Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Luke.18:9 He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. 18:10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 18:12 I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.' 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Many of us have read this very touching and endearing parable by Christ Jesus. We may have thought, never could I be like the Pharisee Christ spoke of here , and we think of somebody that has judged us harshly in the past or even right now, but sadly many Christian's at one time or another find themselves comparing their own faith against another person faith to validate their own righteousness.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Christ did not say the Pharisee was lying, God's people were set aside from the world, they did not associate with bad association, they did go to the temple and walked a very strict walk according to righteousness of the law, so what was it that the Pharisee did that proved he was not righteous?

Galatians 3:11 Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, "The righteous will live by faith."{Habakkuk 2:4}

Romans 3:10 As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one.

What did the Pharisee do? It was his thinking he thought his actions, speech, and walk made him better than others. In other words, he made himself righteous by comparing himself against a sinner, but did that make him righteous? Many Christian's find themselves in a competition with people from other religions, they look with intensity for some fault to validate their religion or themselves as being in a better condition with God. Hence, as more “righteous” than those religions, their life is spent in this wars zone in bring up every little thing that other religions are doing to prove they have the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:12 For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

But how can person like this Pharisee have so much religious learning, be a teacher of the law spend their whole life defending God's word, and be condemned by Christ for attitude? Here is what each of us must understand actions speaking louder than words, the truth is sown upon good soil, which is found in our heart. The Pharisee had the truth, Christ did not say he was teaching a lies, but the soil of his heart made his truth a lie!

Matthew 13:5 Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn't have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.

Matthew 13:8 Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

Matthew 15:18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.

Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.

The Pharisee did not make himself righteous by his attendance, his preaching, his teaching, what made him righteous is what make all of us righteous God's undeserved kindness in giving us atonement. Religion is not competition with another human, and/or religion, the truth is not weak, the truth is we all need what as a sinner?

Luke 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Undeserved kindness no matter who we are, no matter how long we have known Jehovah God, and Christ Jesus, we not gaining merit by years of experience, or by some work we are performing in the name of Christ. Do we understand this that our merit is given us by Christ Jesus righteousness, that is, giving us his life, we will never as a sinner will be in the first place, like the world, we always be right where we started, in faith, and we will died in faith.

Matt.20:1 "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
20:2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius{A denarius is a silver Roman coin worth 1/25th of a Roman aureus. This was a common wage for a day of farm labor.} a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 20:3 He went out about the third hour,{Time was measured from sunrise to sunset, so the third hour would be about 9:00 AM.} and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. 20:4 To them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went their way. 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour,{noon and 3:00 P. M.} and did likewise. 20:6 About the eleventh hour{5:00 PM} he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, 'Why do you stand here all day idle?'
20:7 "They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' "He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.' 20:8 When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.' 20:9 "When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. 20:10 When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius. 20:11 When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household, 20:12 saying, 'These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!' 20:13 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn't you agree with me for a denarius? 20:14 Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you. 20:15 Isn't it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?' 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."