12 Signs You Might Be a Modern-Day Pharisee
By Frank Powell
The Pharisees of Jesus’ time are talked about in pulpits and classrooms all over the world. They are the source of jokes. The topic of sermons. Man, I wish I had a penny for every time a Christian teacher referenced the Pharisees. Here is the reality: Pharisees still exist today. And nobody wants to be a modern-day Pharisee. It just happens.
Most Pharisees begin with good intentions. But somehow those intentions morph into something not-so-good.
My hope and prayer is that you will read this and do an inspection of your heart. The following signs flow from my own personal struggles with legalism and being a Pharisee.
1. You believe showing up for worship every Sunday makes you right with God.
Modern-day Pharisees try to measure everything. They must have metrics and barometers. Something to measure their righteousness. Anything to give them some security with God.
And I am not against barometers or metrics. Not at all. Barometers can reveal trends and expose inconsistencies. But modern-day Pharisees see metrics as essential to righteousness and salvation. Worship is not a time to draw into God; worship is another check off the list.
For modern-day Pharisees, Christian living is not so much about transforming into the image of God. It is more about living up to the standard of God. And no one can live up to God’s standard—except Jesus.
2. You spend more time talking about what you are against, not what you are for.
Pharisees love to argue. They love to spend their time convincing others that they are wrong. If they had to list the actions and issues they are against, the pencil would run out of lead. But turn around and ask them to list what they are for, and the pencil would not even have to be resharpened.
Pharisees believe their job is to defend God and legislate morality. So they are against drinking, smoking, cursing, short skirts, talking back to parents, holding hands before marriage and so on. And all of these things come before the gospel. Or maybe they are the gospel. Modern-day Pharisees can’t tell the difference.
