I was once a card carrying pharisee. The best. I stomped down on any humanity and took up a set of legalistic do's and don'ts with great vigor. I crushed the flesh.
Saul of Tarsus would have loved me minus that persecution thing. Or maybe even that.
I didn't do anything that looked bad, talked bad, acted bad. I looked down my then pointy nose at anyone who did any of the "bad" things. And boy did I have a list. I won't post it here because I suspect there might be a closet pharisee or two who might read this and want to argue. But it's the whole gamut of "sinful behavior".
To be clear, none of the commands of God in a new covenant light are ignored today. It's all the "Extras". You know them. I don't smoke, I don't chew and I don't go with girls that do.
Oh, it's more than that. My pharisseeism was wrapped up in being a good example. Not wanting to be a stumbling block to others. Insisting that if other didn't behave as I did they were less godly. I had made my twentieth century phylactery behavior a symbol of my external righteousness. I strutted about in the square saying look at how holy I am.
I began to see that my efforts at earthy perfection were really idolatry. I had become happy, proud, arrogant, elite, pleased as punch at my "holiness". I was a Happy Pharisee.
But I had no Joy. No Freedom. living in fear of violating a set of imagined standards that were only whispered in my ear by the enemy to place me in bondage. Joyless happiness. Phariseeism. Self satisfied ego driven external holiness.
That was back in the late 90s. Then a light came on. I started to see myself as Jesus did. I began to see my life thru God's eyes. I went thru a time when I asked God to reveal me to me as I really was.
It shocked me. I saw myself for who I really am without Christ no matter my external holiness efforts. Filthy dirty rags. I don't want to get too graphic, but if you dig deep enough, the filthy rag appellation in scripture has to do with rags used to stop up blood of mensuration. We are not very appealing.
Then I got a glimpse of who I REALLY AM in Christ. Free. Clean. Whole. Pure. Spotless.
It brought me great Joy. Even if I knew I had no goodness in myself. My happiness at being "better" than others was gone. I mourned for my sinfulness and had joy in my salvation. Psalm 51:12
It has been a great ride. Sometimes when Pharasiessm calls, I have to put down the phone. There is only condemnation in all that.
The Lord will Speak to Someone about this today. Put away your filthy rags and be free in JESUS.
Blessed be the Rock of MY SALVATION...JOY
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