Help! The Pharisees controlled the pulpit!

 

Luke 18:14 [14]I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

We have a problem. In Jesus’ day the publicans and the sinners are entering the kingdom despite the Pharisees and scribes trying to bar the way with self-righteousness, evangelizing them to be twice the son of hell. But now our pulpits are being controlled by the Pharisees, by the legalists.

Matthew 21:31-32 [31]Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. [32]For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

Something is going on.

Somewhere along the way we’ve substituted human ability for grace. Instead of relying on the grace of God for justification and sanctification, we thought we can earn God’s favor (both in salvation and sanctification) by our own works.

We drive the sinners away because they’re not dressed as we are, they don’t look like us and they don’t speak the way we do. We can’t even speak to them because we live for so long in our echo chamber until we develop our own vocabulary and specialized language. The only people we talk to are people who like us which only reinforce what we already believe, and lose the ability to talk to those outside our little click.

And when we do talk to outsiders, they never can guess we’re grace people. We’re very condemning. We measure people by what they can do relative to what we “do as Christians” and forget that there was a time we’re in need of grace.

How time makes us forget we’re beggars telling other beggars where to find grace.

This is not to justify loose living. This is to condemn the legalistic way we impose our ideas to others.

Our job is 1) teach people that if they believe in Jesus they have eternal life, and 2) teach them that by learning and applying doctrine, they’ll grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We cut corners with 2. We focus on the outside rather than the inner transformation that can only be brought about by doctrine.

We judge others who are not as visibly “holy” as us; we forget that we’re at varying degrees of maturity and therefore varying levels of sanctification. We make outward works as the basis for being holy rather than development of character that reflects Christ. We’re more interested in people who can lead the worship service rather than ghe quiet disciple who sits at the foot of Jesus.

This is not to say service is not important. This is saying that we shouldn’t judge on the basis of what can be seen by the eyes. We should spend time teaching believers to thinks and apply what they learn, than telling them what to do.

Let them grow in grace and let them show that growth in appropriate service. They may not look like ours but if it comes from growing from grace, it is good in the eyes of our Lord.

In the end we’re servants serving the same Master and only Him can evaluate our works. He will. At the Bema.

So stop being Pharisaic about it. It’s not yours to evaluate.

Manatiling nakapokus sa biyaya. Huwag ninyong hayaang nakawin ng mga huwad na guro ang inyong karapatang mag-isip ng doktrina.

(Kung gusto ninyo ng karagdagang impormasyon, bisitahin ninyo kami. May pagtitipon kami sa Dahat, kada Linggo, kada 1:00-3:00 pm. Sana manampalataya kayo at kita-kita tayo.

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