Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Matthew 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 11:39-44 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
Psalms 58:3-6 The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies. They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
Isaiah 57:4 Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, the offspring of deceit,
Jeremiah 6:10 To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it.
2 Thessalonians 1:10 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
Being a follower of and lover of God is so much more than an outward observance of doing acts believed to upgrade your worth before God. The Pharisees believed that one was made righteous by keeping the law, and they believed themselves to be righteous in this way. They believed they were made right before God by what they did and what they were doing. It is as if they were keeping a ledger of all the good they did and the practices they followed. True repentance is so much more than words spoken and religiously followed actions.
Repentance comes from a heart, mind, and soul that has been awakened to the Holiness of God and their sin and sinful nature. Many will have their mind awakened but their heart and soul are not. They, like the Pharisees, give lip service to God and continue to do what they think is right in their own eyes. There is no total reliance and trust in God. They trust in what they say and do to make themselves right before God.
No act of man thought of man, and wisdom of man employed to their righteousness will make them right before God or cleanse their sins. It is only when the heart, mind, and soul have been awakened by the Holy Spirit is there an understanding of what must be done. In Acts over 5,000 people cried out, “what must we do to be saved?” They were cut to the heart by the Word of God and their souls awakened to the need for salvation. They, in humbleness they surrendered to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and believed, relied upon, followed, and obeyed. True repentance comes from a humble spirit. Belief comes by faith in God alone. Reliance comes from trusting In Jesus Christ. Obedience comes from a desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Our single purpose in life is to do that which honors and glorifies Him alone. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people speak and they seem to want to share in what should be only for Jesus Christ.
In all that you say, think, and do, make sure that it honors and glorifies Jesus Christ for His honor and glory alone.