“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.” Matthew 23:23-24.

Many have turned the Grace of God into a law of man.  They are quickly offended when one refuses to condone their compromise but will just as quickly excuse the compromise with other beliefs.  They are friends with the world and at enmity with God.  When sin is mentioned, they fervently pronounce your judgment for being judgmental and declare you the Pharisee.  They are blinded by a religious spirit. Their favorite scripture is Matthew 7:3,  “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”  Proudly they stand with the beam in their own eye judging those who point to sin and say it is sin. The Word of God has already declared sin as sin, not the one pointing to it saying that’s a sin.  They would rather sympathize with the enemy than to help win victories for the Lord.

“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? ¹⁷ Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. ²⁰ Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:16-20. 

People grow angry when their idols are touched and religious men most of all.  “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24.  Christians are suppose to judge those who claim to be Christians according to the Word of God.  We know them by their fruit.  The Pharisees in the modern church are the first to reject God’s grace by calling good evil and evil good.  They condone the doctrines that embrace the world and see nothing wrong with something God has called sin.  The world is filled with religion because the modern church would not righteously judge doctrine.  They have attempted to unite what Jesus came to divide.

“They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of Truth, and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:5-6.

Judge but judge righteously.  Pray for discernment.  Test the spirits.  Do all of this according to the Word of God, not man made doctrine.  The world doesn’t like for one to touch their idols…especially the religious.  You will know them by their fruits.

-Donna Clark Warren