My time in God’s Word this morning didn’t make me feel good. I read Matthew 23, in which Jesus blasted the scribes and the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. At first, I felt relatively comfortable with this chapter as I applied the Lord’s harsh words to present-day evangelicals who either fail to practice what they preach or deliberately tinker with Scripture so that they lead others into deception.

But the Holy Spirit began getting a bit personal with me at verse 24: “You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” (ESV). He reminded me of times I’ve displayed outward “obedience” all too fastidiously while I covered up secret sins. Like the Pharisees, I’ve leaned on my self-righteous legalism as I distracted  myself from the ways that I willfully rebelled against the Lord.

The next couple of verses intensified the indictment against me.

²⁵ “Woe to you…