230616 Willing to Justify Himself

The main idea is that it is not our place to justify ourselves, but rather it is God who justifies us. When we try to justify ourselves, we are hardening our hearts and not truly repenting. Justification comes from God, not from our own efforts. We should humbly come before God and allow Him to declare us righteous. The title for tonight is, Willing to Justify Himself. Anyone know the story that Jesus told, the parable that he told? Anyone know which story that comes from? Willing to Justify Himself. I remember the, I think it's the story about the man who, um, who the Lord had said to, he had asked Jesus, what must I do to be saved? And the Lord said, you know the law. You do this and you do that. And then, I think there are three instances I'm having now. And then he was trying to, when Baptist was willing to justify himself, he said, he tried to say, yes, I do this, I do that. That's one. Then the other one I'm thinking is the one where, There's only one place in the King James where the phrase, the two words are together, justifying himself, or willing to justify himself. You're correct, there's many other examples of this. But let's just read in scripture, and then we can begin to look at scriptures. You know in this teaching, I love to allow the word of God speak for itself. Because I wrote it for a purpose, and when we understand what is written, we can also receive the truth and the purpose for which the Lord wrote it. So, Pastor Xavier, do you have your, are you able to read tonight Luke chapter 10? Yes, I can read. Okay. Luke 10, 25 to 29, speaking of a certain lawyer. Luke 10 from 25, there was a certain lawyer stood up. I suppose they stand up when it's time to speak, to request permission to speak. Likely he's in the circle, likely they're sitting around, I can imagine only in my own mind. And this one certain, a certain lawyer. Now when the word of God says certain, it's not just likely that it's a parable. It's likely a story, and it's an account of a certain lawyer. And it's also interesting if you notice the word certain, you'll find it a certain rich man, and a poor beggar whose name was Lazarus. And so there are a number of these stories in the New Testament where this word certain comes before. And it's different than when Jesus tells a parable, he doesn't use that term just as far as Bible understanding. There you go. All right, Pastor Xavier, we're ready for you to read. Okay, I'm reading from Luke chapter 10, verse 25. 229. Yes, and behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26, he said unto him, what is written in the law? How readest thou? 27, and he answering say, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. 28, and he said unto him, thou hast answered right. This do, and thou shalt live. Verse 29, but he willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, and who is my neighbor? Praise the Lord. I thought Jesus answered to this man who answered right. But Jesus knew the heart of this man, and he answered two words. What was Jesus answer? Two words. You see it, Pastor Xavier? Yes, I'm here. So what two words did Jesus answer him that's so profound? He said more than that. He answered him, this do. Yes. So often it's not this say, but this do. Yes, often, and so I noticed in my own life, we each can understand that often we talk better than we do. And we second, also begin to justify ourself, by ourself, by what we say. And Jesus began to speak to this lawyer. Now a lawyer, one thing you know about a lawyer, they're usually good with their words. Amen. They know how to twist words. They know how to present words to present their case. But I'm praying tonight, Father, in the name of Jesus, we come before you. And Lord, we confess that we need you to take this word and to convict our hearts, encourage us, strengthen us, discipline us. Lord, and put your truth within us. God, that we'd be more about doing and saying. And God, we would understand how we often justify ourselves, rather than falling upon your justification of us. God, as we share tonight. Or maybe this word is not just always only for those people who are here, but equip my dear brothers who are here to speak this word, with this understanding, they would be able, Lord, to have the truth embedded deep within their hearts, and to understand in the name of Jesus. Amen. We know the story, how Jesus answered the question, but who is my neighbor? So often a lawyer will do that. And when presented with a situation, they will just ask a question that will get them out of the problem. They have gotten into again using his words, and Jesus had an answer for him. And the answer is the man who fell among thieves, and the good Samaritan was the one who did something. Loving the Lord God's heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving his neighbor, or the man who fell among thieves, loving him as he loved himself. So thank God. Here's the first in the book of Luke. There are three examples of this word, justified, that is given by Jesus. And this is the first one that I noticed, and that is in Luke chapter 10 for the one who just joined us. We've been in Luke chapter 10, verse 25 to 29, where a certain lawyer came and asked Jesus the question, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said, don't just talk about this law, but do it. All right, the next scripture. All right, Pastor Xavier, then we'll read Luke chapter 16. This is the next one in Luke. Luke 16, 14, and 15. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they were deriding Jesus, mocking him, and putting Jesus down with their words. And he said to them, you are the kind of people who justify yourself before men. So he said, God knows your heart. For the things that are highly esteemed among men are an abomination sight of God. So we see this adding to our first understanding in the book of Luke. We see that it's possible for us to live a life where we are justifying ourself before God and before men. We're attempting to justify ourself before God, and we are trying to justify ourselves. So what is the definition then? Pastor Xavier, maybe you can help with this. What is the definition then of the Christian term, justify yourself, or to be justified? Yeah, the concept of justifying oneself is raised the way that I believe people look at it, whether Christians or not. But basically, the way people look at it is that a person is seeking to defend their actions while at the same time, you know, give excuses and not see and not try to see the point that the other person is making. And so, that basic concept of justifying oneself, to justify means to prove oneself right. Ah, good. Yeah, to prove oneself right. And it's not a good thing. And I also wanted to say this. Yeah, I said the man, I wanted to say lawyer. That scripture you read was the scripture I was trying to remember. Okay, good. Good. You got very close to it already. Yeah, and the Pharisees were, and there's a key to this, why the Pharisees were trying to appear before men to be righteous, but God knows their heart. And the Pharisees also who were covetous. And Jesus had just been teaching a convicting lesson about true riches. And he was saying, if you're not faithful with the things of this world, how could God give to you true riches that you wouldn't be entrusted of them? And they claimed, this is so against them, because they claimed to be the keepers and the holders of truth, the protectors of what is right, the ones who are righteous and uphold the law in every jot and tittle. So it was so offensive to them that Jesus would say such things, but he got to the root of the matter. He said that they were, they were covetous. That just means that they were greedy. They saw things they wanted and they would take them. And Jesus showed them that they would use the law and twist it in order to justify, to make themselves as favored, correctly said, to make themselves seem to be right when the heart was wrong. By the works of the law, Romans says, no man is justified. And these were trying to justify themselves before men and that they would feel like they were right. They would look like they were right. But what happens to us sometimes we rely on our own righteousness. And this is condemnation comes into our hearts. I know by personal experience, the more I try to justify myself rather than receiving the grace of God in my life, the more I judge other people and the less I'm able to love others. I begin to see a pattern in this with these Pharisees and I saw it in my own life and God had to convict me. And I'm telling some of my story today of the path and the progress and the journey that God has brought me on so that if it resonates with any of you, you can realize that it's not enough to say that I am right. It is not enough, but rather I need to do. And it's not about my outward appearance, which is how the righteousness of man works. Justifying of ourself, well, I'm not as bad as Brother Cassandre. You know, I'm much better than him. And so I compare myself with somebody else. And then so because of that, I feel like I am right and I'm righteous. Sorry to use you as an example, Brother Cassandre, you know you want mine. There's any comments, any comments, go ahead, we are welcoming your input on look at this, the certain lawyer and also these Pharisees who wanted to justify themselves. Any comments on this? All right. I used to read Luke 18, Luke 18 from verse nine to verse 14, Luke 18 to 14. And your network is good now. And he spoke this parable unto a certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. God, I thank you that I'm not as other men are extortioners and just adulterers. For even as this publican, I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smart upon his breast saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone that exalteth himself shall be a best and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. So the key of this passage is the man that went down to his house justified rather than the other. And when I saw this in the book of Luke, it was a morning the Lord woke me and he spoke this phrase to me, willing to justify himself. I did not immediately click to where this passage was. So I began to use concordance and search. And when I began to search, I saw all three of these passages in the book of Luke. And the Lord began to speak about how we like to cover our sins, how we like to appear righteous, and then we feel righteous. But Jesus was saying, look at this man. He did not trust in himself that he was righteous. What did he say? God, be merciful to me, a sinner. God, be merciful to me, a sinner. The other was counting. I fast twice in the week, not just once as the law required. I fast twice. I give tithe of all I possess, even the things that go in my backyard, as Jesus mentioned in Matthew 23. I'm not like other men who are extortioners. I'm not committing adultery. Wow. Like this publican we look down on. I'm not unjust. So he was counting on his deeds that he was doing to be righteous before God. And he was considered righteous before men. However, God knew it. And Jesus in this parable, he said, this man did not go to his house justified before God. But the one who admitted his sin and confessed his need, he is the one. He is the one who went down to his house in a right standing with God rather than the other. You know, I am not seeing anybody on mute. Go ahead. This is my life story. Oh, really? Previously, I know my brothers, so far brothers on the platform, they don't know me, but they will know me more. You're welcome to share. Go ahead. So previously, you know, in Uganda, we have very many tribes. I happen to come from that tribe, which assumes is one of the noble tribes. So, and incidentally, I married a wife who does not come from that tribe. And all other tribes around in Uganda, they think this tribe, the so-called Banyankore tribe is arrogant, you know, they are proud. And I think what they think is true, because from the way we communicate, the way we talk with ourselves, it is always normal, but it is not normal when we go out. So it happened in my own home, you know, Brother Gordon, you know me. When you look at me, you can't see any pride. When you look at me, you cannot see any arrogance. But I did not know it was the fact at home and my wife was suffering. And for me, I was willing to justify myself that that is how we talk. That is how we respond. That is how we do this. So one day I went for a meeting, it was a revival meeting, and this minister came and talked about that if we want the revival to come into our lives and into our homes and into our ministries, we must know that we must have to demolish altars of sin and iniquity and raise an altar for God. And the way we demolish these altars is through genuine repentance. When we repent genuinely, then we shall have demolished the altar of sin and iniquity. And as they continued to minister, I discovered that the Holy Spirit was whispering to me that, Liz Saviour, you have really been arrogant and you are just justifying yourself. Go back home and do genuine repentance. Tell that to my God that I am sorry. I will not be proud again. I will not be arrogant again. I did not even know that I was proud because my nature in public is, as you saw me, I don't have any addition. I'm just a simple man, simple profile. That is me. And little did I know that I was almost breaking my own home. So the Holy Spirit helped me and empowered me because it doesn't even seem right in my culture to go and, you know, apologize for a woman. Right. Right. Who is your woman? Well said. Yeah. The one who communicated the message gave me the grace. I went back home and I think the enemy wanted to challenge me or the Lord wanted to test me, whatever, whatever case it may be. I found my wife sleeping after the conference. So I had to wait for her in the morning when we wake up. So when we woke up, the one who woke up as she was trying to get out of the room, I was like, Penina, please, I want to share with you. So when I welcomed Penina, I told her, Penina, I realize I have been very proud and very arrogant with you. I am asking you to forgive me. And it was genuine because I felt tears in my heart. I mean, I in my eyes, tears ran and I felt my heart was pumping. I was seriously sobbing. And Penina could not believe the words she was hearing and she was true to herself and true to me. And she told me, for sure, you must have dreamt something. And then she asked me, what have you dreamt? What has God spoke to you? I said, I have not dreamt anything, but I ask you to forgive me because I realize I have been proud and I have been very arrogant with you. And I pray that I ask you to put your hand on me. Pray for me that that God will give me the grace never to be proud to you and arrogant to you again. And I pray that you pray for me that God will give me the right sound, because sometimes I speak with a genuine heart and maybe the enemy distorts the sound out of my word. So Penina agreed with me. She forgave me. She prayed for me. And right now we are living. I mean, maybe heaven looks like our family now. So we are very fine and we are moving forward. We are agreeing with each other. We are praying for each other. So when you talk about justifying oneself, I have been a man who has been justifying myself in my own home, with my nearest neighbor, actually with my own self. So I just praise God that you have brought this lesson. It is not even very many days. It is like two weeks now. It is not. So this is the right time to really feel something that has already begun to move in my life. And I pray that. Praise God for your transparent sharing so that God move with each and every one. Brother Emmanuel, you go ahead. I see you're unmuted. You're welcome. Praise God. I am blessed from Pastor Silva's testimony and so far tonight, really a blessing. As I was listening to the topic and then he shared his testimony, I just had this understanding. Self-justification hardens you. It hardens you. You think you are good going, but you are hardening yourself against more direction from the Holy Spirit, against people. Self-justification hardens you. But when you take that away, it makes you a tender Christian that is willing to receive God's instruction, direction, and more leadership through the Holy Spirit. When we justify ourselves, the Holy Spirit kind of becomes quiet to allow you to finish what you think you know you are doing. So what I got from that testimony, self-justification hardens you. It warms you through the help of the Holy Spirit. Let go of that self-righteousness, justification, and all that to become a tender, better Christian. Praise God. Amen. Thank you, Emmanuel. Amen, amen. That's wonderful. Amen. Anyone else on the same line? Okay. Thank you so much. Go ahead, Brother Kitt. Yes, I'm very grateful for the contributions. You are giving me life. Because it was tough for me to catch up with what was said until I had to look at it again. It says, willing to justify ourselves. And what I understand is that we are not the ones to justify ourselves. It is God who justifies us. Amen. It is often interpreted to mean, it is God who declares us righteous. And I found that I justify myself. I'm not truly wrong. Maybe, for example, if I've done something wrong, and I go with the attitude of, if this person didn't do this, I wouldn't have done that. I wouldn't have responded the way. I'm not yet ready for repentance. That's I trying to justify myself. What the Pharisees did in prayer was to tell God why God must answer him and bless him and not the other man. That's justifying himself. He's saying, God, I'm qualified. I'm qualified to be blessed. I fast. I do this. He was not willing to be humble enough to allow God to justify him. So that's what I see here. The key thing is not justification as it were. It is the person justifying. That's the key thing. The power to justify does not lie with us. It does not. Anytime we are willing to justify ourselves, we could be sure that we are certainly not repenting. We are certainly not, like what Pastor Sergio says, an Emmanuel, who will be hardened, who get hardened the more. I'm not truly repent. We always find a way around things. Why didn't you do this? You have a reason why you didn't do it. Somebody else caused it. I'm justifying myself. I'm not truly repenting. Sometimes it looks like repentance. Judas returned the money. He returned the money he got from the betrayal of Jesus. He did return the money, but he was trying to justify himself. There was no real repentance. He was remorseful. And the thing to do was return the money. Of course, we saw how it ended. He didn't really serve him. So, it is not in me. I found out that sometimes I tried to argue a case. Like, there was a time I was really upset and provoked by my brother. So I acted. And my mom said I was wrong. I tried to say, mom, but he is the one that caused this. So, when the thought party had a plan to fix, the thought party said, look, you are the one that is wrong. I had to keep quiet. There was no need to keep pushing the idea that I was provoked or this or that. I had to take responsibility. So, most of the time, people push responsibility even in trying to repent. They said, I'm sorry I did this, but you made me angry. Yeah, yes, right. I'm sorry I did this, but. I'm sorry I did this. It is God who justifies. It is God who declares us righteous, not us. So I can't even imagine coming to God and saying, Lord, you know I've prayed, you should answer me. Or you know my name is Cassandra, you should answer me because my name is Cassandra. I don't like that. I think when I come before God, and often I should be like that sinner. My face bowed and I seek the justification of God. The Bible even encourages us to be silent when we come before Him. Silent, not just that we don't say words at all, but to be careful with words, not full of words when we come before God. It's more justifying to do so like the public can be, than for the Pharisees who had a long list of reasons why God should bless them. Thank you so much. I think I get it a bit now. Yes. So I think back to the favor because you began with the definition, including the word excuses and covering our sins by our words. The favor, if you have a comment in that direction, it seems like you started with that. Yeah, Reverend. I believe, yes, I'm so thankful for all the comments you've had. This is a timely subject and there are things, there are two perspectives I'm looking at it, scripturally and everything. First of all, I believe when a person commits the sin of justification, oftentimes, I mean of self-justification, oftentimes they don't see it as a fault, as though it's a fault, as though it's an error. But it's such a beauty that through this teaching we're establishing that that is an error. To justify oneself is an error. And this is what I want to encourage us to do. When something is said, just like Brother Kessy illustrated with the incident with the mom and the brother and all of that, sometimes I do this. And I share this with my family as well. If somebody is saying something, you know, just like the Lord Jesus was talking to the lawyer and he says, oh no, I do this, I do that, I do this. And then he says, OK, the Lord says you've spoken well, just put these things into action. Just do it. Yeah, I think it will be a healthy practice if we learn to listen and listen more and then try to get the point the person is making. It may not be, it may not be the whole sequence of events or the facts may not be entirely accurate, but you understand, but you have to try and understand the point. Right. Like if two people are having an issue, like Brother Kess said, two siblings, two brothers are having an issue. And then according to the facts, the other brother was the one responsible for the issue. That's the fact. Yes. And you have your own points. You have your own, you have your own argument from your own perspective. You're not responsible for the issue. But the person who is coming to speak to you and tells you that you're wrong is coming from the perspective that I expect a higher responsibility from you. And now if you try to get the point, if you try to get the point, if you try to understand that point and not necessarily try to evaluate their part and be sure they're perfect with their part, for you just seek to understand their point, the essence of this message. What is this person trying to communicate to me? Is he trying to say there is a higher level of, there's a higher expectation on you? There's a higher level of responsibility you've been called to operate in? And all of that, just like the Lord Jesus was saying to the lawyer, I expect more action than words. When you understand the point and it makes you, you know, it makes you act and then say, all right, it makes you take a new turn, you know, take a better leap. Instead of trying to explain all the facts and all of that, you just say, OK, I'm trying to understand the point. You get the point and then it'll help you adjust. So this is the one thing I want to say now. I will also say on things subsequently. Thank you. Thank you, Faye. And so when we hear the person's heart, often their heart is not evil or is they're not, they're not really being as ugly towards you as you feel it. But when they really sincerely can hear their heart. Brother Sunday, I saw you on mute. You're welcome to comment at this point. OK. Thank you, Reverend. I was just trying to appraise Pastor Febos' comments. I really, really like what he said about one of the parties that is when a brother and another brother is having issues and the elderly one taking a higher responsibility, not trying to justify himself. And I really agree with that because not considering who is at fault, you just have to take up the higher responsibility to know that what you did is not good. I love I love that point. Yes, it's good. So anybody else at the moment? You're welcome. If you haven't heard from Ali yet, I'd be happy to hear from you, brother. I'm learning so many things at this point. So I love to listen more. And you're welcome to listen if you have a comment. Again, just unmute. Matthew, chapter 15, if I don't want to miss anyone, but you can reserve your comment. Let's read Matthew 15, verse 3 to 9. Matthew 15, starting from verse 3. So just a little introduction is the Pharisees and the scribes were questioning the righteousness of Jesus' disciples because the disciples were not keeping some of the traditions that the Pharisees had and valued. So they were scorning them. They were rebuking Jesus' disciples. So first of all, if you come and bother my disciples, I'm going to speak to you because that's my responsibility, not yours. If the pastor from the other town comes to my town and begins to talk to my people, I will greet them kindly to see me first. And so they're out of line in that they thought they were so righteous that they had the right to discipline and correct even Jesus' disciples. Very interesting. Go ahead, brother Henry. I'm reading from Matthew, chapter 15, starting from verse 3 to 9, right? Correct. But he answered and said unto them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor your father and mother, and he that curses father or mother, let him die the death. But you say, Whosoever shall set his father or mother, it is a gift by whatsoever you might be profited by me. And honor not his father or mother, he shall be free. Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, These people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. Praise the Lord. So the first example is for a father and mother where the child would have sufficient to take care of his parents. But he says to them, No, no, this what I have has been given as a gift unto the Lord. So I cannot help you out. Rather than understanding the responsibility of a son, especially an elder son, to care for his parents. And so he said, You have taken, rather than honoring your father and mother, you have dishonored them by this tricky manner that you put your traditions ahead of the law of God. And so we see that often it's tricky thinking that we deceive ourselves. We live in methods of excusing ourselves and covering ourselves, justifying ourselves, and denying, living in denial, not acknowledging the situation as it is. But seeing it from our own perspective, rather than from the perspective of God's heart, God's law. So in vain do they worship me because their heart, with their lips, they worship me. But their heart is far from me. The only way I believe that I can live right is to be near to Jesus and have him live in my life. I have an experience. When I was younger, I'd been working as an automotive mechanic for Ford. I had been trained for four years. And then I began to work as a journeyman for an additional, about four years, four and a half. And along the way, the Lord opened this chapter to me and began to expose to me because we are blind to our own faults. We are blind to our own faults because we make excuses for them, we cover them, we have these mental gymnastics that we do that covers our sin and our fault, and we justify ourselves. And we're willing, oh, come on, somebody, hear me, we have a willingness to believe that we are justified, that we are right in what we think, what we say, and what we do. We defend ourselves often in our own minds. We defend ourselves. Does your mind work like that? Well, if he had said this, I could say that. And I could have said this, and your mind begins to process this event that happened and all of the reasons and all of the excuses, the lawyer part of your mind is making defense for yourself rather than desiring the truth. Willing to justify yourself, willing to present an argument that you will be just when your heart will condemn you, but your mind will excuse you. Ever notice that? Maybe your carnal mind doesn't work like that, but I've found that many do. And we must listen to the Holy Spirit speaking in a still small voice, convicting us as Pastor Xavier said, the Holy Spirit was whispering to him that he was incorrect, that he needed to humble himself and to repent and to confess the need. You know, once we see the truth, we should not be as James said, as a man sees in a mirror and sees the fault but does nothing about it. Because again, as you said, Brother Emmanuel, it hardens our hearts. The more we push away with this justifying, this defending, excusing and case making excuses and reasons, the less that we'll be able to hear the still small voice of our Savior who says, I want to change you in that thing. You cannot change yourself. And I think this is why we defend ourselves, because we feel like we have to present ourselves as just already, rather than sinners, saved and changed by the grace of God. Oh, he's faithful and just to forgive us, to cleanse us, to change us, to make us new. Amen. So the Lord opened this scripture to me. Getting back to my story. So the Lord took me to my room and he opened the scripture. I began to read 1 John. Okay, Brother Xavier, if you're reading 1 John chapter 1. And in these verses of 5 to 10, there is a key word in there that you'll probably know this, considering what we've been speaking about. 1 John from 5 to 10. This is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not enough. Praise the Lord. So Brother Cassandra, what word do you notice there repeated often that goes with what we're talking about? Do you see it Brother Cassandra? Okay, I see you repeat that in the statement. Yes, I see it. He said, if we say we have not sinned, I think the one who justifies himself by indirectly makes that statement. I have not sinned. I did this because of this. I did this to get in. So that's what the one who justifies himself is doing. He is saying in effect, I have not sinned. Whenever he stands before God, he's saying, God, I have not sinned. I justify myself. He may not say it directly, but that's what he says. Yes. Every time he justifies himself. I abide by the methods like the place in Matthew. I was thinking about it. I say it's possible that we invent rules and traditions that helps us to excuse ourselves from following the commands of God. Those rules and traditions would be very good things. Maybe some kind of philanthropy or something like that. And we just use it. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Amen. Yes. Yes. People say we have not sinned. He repeats that statement. So I see that it's possible that we are those kind of people who can also see justification of self when a message is going on. And I'm sitting there listening. So instead of me to listen for myself and identify what the Lord might be pointing out in my life, I'm looking at other people and say, well, they need it. They need it. Probably for this brother, that sister, that brother. And that's all my attitude throughout the period I'm in that meeting. So that's also self-justification. I justify myself and I will judge others. I will feel that there are people who need that word and not myself. Oh, this brother really needs it. The word of God is actually talking about him. Amen. That's the way. He said, I have not sinned. Amen. It's well said. Yeah. If we say and see even in our mind we can say, you know, we just say it to ourselves. And so this becomes dangerous for us rather than confessing our sins to the one who is faithful, who is kind and just to forgive and cleanse from our unrighteousness. It's hard for us to admit I am unrighteous in this area. This is not right. I am not wrong. No, you're not right. You're incorrect. And that's hard for us to accept. Brother, you're incorrect. There's something in your heart that is not correct. Your words are fine, but something in your heart is not correct. It's very hard for us to accept. And often, you know, if our wife will say something, if our mother will say something, if our friend or our brother will say something, we, our first response, as Brother Faber was talking about earlier, our first response, our lawyer mind immediately begins to respond with a defense. Even before we have fully heard the matter, we're already making a defense. Even in a court of law, you cannot do this. The prosecution will speak when they are finished speaking. They're completed the whole round of investigations and prosecution. Then the defense will have a chance to speak. We often don't even give the prosecution long enough to speak before our defense lawyer mind is already making answers on why we were not incorrect in the situation we're going to ourselves. And the Lord says, let me defend you. Let me be your defense. Let me stand on your side to defend you. But I can only do that if you will come to me and confess to me and draw from me that protection. It takes a long time for this flesh to learn not to defend ourselves. I still have a reaction that will defend myself rather than to hear clearly what is being said. I much easier see the painting I make of myself than how someone else will see me incorrect. Do you understand? The canvas that I paint this beautiful image of myself and hide my faults when someone else, especially someone close to us, will be at fault. You know, it's the Word of God says we should confess our faults to one another and pray for one another. How much happened in church? How much does that happen among brethren? Are we defending ourselves? Or are we open to growing? Often we stunt our growth by this very thing, our self-defense mechanisms. Keep our ears from hearing. Keep our heart from receiving. And keep our conscience from being sensitive. Because we built up these walls of defense that we protect ourselves from ever seeing something might be incorrect. And if we see something incorrect, we often become devastated or intimidated. Perhaps you don't experience that. But for my own life, there was a long period of time that I would feel very disturbed if I realized I was wrong. Because I had a religious way of appearing and seeming righteous when my heart is what God deals with. Jesus says, the law says thou shalt not commit adultery. But Jesus says, I say, if your heart isn't right, when you look at a woman, you have a lust in your heart, you're incorrect. You can't change that yet. Only Jesus can. You can change the outward appearance, like I'm righteous. Only Jesus can get at the root of the covetousness, the lustfulness, the pride, the defensiveness. Only Jesus can. Brother Kish, go ahead. So that's 1 John 1, and it's been many years already, 30 years plus. And this verse is still working on me. And there's others. Chapter 2, there's a couple more verses the same. If we heed it, stay it. He is in the light, and yet hates his brother. He's in darkness until now. Because God knows that the kind of faith that receives the righteousness of Jesus inside of us will produce actions, will produce a change in our life. Galatians 2, verse 16, it says to us, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Christ Jesus. Even we have believed in Christ, we must be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of law alone. For by the works of the law, keeping the law, perfectly obeying the law, no flesh can be justified. So why do we have such a tendency to protect our outward appearance? I think it's because we don't yet understand the amazingness of grace, the powerfulness of confessing and receiving his righteousness. Another one in Romans says, and being ignorant of the righteousness which is of God, that they set about to establish their own righteousness. Where is that one, Brother Kessler? Romans 5, is it? And being ignorant of the righteousness which comes from God, they set about to establish their own righteousness by works. You see, even though we doctrinally know it's incorrect to follow the law, but we need to be born again by Jesus, still in our nature is this practice of the old ways. And I'm praying to the Lord that this lesson will expose in me deeper understanding to trust in God's way, and not my own ability to be righteous. Amen. Anyone else? Pastor Xavier, back to you. I believe that you might have a further comment at this time. Thank you, Brother Gordon. Thank you, Brother Ray. For me, right now I realize that if I'm justifying or someone is justifying themselves, they are not committing the first sin in self-justification. I find out that self-justification is sin number more than one, because why you want to justify yourself? Something has already taken place. And the Bible, yes. So number one has already gone, or even number two and number three. So self-justification comes as something... there's a verse in Isaiah chapter 30 which says, There are people who go by their own counsel, and they don't counsel from my Spirit, such that they may add sin upon sin. So self-justification is sin added upon the first or even second sin. Because the Bible says that all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. I find out that if I'm justifying myself, it is the highest level of pride, because I am taking up the place of the judge. I'm hearing the case from myself. Imagine I have the case, but I'm hearing from myself, and I've already taken the place of the judge. So I'm condemning part B, I'm condemning the other side, I'm justifying myself. So I'm ruling out, I'm becoming myself a judge. And this position of the judge is meant to be God. So I'm getting God out of the equation because of my pride, and I'm sitting in that throne, and I'm judging myself right, I'm judging myself innocent, and the others are condemned by myself. And the Bible says in Romans, I think in chapter 8, that who is he that is condemned? And it is God that is supposed to condemn, it is God that gives us righteousness. So I find out that in self-justification, we are committing another sin which is greater than the first one, because right now in self-justification, we are taking up the seat of the judge, and we are judging ourselves right. Thank you. Anyone else at this time? Go ahead. Okay, I'm looking at the consequences of this self-justification. The Bible is saying that if I justify myself, I will not really have true fellowship. Yes. So I can imagine a Christian meeting where there is self-justification approached, people approach the meeting with that mindset. I'm better than this other guy, he needs God more, he's likely most unholy. There will be no true fellowship, that's what the Bible is saying. True. No forgiveness of sin. The blood of Jesus is an oppression when we have true fellowship. So I can imagine Judas Iscariot in the meeting of the disciples. Maybe that's why the Lord had to take him out or let him go where he belonged, as it were, not necessarily take him out. But there will be no fellowship there. You know, the issue of self-justification has followed Judas if we trace him. When that woman anointed the Lord, there was a statement she made. She said, Oh, this should have been sold and given to the poor. In public, he would have been clapped for as such a nice man who loves the poor. That's why Jesus said, You are those that love the praise of men. The statement of Judas that day was something men like to hear. Oh, such a lovely man. Oh, didn't you hear that? I love brother Judas. I love pastor Judas. Yes. But the Bible tells us that that was not actually his true personality. He didn't really care for the poor. He had an agenda. Giving to the poor was a form of self-justification. Maybe meant to pacify the conscience. If I steal, I can give some to the poor. One good thing to cover up for part of my sin. So you can see that that lifestyle followed him to culminate in what he did with Christ. Self-justification. And even when he sinned, he tried to also justify himself by going to return the money. He said, Okay, take back the money. He wanted to pacify his conscience. So I see this as a very serious thing we must watch. It's subtle. It's subtle. But when one finds out that there's always a tendency to defend himself instead of repentance, I'm always ready to defend myself and give reasons why I failed. If things were like this, I wouldn't have said, then I'm on the wrong path and would truly not be having fellowship at all. As a personal rule, I believe that in certain cases I confess. I tell the brethren, look, this is what I did wrong. Where necessary, I'd be confiding in somebody who prays for me and I get on with fellowship. I don't need to come and be cut off from fellowship and just pretend. No, I don't want that kind of experience. I want to experience what John was talking about. First, John is a beautiful passage. John is saying we have experienced fellowship with Christ and we are declaring that fellowship with you so that you have it. But this is why you will not have it. If you justify yourself, you will not have the fellowship we're introducing to you. That's what John the beloved there was saying. So I wouldn't want to spend two hours in church or maybe more without fellowship. Because many people do it today. They don't really have fellowship. They're just there and it's just a man meeting, social gathering or some sort. Because of this. So let's watch it. Some statements tell of self-justification. They sound good to the public. It received the praise of men, but the man just justified himself. And the Lord sits there and says, so that's it. Yes, sir. Yeah, it's Romans 4, verse 5. And it says, and to the one who does not work for salvation, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly. His faith is counted as righteousness. This kind of faith. The one that doesn't feel like I'm going to work to get saved. I'm going to work to be right before God. I want to work to. How many times in religion is it Jesus plus something in order to satisfy religious righteousness? You see in the scribes, the Pharisees, they mocked Jesus. They were even Jesus. Religious righteousness requires Jesus plus something to be saved. But the righteousness of God, which comes by faith. The one who can justify the ungodly, his faith, we count it as righteousness. Romans 4, verse 5. And you can look at it. However, then we then we come to the point where I say, OK, but what about James that says, and it's important that we go here. The book of James. All right. Let's look at James chapter two. And can we read from verse 14 to 25 and Pastor Xavier, if I can be stopping you during this time as you read. If your network is good enough, we can work together on it. James 2, verse 14. What does it profit my brethren, though a man say he has faith. Did you notice that work? Say, did you notice that word was in there again? Say he has faith. OK, but we'll try from the beginning. I'll make my comment and we'll see if we can work together to do it. Go ahead. What does it profit my brethren, though a man say he has faith. Now, do you notice this word say is again in this. It says he says he has faith. Go ahead. And have not wax. Can faith save him if a brother or sister be naked. So now let's let's give a definition of this word. If it's the word you and who, which means let's imagine or let's suppose that there was a brother. So to give a kind of a story as an example of this, what kind of faith? Now, I please notice in this story he's talking about can this kind of faith save him? And then it says if, which means sort of like an example. Go ahead. Be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto them. Say unto him. Go ahead. Depart in peace. Be ye warmed and filled. Notwithstanding, you give them naught. They do nothing. Go ahead. Those things which are needful to the body. What does it profit? Even so, faith. That kind of faith. Even so, that kind of faith. Amen. Go ahead. If it has no wax, is dead being alone. Yeah. A man may say. He may say. He may say. You have faith and I have wax. Show me your faith without wax and I will show you my faith by my wax. Do something. You believe that there is one God that you do well. The devil also believe and tremble. But will you know, oh vain man, that faith without wax is dead? Was not Abraham. That kind of faith is dead. That kind of faith that just says and doesn't do anything. 21. Was not Abraham our father justified by wax when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? See you how faith rout his wax and by wax was faith made perfect and the scripture was fulfilled which says. Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God. You see then how that by wax a man is justified and not by faith only. Likewise, also was not Rahab the harlot justified by wax when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way. So as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without wax is dead also. Amen. Amen. So the faith that James is talking about is a faith that knows a doctrine and can talk about it and says he has faith. But that faith doesn't ever produce a doing and doesn't produce the change. And so it's not the kind of faith like Abraham had. It's not the kind of faith that Rahab had. It's not the kind of faith that receives the righteousness of Christ and begins to do the acts, the works that are produced by faith in Jesus. Because by faith in Jesus, our heart is transformed and we begin to receive the love of God. We begin to see people different as God sees them. And so that kind of faith will save us and that kind of faith will produce works. So there is no to my mind, there's no argument between Paul and James. Because the kind of faith that Paul is talking about is saving faith. And this example of the kind of faith that he's talking about in James is self-justification. Works of righteousness which we have done, perhaps it's the kind of faith that never does. It just harms our heart. We become as the Pharisees. And that kind of faith cannot save you. Jesus said to the Pharisees, you are of your father the devil. The most religious people. And yet they had known to God, confessing, we are sinners and we need your help. Lord, thank you for speaking to us tonight to clarify our understanding. So we humbly come before you and we thank you for the mighty things that you've done. You've made us sons of you. We have authority. We have a position. We have giftings. But God, we also confess we have blind spots to our own faults. And God, as you want to continue in your loving kindness to discipline us as a son. As it says in Hebrews 6, I think it is, that no son goes without chastising. So Lord, we just ask you to see these areas where we just defend ourselves when we are wrong. And help us, Lord, to stand up and not be intimidated when we are correct. And we need your help to know the difference. God, will you help us? We ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you.