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6 Warning Signs You Might Be an Accidental Pharisee

3. Extra-biblical rules and expectations

Few of us would see ourselves as legalists. We think we’ve moved on from old-school legalism because we no longer judge people by what’s in their refrigerator.

But the spirit of legalism still runs strong. We now judge people by what’s in their driveway and how big their house is.

4. A pattern of idolizing the past

Whether it’s the New Testament church or the scholars of old, we tend to give them a free pass for their failures.

But the present-day bride of Christ and the current crop of leaders whom Jesus has put in place are assailed for their blind spots, failures and feet of clay. Like the Pharisees of old, we rip on the living prophets and then build monuments to them once they die.

5. A quest for clone-like uniformity

Jesus had room for Simon the Zealot and Matthew the Tax Collector.

Yet, sometimes, the more biblically grounded we become, the less room we have for anyone who hasn’t yet learned all we’ve learned. The result is a circle of fellowship that’s tighter than Jesus’ circle of acceptance.