Everywhere we go, religious people, Church People, seem to think that they are better than other people. It was true in Bible days. The Pharisees really thought they were better than everybody else yet were so judgmental and critical of anyone, even when that person was praying. You remember Jesus telling that story.
But the reality is that everyone, no matter how sanctimonious they may sound or pretend to be, everyone must change their mind and their lifestyle and abhor sin in any form in their lives. If not, they too, will perish just as the overtly sinful do. This is the great conundrum. People seem to not be able to acknowledge or even see their own flaws, their failures, their foolishness. Yet someone else from a distance makes the slightest mistake and they are quick to pounce, condemning that person, even though they don’t know them.
As a disciple of Jesus, I’m calling you to a higher life, which is actually a lower life: A life of humility. We are mindful that apart from Jesus Christ we can do nothing. We also know that without his forgiveness of our sins we would have no hope at all. And for those of you who are a little too self-righteous, remember Jesus forgave your sin, but you still need your sin forgiven when you make new ones. That’s why 1 John 1.9 is still in the Bible.
Today, take some inventory of yourself. And ask yourself, “Am I perfect? “When you come to the right answer, fall on your knees afresh and ask Jesus to cleanse you from all that is wrong in your life. That’s the mark of a true disciple of King Jesus.
What has been your experience?
