The Pharisee and the Publican

The Pharisee and the Publican

I tend to agree with most of what my "Conservative" Comrades here have to say about the Bible, but at this point, I feel I have to part company with them.

When we take a look at the Pharisee and the Publican, a deeper look, we can see that the Pharisee said:

Lk:18:11: The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

Do you see what the problem was? He said I think God I am NOT AS OTHER MEN ARE..

Who was he comparing himself with, God and His Law or with OTHER MEN? Other men was his Measuring Stick and by comparison he looked pretty good in his own estimation. Well after all, he said, Im not committing adultery!

This was the secret of his self-satisfaction. Take a really good look at God like Isaiah did, and you wont be under this illusion anymore that you are somehow "sinless":

Isa:6:5: Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

No Body who take a really deep look at the Law of God can come away with the idea that they are SINLESS. If you get once ray of holiness of character coming from Jesus and look at His perfection, the very last words you will be found uttering are "I AM SINLESS".

Personally, I think that people tend to go too far from one extreme to the other. They either seem to want to excuse all manner of sin or else they claim they are sinless.

I contend that if you believe you are sinless, you have no real comprehension of the broad-reaching nature of the Law of God and what all that encompasses. Jesus explained this concept when He said that we have heard it said, Thou shalt not Kill.. but if you are even angry with your brother then you are just as much in danger of the fires of Hell as someone who killed. He went on to tell the same concept about adultery and so forth.

By the same token, I think it is horrendous the way that some Christian act as if just anybody is going to be allowed into Heaven. That is not what the Bible says at all.

Matter of fact, it says this:


Rv:21:
7: He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.


Claudia

 

Maybe your idea of what a Conservative is... is different than mine.. Mine are those Christians who believe we have to keep the commandments, stop sinning, etc and so forth