A HYPOCRITICAL HEART

"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things."  -  Romans 2:1

Anyone judges and condemns other people for doing the same things he does has to be deceived.  Yet to some degree, we all do that.  We tend to look at ourselves through rose-colored glasses while looking at everyone else through a magnifying glass.  We excuse our wrong behavoir, while claiming that others who do the same things we do are deserving of judgment.

That kind of attitude is hypocritical and the same as the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day.  Jesus noted that they put on a big show of being holy while refusing to help anybody:

"Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.  For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers."  -  Matthew 23:2-4

Proud and haughty, they did good works only to be seen by the crowds and to be thought of as great and important.
 
All of that kind of fleshly glory means nothing to Heavenly Father.  He is looking for people with a right heart so He can bless us.  Our degree of spiritual maturity is not measured by how much we read the scriptures or accomplish, but by how much we promptly obey God's word and by how we treat other people.
 
I was talking to dad on Sunday and expressing my feelings about forgiveness and understanding and how it is easy for me to forgive because I have had a flaw filled life myself and I can not justify punishing or not forgiving others who have wronged me or offended me.  My shortcomings will convict me if I can not forgive another.  My sins and transgressions; even if I have repented; will be mine if I convict another for the same.
 

If there is pride in our lives, Heavenly Father is obligated to show us our flaws.  He does not do it to embarrass us or to make us feel bad about ourselves, but to keep us in a place where we are dependent upon Him and merciful with other people who have faults.