to fix it by someone who doesn’t even know me or my situation or how I got to where I am, someone who thinks they’ve got it all figured out and who can’t see their own obvious flaws. Most of the judgment I’ve done in the past remained in my head and I didn’t tell them what I was thinking (like many do). It is possible to overcome this mindset, takes practice in action though (from my experience). You have to actively practice having love and empathy towards humankind no matter what someone else believes, difference of opinion, culture, etc. Jesus never said “love them only if they meet your requirements”. That’s Circumstantial love. You have to love people where they are and for who they are, this has more positive feedback than being fake, trying to offer judgmental assistance or self-righteously trying to make yourself look good before others or God. If the Bible says “God is the judge”, then let God handle that department, that’s not for us and God doesn’t need any assistance in judging someone. God’s judgement (in my mind) would have to be fair unlike most of us who have major biases over one group or another over stupid petty things like someone’s difference of opinion. Anyway, self reflection on your own flaws and shortcomings (sins) will also help one have empathy towards others