The mindset of the Pharisee and Saduccee. Which one are you?

In my recent studies of the Word, I've been compelled to learn more about grace. Grace is described as: unearned, undeserved and unmerited favor. In which He showed His love for mankind through the death, burial and resurrection of His darling Son, Jesus Christ.

In order to understand the impartation of grace, the law must first be defined. The Mosaic Covenant or the Ten Commandments was centered around God giving His divine law to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-24). The Mosaic Covenant differed from other biblical Covenants, because it was conditional.

For example, the Abrahamic Covenant was an unconditional Covenant. For God made promises to Abraham that required nothing of him. There were no "if" clauses suggesting its fulfillment is dependent upon man. There were only promises made by God for which He swore by Himself. They were:

1. The promise of Land (Genesis 12:1)
2. The promise of descendants (Genesis 12:2)
3. The promise of blessings and redemption (Genesis 12:3)

However, the Mosiac Covenant had conditional stipulations for which by the children of Israel would be blessed. It was very clear and concise in that if, Israel is obedient, then God would bless them. But, if they disobeyed, then God will punish them.

At the time of the covenant, God reminded the people of their obligation to be obedient to His Law (Exodus 19:5), and the people agreed to the covenant when they said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do!" (Exodus 19:8). Therefore the Mosaic Covenant is a bilateral agreement, which specifies the obligations of both parties to the covenant.

What is a bilateral agreement? A bilateral agreement is an agreement that is binding on both parties for its fufillment. Both parties agree to fulfill certain conditions. If either party fails to meet their responsibilities, the covenant is broken and neither party has to fulfill the expectations of the agreement.

The Mosaic Covenant purposed to reveal to the people their sinfulness and their need for a Savior. It is therefore the same Law which Christ Himself said that He did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.

Whereby, there are some people which believe you can be saved by keeping the law. But, the bible is clear that salvation has always been by faith alone. Because, the Mosiac Covenant, with all it's detailed laws, could not save people. Not that there is a problem with the Law itself, for the Law is perfect and was given by a holy God, but the Law had no power to give new life, and the people were not able to obey the law perfectly (Galatians 3:21).

However, the Sadducees and the Pharisees were a group of people who were in constant conflict with Jesus regarding the interpretation of the Law. The Sadducees were aristocrats. They were wealthy and held powerful positions in Rome. They held the majority of 70 seats in the Sanhedrin.

The Sanhedrin was a council, similar to the seats in the Senate. They worked hard to keep the peace in Rome by agreeing with it's decisions. They were more concerned about politics rather than religion. However religiously, they were more conservative in one main area of doctrine. They preserved only the authority of the written Word of God, especially the books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy). For they believed the following:

1. They were extremely self-sufficient and denied the need for God's involvement in everyday life.

2. They denied the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 22:23, Mark 12: 18-27, Acts 23:8).

3. Thy denied an afterlife, believing that the soul perishes at death.

4. They denied the existence of a spiritual world, including angels and demons (Acts 23:8).

They were more concerned with politics than religion, and were pretty much unconcerned with Jesus until they became afraid He would draw unwanted attention from the Roman Empire.

How many times have you been afraid to bring unwanted attention to yourself by serving Christ? How many times have you been afraid to stand up to the masses and publicly knowledge your belief in Christ? How many times have you tried to be politically correct, when you knew it was spiritually or morally wrong?

How many times, have you chosen the material things in this life over Jesus, just to keep up with the Joneses?

No, some of us may not be as extreme as the Sadducess, but in our daily lives we've purposed to the same. When we experience difficulty in our lives, we rather depend on ourselves than to take every burden to Him in prayer. We rely on the old adage that says: "God bless the child that his own." Do you really believe in the meaning of this stupid proverb, which suggests that God does not want us to fully depend on Him in every area of our lives? If not, then why do you live like He does?

Now the Pharisees on the other hand, were middle-class businessmen, and was in more contact with the common man. They were held in more esteem by common folks, unlike the Sadducees. They were also members of the Sanhedrin but was the minority. Therefore, they control most of the decisions by the Sanhedrin because they had the support of the people.

The Pharisees believed the following:

1. God controlled all things, yet decisions made by individuals also contributed to the course of a person's life.

2. They believed in the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:6)

3. They believed in the afterlife.

4. They believed in the existence of a spiritual world, including angels and demons.

However, they differed from the Sadducees in the fact that they accepted Written Law as well as Oral Law. The oral Law was a body of unwritten legal opinions intended to make the Written Law applicable to changing situations. Thus, the experts of the Law (or scribes), identified thirty nine different kinds of work which were prohibited on the Sabbath.

Therefore, behind all this study and labor was an overwhelming conviction that God's will was perfectly revealed in the Mosiac Covenant and this Law was applicable to every day life. Although they opposed Rome, they did little to resist it.

How many times have you listened to a minister, teacher or friend and know fully well they are not rightly dividing Word of God? But, are basing their opinion or beliefts on the basis of the church covenant or whatever, else? Did you agree? How many times have you heard a minister preach about something not scripturally based, yet you agreed with the sermon because "Pastor said"?

How many times have you sat in church and questioned your salvation, because the preacher said, if you were still in sin you were not saved? Yet you believe him because your lifestyle is probably not what it should be? How many times have you based the Word of God on oral traditions, based on what you were taught by your grandmother or Pastor so and so? If so, have these oral laws freed you from the power of sin? I would think not.

The Word of God found in Galatians 2:15-17 exemplifies the impartation of grace and the freedom from sin through the personage of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For it reads:

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Further Romans 9:31-33 (New International Version) says:

31but Isarel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.

32Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."

33As it is written: "See I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

So tell me are you resting under the power of God's grace or do you have the mindset of a Pharisee or Sadducee. Which one are you?