The justification spoken of here is worse than "making an excuse for our sin." The justification spoken of here is making our sin appear before men as genuine righteousness. Their sin was their religion.

The Pharisees carefully performed their religious deeds so that men would see what they were doing. They themselves were impressed with a good show of religion. To them the more people that would attest to others that they were pious the better. Therefore they saw nothing wrong with drawing the attention of men to themselves.

They loved to sit in chief seats in the synagogue because they could just hear the whispers of folks who bragged on them. Oh, what they would not give to hear the compliments of those present when they made long, public prayers. It was an utter impossibility for these fellows to give alms without letting it get out and they made sure it got out.

They claimed to love God. They claimed to love God's word. Yet they lied to sinners teaching what they claimed was God's word, which was really man-made doctrines and traditions. Those in their assemblies who loved themselves as much as these men--loved the fool's gold of self-salvation so much that they never bothered to seek God's face concerning their own deceitful hearts. They justified their glorying in the flesh because the carnally religious man has no idea what true holiness really is!

This form of religion is as highly esteemed by religious men in our day as it was in theirs. Men today look into a verse like this and call it hypocrisy. Then go about telling sinners what they must do by the works of their hands to avoid it. They use the leaven of the Pharisee to work the same leaven amongst themselves. The carnal mind loves it to be so.

Calling on the name of Christ while looking to how well we have performed that which Peter or James or John wrote in the epistles is as much a denial of Christ as these fellows who called on the name Jehovah yet trusted in how well they had performed the law of Moses.

The genuine fruit of Christ in believers bears no resemblance whatsoever to what carnally religious men and women call good works.

http://www.sovereign-grace.us/

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH Of Princeton, New Jersey

LOCATION & TELEPHONE
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor
150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ, 08553
Pastor's Telephone: 615-513-4464

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
Sunday 10 AM Bible Class
11 AM Morning Worship
Thursday 7:00 PM Mid-week Service
(The first Sunday of each month, morning worship begins at 10am followed by observing the Lord's Table. Afterwards we have lunch together.)