Religious pride causes us to miss our own glaring failures and turn others’ splinters into logs. Permitting God to reveal ourselves to us as He sees us is the first step in helping others in godly splinter removal. If we fail to do so, our help will be characterized by hypocrisy and harshness rather than humility and gentleness (Matthew 23:23).
Godly splinter removal involves seeing the splinter sins of others through the lens of humility, which emanates from one’s awareness of his own sin. Then one can approach the needs of others as a servant, helping them with their own sin.
“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:1-2).
Pharisees use Scripture only in ways that serve to confirm their own superior standing in comparison to other people. Pharisees add to Scripture, selectively apply Scripture to serve their own ends, and avoid Scripture that unmasks their pride. This results in carefully overemphasizing certain select Scriptures while ignoring more relevant ones and designing certain extra-biblical behaviors as the evidence of true spirituality.
One of the most humbling aspects of considering the heinousness of Pharisaism is this. Every person has the essence of a Pharisee in his own fallen humanity, the flesh. It skulks in the shadows of every Holy Spirit-filled life awaiting the slightest opportunity to subdue our reborn spirit and leadership.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law” (Gal 5:16-18).
“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matt 7:3).
