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bigmike

Matthew 23:13 (LSB) 13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
As we watch and follow the life and ministry of Jesus, we see that He spent a fair amount of time rebuking the religious leaders of His day and exposing their hypocrisy.
Jesus didn’t do this because it felt good, or because He wished to tarnish their reputation.
It was done to bring darkness into the light; to expose it and let people see the truth, so they might not stumble and fall into the same traps that the religious leaders had fallen into.
Ritualistic worship has dangers that many people stumble into without realizing it has happened until it’s too late.
This is because it happens gradually; one little piece at a time.
It is subtle. So subtle, in fact, that it is rarely recognized until it is entrenched. And then it can be very difficult to root out.
This results in stiff, religious, self-righteous attitudes and behavior.
This can often happen to new believers very easily if they aren’t taught the word of God and the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit for self-discipline.
As we begin to walk in this newfound faith, and we see the results of God’s cleansing power in our lives, we may begin to look at those around us and esteem ourselves as being higher or better because we have begun to climb out of our worldly, sinful ways.
We need to be careful to remember that without God’s incredible grace, we would still be steeped in sin and shame, separated from Him by our own thoughts, words, and actions; the deeds of the flesh.
It is by the blood of Christ alone that we have been redeemed.
So let us not hold ourselves higher than we ought to, falling into the trap of religiosity and self-righteousness that caused Jesus to proclaim woes to them repeatedly.
Even as Paul wrote, let us also apply it to ourselves
1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (LSB) 9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

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