Inside: What is the critical spirit of the Pharisees that we want to avoid? It is that of a self-righteous spirit. It’s when we look down on others, whether inwardly or express it outwardly.

“Usually, the people who see everything wrong in somebody else’s life see absolutely nothing wrong in their own life. And the only gross, vile, wretched sin that never sees anything wrong in its own life is what? Self-righteousness. And that’s what the plank is. As long as you’re self-righteous, as long as you’re spiritually proud, as long as you set yourself up as a judge, you can’t help anybody out with any sin.” 
~John MacArthur

I’m going to cross into a sensitive area, but I am hoping you will hang in here with me and ponder some of what I’m sharing. Our critical spirit is an area that has been on my heart to talk about partly because I am convicted by it when I see this sin in my life but also because I know the damage it can do in our churches and amidst our relationship with other Christians.

We’re discussing on today’s podcast when we have a critical or judgmental spirit against others.

What is the spirit of the Pharisees that we want to avoid? It is that of a self-righteous spirit. It’s when we look down on others, whether inwardly or express it outwardly. We may despise them or look at them with contempt or annoyance. It is a fault finder. We are ready to pass judgment on a matter that is of no concern to us.

Listen to the Podcast:

Show Notes:

The Pharisees were proud, and the Lord calls us to be humble.

The Pharisees denied the Word of God and made up their own rules; God’s Word is our only standard of truth.

The Pharisee’s obedience was external, and Christ calls for our obedience to be internal from the heart.

The Pharisees were focused on materials and possessions, and we are called to be focused on the kingdom.

“When we create our own system of morality then we become the judge of that system, and we determine whether others qualify or not – this is exactly what the Pharisees were doing.“If we ever know the feeling of being rather pleased when we hear something unpleasant about another, that is this wrong spirit. If we are jealous, or envious, and then suddenly hear that the one of whom we are jealous or envious has made a mistake and find that there is an immediate sense of pleasure within us, that is it. That is the condition, which leads to this spirit of judgment.”

“(Jesus) Says that our own condition is such that we are quite incapable of helping others. We affect to be very concerned about these people and their faults, and we try to give the impression that we are concerned only about their good. We say that we are troubled about this little blemish that is in them and that we are anxious to get rid of this mote. But, says our Lord, you cannot do it, because it is such a delicate process. This beam that is in your own eye makes you incapable of doing so.”

~ Martin Lloyd Jones

Scripture & Resources:

Matthew 7:1-5

Matthew 7:6

Romans 13

Galatians 1:9

Luke 18:10-14

James 1:19

John 13:34-35

How Can I Resist a Critical Spirit? @Desiring God

Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by D. Martin Lloyd Jones

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