Evangelical Pharisees and Pharisaic, Self-Righteousness.

If we are honest every Christian is prone to falling back into the ditch of "self-righteousness." Any good bible study and related book on pharisaic, self-righteousness call for humble, self-examination and confession. May our common prayer be, "Lord have mercy on us all!" "And "Father, forgive me for I have fallen short of your glory. Shower me with your grace and help me to grow in true love and true piety."

Christian author Michael Reeves calls pharisaical hypocrisy “the hidden cancer” (12) of the church.

Worse yet, few things tempt believers to pull away from, or even abandon Christ's church more than pharisaic, self-righteousness.  

Churches that are (more) sound in doctrine can easily become breeding grounds for "holier than thou art" church members. Sadly, it took me far too many years of pastoral ministry before I realized this grave danger. Some lessons are learned the hard way.  For example, identifying one's congregation as a "remnant church" fuels a proudly pious attitude and often unintentionally creates an abundance of self-righteous (evangelical) pharisees.  

Fundamental Baptists are certainly not the only churches and graduates that struggle with this temptation.  “For the Pharisee, it all begins with a basic posture of the heart: looking down. They look down on others as they compare themselves to them. (21)"  Bringing others down while secretly elevating self.  This sin of comparison and judgement begins in the mind before expressing itself with the mouth (or gavel).

Reeves wisely notes that “There are a number of telltales when Christians fall into the self-reliant mindset of the Pharisee” (48). First among these pharisaical tendencies is the sign of hypocrisy. Quoting C. S. Lewis, Reeves shows that arrogant condemnation is a first cousin to hypocrisy.  The evangelical church has hurt many sheep and damaged its Christian testimony in this very manner more times than one can count.

Hypocrisy on the other hand seeks to conceal my sin (struggles) by seeking to widely broadcast your (supposed) sin(s). “The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: the pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronizing, and spoiling sport, and back-biting, the pleasures of power and hatred” (13).

Evangelical Pharisees are often pitiless to those they deem outside their group, but merciful to themselves and those of their own sect (tribe). Thus they violate the heart and soul of Ephesians 4 and the core teaching of Christ in Matthew 7:1-5. They may call themselves trained "peacemakers" but selectively apply the biblical principles of peacemaking (see Ken Sande's 4 G's).  

Sinful partiality lies hidden beneath the surface of self-righteous scrutiny. Magnifying the perceived weaknesses and/or real sins of others, while covering up and/or minimizing, their own. Gossip, gluttony, bitterness, pornography, unforgiveness, anger, self-righteousness, and other vices are quietly swept under the rug while demanding others humble themselves via public confession. If an evangelical pharisees confesses a sin in private they parade themselves and declare their protected tribe as being "blameless" when back in the public spotlight.  Instead of celebrating evidences of grace they cast stones.

Additionally, evangelical pharisees judge the apparent humility and genuineness of another's private confession or public repentance while rationalizing away their own logs and excusing their besetting sins!  The Spirit of God reminds us in Scripture, "Who among you is without sin?" Who do we think we are?  

Modern-day Evangelical Pharisees are “not only pitiless but partisan, they eye others with suspicion for the minor defenses that they deem to represent a different gospel” (51).  Evangelical Pharisees “treat those not of their sect with a merciless lack of love” (64).  “Their high sense of self make them equate the gospel with their own particular style; their buzzwords; and their particular culture/group” (51).

Pharisees are legalistic often in the name of wanting to protect God's Law and God's Name.  “In just the same way, evangelicals today can fool themselves that they are being truly biblical. Scripture can be used only to confirm what they have come to believe on other grounds” (35).Reeves then explores “how tradition helps tribes” (35). “Tribalism is the inevitable consequence of allowing tradition—or anything else—parity with the word of God. As soon as we adopt any rallying banner other than the gospel, we sacrifice evangelical unity” (36).“Each silo subtly develops its own particular slang, peculiar dialect, shibboleths, and buzzwords. Its members learn the ‘in’ patter and dress code, talking and walking in specific ways that ape the inner ring of their party leaders. They become, as C. S. Lewis put it, like the country bumpkin, full of ‘the cocksure conviction of an ignorant adolescent that his own village (which is the only one he knows) is the hub of the universe and does everything in the Only Right Way.’ Out of sheer ignorance as much as anything else, the inhabitants of other villages seem increasingly alien and wrong. Out of sight and understanding, they grow horns” (36).

Modern-day Pharisees easily and mercilessly criticize others, but they are quickly and easily offended by others.  Evangelical pharisees love to find fault in other pastors, churches, and seminaries in order to elevate themselves.  In my own experience, certain "mentors" warped my understanding of this under the banner of Christian discernment.

Don’t Mistake Your Passion for Theological Precision

Caring Enough to Be Careful

I’m glad there are people in the world—most people in the world, it turns out—who know more about cars than I do. I don’t want good-natured well-wishers to replace my alternator. I want someone who has paid careful attention to the intricacies of auto repair. I want someone who cares about precision. I want someone who knows what he’s doing. I want an expert.

To act as if no one knows more than anyone else is not only silly; it’s also a serious mistake. In his book The Death of Expertise, Tom Nichols cites a survey from a few years ago in which enthusiasm for military intervention in Ukraine was directly proportional to the person’s lack of knowledge about Ukraine. It seems that the dumber we are, the more confident we are in our own intellectual achievements.

Nichols relays an incident where someone on Twitter was trying to do research about sarin gas. When the world’s expert on sarin gas offered to help, the original tweeter (a world-class “twit” we might say) proceeded to angrily lecture the expert for acting like a know-it-all. The expert may not have known it all, but in this case, he knew exponentially more than someone crowdsourcing his research online. And when it comes to chemical warfare, I’d like my experts to have as much expertise as possible.

We live in an age where passion is often considered an adequate substitute for precision.

We’ve swallowed the lie that says that if we believe in equal rights, we must believe that all opinions have equal merit. Nichols also tells the story of an undergraduate student arguing with a renowned astrophysicist who was on campus to give a lecture about missile defense. After seeing that the famous scientist was not going to change his mind after hearing the arguments from a college sophomore, the student concluded in a harrumph, “Well, your guess is as good as mine.” At which point the astrophysicist quickly interjected, “No, no, no. My guesses are much, much better than yours.”1

Meet the Shepherd! (John 10:11-18; Psalm 23)

During Vacation Bible School this year children memorized and studied one of the best-loved passages in all of Scripture—Psalm 23.

When most people hear Psalm 23, their minds immediately run to its wonderful blessings: Lush green pastures. Still waters. An overflowing cup of blessing. Shamed enemies. Goodness and mercy (running after us). The Father's house.

Every one of those promises is precious. They have comforted God's people for more than three thousand years.

But there is something even more glorious than the blessings themselves.

There is the (Good) Shepherd.  

David's primary focus in Psalm 23 was never the green pastures or the still waters. His greatest delight was not ultimately the banquet table or even heaven itself.  His true delight was the Shepherd.

Remove the Shepherd, and there is no peace. No protection. No provision. No pardon. No Paradise.

Before we can truly appreciate the blessings of Psalm 23, we must first know the Shepherd of Psalm 23. That is exactly where Jesus takes us in John 10.

An Unexpected Question

One of my favorite moments during VBS came from an inquisitive nine-year-old.  After thinking about the message of Psalm 23, the group leaders were asked, "If God the Father is the Good Shepherd...does that make Jesus the sheepdog?"

The question made everyone smile.  Children have a wonderful way of asking questions adults would never think to ask. (How do you explain the Trinity to a 9-10 year olds in 30 seconds).  Yet behind that innocent question lies a profound theological truth.

When Jesus declared, "I AM the good shepherd!"  Jesus was not merely comparing Himself to a shepherd. He was identifying Himself with the covenant God of Israel.  I am the Great I Am that is who I am.

Throughout the Old Testament, Yahweh repeatedly identifies Himself as the Shepherd of His people (Psalm 23; Isaiah 40; Ezekiel 34).

Now Jesus steps onto the scene and boldly announces, "I am the Good Shepherd."

This was no ordinary metaphor.  It was a declaration of His deity.

Jesus is the Divine Shepherd par excellence.  As such:

1. The Good Shepherd Knows His Sheep Personally

One of the most comforting truths in John 10 is that Jesus knows His sheep.

Not simply in a general sense. But personally.

Jesus says,

"I know My own and My own know Me."

Our Lord knows far more than our names.  He knows our fears. Our burdens. Our temptations. Our weaknesses. Our sorrows. Our joys.

Nothing about His sheep surprises Him.

Perhaps even more amazing, He knows everything about us—and He still loves us.

The Sensualism of Gossip: Why It Feels So Good—and Why It Is So Dangerous

The Sensualism of Gossip: Why It Feels So Good—and Why It Is So Dangerous

Gossip is one of the most common sins in the church, yet one of the least discussed. We readily recognize sins like adultery or murder, but gossip often slips by unnoticed because it can sound spiritual, harmless, or even helpful. Scripture, however, paints a very different picture.

Why Gossip Is So Attractive

Proverbs describes gossip as a “dainty morsel”—something that is pleasurable to consume (Proverbs 18:8; 26:22). Gossip appeals to our sinful nature because it satisfies our curiosity, feeds our pride, and gives us the thrill of possessing “inside information.”  Many church splits began as harmless "conversations."

It feels satisfying because it:

• Makes us feel important or “in the know.”
• Provides excitement beyond the routine of everyday life.
• Gives us opportunities to judge others while subtly elevating ourselves.

Like forbidden fruit, gossip offers temporary pleasure while producing lasting destruction.

What Is Gossip?

Biblically, gossip involves spreading personal, private, or damaging information—whether true or false—that serves selfish purposes rather than loving one’s neighbor.

The defining issue is not simply whether the information is accurate. True information can still be gossip if it unnecessarily damages someone’s reputation, betrays confidence, or stirs division.

A helpful few questions to ask are: Am I becoming part of the solution, or am I simply spreading the problem?  In view of my role, is this something I should be inserting myself in?

If sharing the information does not lovingly help resolve the issue in a biblical, God-honoring manner, it likely has crossed into gossip.

Common Forms of Gossip

Gossip often disguises itself in respectable clothing.

One familiar example is the “prayer request” that includes unnecessary details about another person’s failures. While presented as concern, it may simply become a socially acceptable way to spread private information.

Another common misconception is believing that withholding confidential information is dishonest. Scripture teaches the opposite. Faithful friends protect confidences. Not every story belongs to us to tell.  Betrayed confidentiality can create relational problems and trust issues for years to come.

Wisdom knows when to speak—and when loving silence honors God.

The Destructive Power of Gossip

Gossip damages far more than reputations.

It destroys trust, fractures friendships, divides churches, ends pastorates, and weakens ministries. Like a spark that ignites a forest fire, one careless conversation can create consequences far beyond what anyone intended.

Once words are released, they cannot easily be retrieved.

A Matter of Discipleship

Overcoming gossip requires more than simply speaking less. It requires spiritual transformation.

Believers should regularly examine their own hearts by asking:

• Am I sharing unverified information?
• Am I saying this to build someone up or tear someone down?
• Am I trying to make myself appear wiser, more important, or more righteous?
• Would I say these same words if the person were standing beside me?

Discipleship also involves becoming a godly listener. When someone begins sharing gossip, love sometimes means graciously stopping the conversation:

“I don’t think we should be talking about this. Have you spoken to that person directly?”  

One pastor suggests giving a Christian gossip two days to inform the person who was being talked about behind his or back that I said this and this to so and so last night.  If you don't, I will.  Gossip culture in the church is a weed that spreads and kills.  By refusing to participate, we prevent gossip from spreading further.

Poisoning the Wells: Why Character Assassination Is Satan’s Most Effective Weapon

Brook Moes warns that, "Character assassination is one of the most destructive forces in Satan’s arsenal because it dismantles the very foundation of persuasion.

Consider this: A person may possess extraordinary logos (profound knowledge, sharp intellect, and the rare ability to articulate truth with clarity and precision). They may also carry remarkable pathos (the emotional depth, sincerity, and charisma that can stir hearts and move people toward conviction).

Yet if their character (ethos) is successfully slandered, all of that power evaporates.

Their words, even if they were speaking the very oracles of God, will be rejected outright. The truth that could rescue a soul, revive a church, or even preserve a nation falls on deaf ears.

This is no accident. Scripture identifies Satan as “the accuser of the brethren,” and his very name means “slanderer.” From the very beginning in Eden, his strategy has been the same: undermine trust in the Messenger so that the Message is never received. “Has God really said…?”

This is why we must be extraordinarily careful. Before we lend any credibility to accusations against someone’s character (especially public accusations) we should demand clear, demonstrable, and widely corroborated evidence, preferably from their own words or actions. And even then, we should recognize in this day how easily words and situations can be twisted in an era of such group think.

Conspiracy theories, lingering bitterness, and reckless slander are slowing the advance of the Gospel in our day just as effectively as false teaching and wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Be slow to believe the worst about others, whether they stand on a national platform or sit in the pew beside you. The enemy is a master at poisoning wells. Don’t become his unwitting accomplices."

Why Church Hurt Follows You—and How God Heals What People Broke

Why Church Hurt Follows You—and How God Heals What People Broke

By Pastor Ethan Jago

"Let’s talk about church hurt—not the light kind you can brush off with Church folks be church-folkin’—but the kind that hits your chest, makes you question God, and has you halfway out the door every Sunday, at least on the inside. Church hurt is pain that happens in the context of spiritual community, through pastors, leaders, members, systems, or even theology used and applied the wrong way. It hits differently because you didn’t just trust these people with your time; you trusted them with your soul. You tied their words and actions to God’s name, so when they failed you, it felt like God had failed you, too. If nobody else gets why you still wrestle with it, I do.

The tricky thing about church hurt is that it doesn’t stay at the old church; if you aren’t careful, it packs its bags and moves with you to the new one. You walk through new doors with walls, not just wisdom. You find yourself scanning everything: How do they handle money? Who really has the power here? What do they believe about leaders, about women, about accountability? When people are kind, you become skeptical, wondering what they really want. Wisdom is a gift, but living in suspicion all the time is exhausting. Scripture says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Prov 4:23). Guarding your heart is not the same as locking it behind concrete and barbed wire so no one ever gets close again.

Without even meaning to, you start to isolate yourself while calling it “being cautious.” You come late and leave early. You avoid small groups and serving because those spaces require vulnerability. You keep the conversation on the surface: work is fine, God is good, life is okay. On the outside, you say, “I’m just observing,” but on the inside, what you really mean is, “If I don’t attach, you can’t abandon me.” The enemy loves that, because isolation makes your unchallenged thoughts sound more and more like the truth. God designed you for connection, not constant self-protection, which is why the Bible encourages believers not to give up meeting together, but to encourage one another (Heb 10:25). Community isn’t just a church program; it’s part of your spiritual survival.

Then there’s the part nobody likes to admit: we start projecting old pain and unmet expectations onto new people. A leader doesn’t text you back, and your heart immediately says, “See, they don’t care about you either.” Someone forgets your name, and you decide, “I’m invisible. Same story, new church.” The pastor preaches on giving, and your mind screams, “Here we go, another manipulator.” Here is an item of critical importance: you’re not just responding to the new church, you’re reacting to the old one through them. Unmet expectations from the past start running the show.

A real pastor would have checked on me.
A real friend would know what I need without me explaining.
A real church family wouldn’t let that happen.

You start expecting people to read your mind, heal your past, and never mess up in the exact area where you were wounded. That’s not a realistic community; that’s a setup, because you’re demanding perfection from humans who can’t give it. The Bible tells us to “bear with each other and forgive one another” and to forgive as the Lord forgave us (Col 3:13). That means making room for humanity, even when you’re still healing.

The painful twist is that unhealed hurt doesn’t just sit quietly; it leaks, and without meaning to, you create new hurt in new places. You might come off cold, guarded, or distant. You assume the worst, so your responses are sharp, or you vanish without explanation. You “test” people to see if they’ll fail you, and of course, they eventually do, because everyone fails someone at some point. Then you say, “This is exactly why I don’t fool with church people.” But sometimes what you’re labeling as rejection is just the natural distance created by the walls you built. Sometimes the hurt isn’t an intentional wound; it’s a miscommunication. This isn’t about blaming you for other people’s behavior. It’s about giving you your power back, so what they did doesn’t control the rest of your story.

You are not alone. Many within the context of the church have gone through some form of church hurt; however, you can either make it your identity or seek the Lord’s guidance to help you move forward.

God Comes Near and Heals

7 blessings of having consecutive expository preaching as the staple diet for God's people

In his helpful little book “the Priority of Preaching” Christopher Ash provides “7 blessings of having consecutive expository preaching as the staple diet on the menu for the people of God.”  Verse by verse preaching (aka sequential expository preaching) has a number of built in benefits.  

Ash highlights the following 7 benefits:

1) Consecutive Expository Preaching Safeguards God's Agenda Against Being Hijacked by Ours. 

 In biblical ministry I want to get rid of three demons. They are called Relevance, Entertainment, and Immediacy…To preach through a Bible book is to trust that the agenda of God is the right, the deepest, and the best agenda" (pp. 111-12).

2) Consecutive Expository Preaching Makes It Harder For Us to Abuse the Bible by Reading It Out of Context.

Consecutive Bible exposition helps us understand the Bible in its context and therefore understand it correctly, and not to abuse the Word of God by twisting it to mean something other than what God has made it mean" (p. 116). 2 Timothy 2:15.

3) Consecutive Expository Preaching Dilutes the Selectivity of the Preacher. 

This does not mean the pastor should never address a particular need within his unique ministerial context. One need not be slavishly committed to the ‘lectio continua’ method of preaching. We simply need to give God the microphone and trust that 2 Timothy 3:15-17 is really not a typo. If all Scripture is divinely inspired and profitable then our people need to hear the full counsel and revealed will of God.

4) Consecutive Expository Preaching Keeps the Context of the Sermon Fresh and Surprising.

Philemon 1:25- A Final Plea for Daily Grace!

A Final Plea for Daily Grace!

The famed commentator R. C. H. Lenski once described Philemon as “Paul’s loveliest epistle.” Bengel wrote that this brief letter “far surpasses all the wisdom of the world.”

After spending considerable time working our way through this little letter, I can understand why.

Philemon is only twenty-five verses long, yet it contains a profound picture of the gospel at work in real life. It is a story about a runaway, renegade slave named Onesimus, a Christian master and faithful churchman named Philemon, and an aging and imprisoned apostle named Paul who finds himself standing in the middle of a broken relationship and a very messy situation.

But more than that, Philemon is a story about grace.

Paul's letter begins with grace and peace in verse 3, and it ends with grace in verse 25:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

What a fitting way to conclude this remarkable letter!

Paul's final words are a final plea for daily grace.  And, dear friend, this is no small thing.

We Need Grace (so much more than we often realize it)

Like Philemon and the ordinary believers who gathered with him at Colossae, we desperately need God's daily grace.

Paul's final prayer is addressed to Philemon, but the word “your” is plural. His prayer reaches beyond the primary recipient of the letter and extends to the entire Christian community.

It reaches us as well.

We are debtors of God's grace.

There is not a single heartbeat or breath that does not ultimately depend upon the sustaining grace of God. Jesus Christ is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Apart from His providential grace, we would not take another breath or ever cross the finish line.

And for the Christian, God's grace is not merely necessary at conversion.

There is no justification apart from redeeming grace.

There is no progressive sanctification apart from sanctifying grace.

There is no final glorification apart from future grace.

The Christian life begins with grace, continues by grace, and ends in grace. From A-Z the Christian life is truly all of grace.

The apostle Paul understood this personally. In 1 Corinthians 15:10 he wrote:

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain.”

Paul labored tirelessly for Christ, but he was careful to give the credit where it belonged: “Yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”

That is the testimony of every faithful Christian.  Like John Newton every Christian ought to humbly confess, “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am”

Whatever usefulness we have in the kingdom of God is ultimately the result of God's grace.

Grace Brings Peace

One of the overarching themes of Philemon is this: Grace from God through the Lord Jesus Christ ought to bring peace with God and with one another ( note also Colossians 3:12-16)

Philemon 1:24b- Faithful Partners in the Gospel: Loyal Luke and Disloyal Demas

History is filled with names that inspire us—and names that serve as cautionary tales.

When Americans hear the name George Washington, we think of courage, perseverance, and leadership. When we hear the name Benedict Arnold, we immediately think of disloyalty and betrayal. The same Revolutionary War that revealed the exemplary character of Washington also exposed the heart of Arnold.

The Christian life is no different.

Times of suffering and hardship have a way of revealing what lies beneath the surface. Trials expose whether our deepest affection belongs to Christ or to this present world. 

Satan informed God that Job only worships Him because of all the blessings he enjoys (wealth, health, respect and fame).  Take those gifts away and Job will abandon You (God) and curse your holy Name.  Few saints are taken through a job-like time of testing.

As noted earlier, trials expose whether our deepest affection belongs to Christ or to this present world. Few biblical examples illustrate this truth more vividly than Luke and Demas.

Their names appear together in Paul's letters. Both traveled with the apostle. Both witnessed the advance of the gospel. Both appeared to be trusted ministry partners.

Yet by the end of Paul's life, one remained faithfully at his side while the other abandoned him.

The difference was not opportunity.

The difference was affection.

A person's true spiritual condition is ultimately revealed by what he loves most (note also John 21).

Luke loved Christ. Demas loved this present world.

Their choices and the path they ultimately choose to travel upon revealed their hearts.

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I. Luke: The Quiet Faithfulness That God Delights to Honor

One of the most remarkable things about Luke is how little he says about himself.

Although he wrote both the Gospel of Luke and Acts—nearly one-fourth of the New Testament—he never draws attention to himself. Instead, he consistently points readers to Christ, to the work of the Holy Spirit, and to other saints.