(For source information, please scroll down to the bottom of this post.)
SIMPLE TEST.
Am I a Christian or a Pharisee? This simple introspective test can help us to reveal what our inner motivations are in our worship of God and if we really love our fellow man. The Pharisees (meaning ‘to be separate’) were a group of religious leaders who lived in the time of Christ. They legalistically followed and added to the Mosaic Law that Jehovah/Yahweh had given to the nation of Israel. But they lost sight of the basic meaning of the law, which was love of God and their fellow man. Jesus exposed their hypocrisy. Their arrogant attitude not only resulted in hurting the common people, but also actually made them guilty of being a party to the murder of God’s son Jesus Christ! These simple questions can help us all consider what kind of group we are part of, and also what kind of a person we really are.
- Does my church/group insist on strict obedience to their interpretation of the Scriptures, and their concepts and traditions? (Matt. 23:4) YES or NO.
- Does my church/group promote and encourage the achievement of positions and have titles for various levels of religious work? (Matt. 23:6,7) YES or NO.
- Does my church/group go to great lengths to convert people to a certain way of thinking and specific religious works, beyond the simple good news of God’s Kingdom preached by Jesus? (Matt. 23: 15) YES or NO.
- Do I pride myself on my religious activities while looking down or perhaps viewing as evil or apostate those who do not meet my church/group’s prescribed level of activity? (Luke 18:11,12) YES or NO.
- Do I refuse to associate or eat with people who I view as sinners? (Not ‘brothers’ who unrepentantly practice sin as Paul later clarified). (Luke 15:1,2) YES or NO.
- Am I irritated or filled with rage about these questions? Will I delete this information and view as evil or apostate those who prayerfully consider and share this, perhaps viewing them as worthy of death? (Mark 3:6) YES or NO.
ANSWER KEY:
If you answered ‘YES’ to all of these questions, you unfortunately have the qualities of a Pharisee and have lost sight of true Christianity. Please prayerfully consider your personal attitude and consider that the Pharisee’s thought that they were doing things the way God wanted. Jesus made it clear that, although the works they performed may be good, their attitude toward others was the opposite of God’s will.
If you answered ‘YES’ to one or more of these questions, you are likely working hard to be a true Christian, but are allowing imperfect human tendencies and perhaps external church/group pressures to taint your good works.
If you answered ‘NO’ to all of the questions, you are likely manifesting the qualities of a true Christian. You will probably have many friends who respect and love you, both within your church/group and outside of it, as people will sense your genuine Christian love.
What do you friends think?
Oh yes- the source information is: 'Insight on the Scriptures', Volume 2, page 625.