Pharisees Are Liberal

Time to re-post this excellent piece from a dear brother in Christ:

"Pharisees were liberal in theology and rigid in morals. They were set against mercy, repentance and accountability. They were adjusters of God's laws. They lowered the standard of God's righteousness so as to attain it by their own righteousness. This is true legalism. This is precisely why Christ cursed them (Matthew 23). Paul, a former Pharisee of Pharisees, knew them well and testified that they had a zeal for God but not in accordance with knowledge. Jesus called them vipers, sons of hell, hypocrites etc. They were great pretenders like their father (Satan). The Pharisees flaunted their religiosity while inwardly they were sons of Satan. Worse enough, in their zeal they made their followers twice the sons of hell as themselves. The Pharisees were on a mission for God's glory, yet manufactured His glory and laid heavy burdens on men's shoulders that no one could carry. They flaunted and upheld their morality divorced from God's righteousness. They were to be shepherds of God's flock (Israel), yet were wolves who wore priestly garments. They were not concerned with God nor His Son. They pretended to honor God yet hated His Son. Sadly, today those who recognize them the most when resorting to namecalling, fail to recognize themselves as potential Pharisees. The Pharisees delighted in their perception of 'god', rather than Elohim of the Torah. I pray more people know who the Pharisees are without calling others such things for fear that their own sins would be exposed. " 

~Doron Gladden

That's exactly what I say: pharisees were mere liberals of their days with a very low standard of "holiness" that could easily be achieved and thus felt pride in. God's standard is far, far higher--UNACHIEVABLE, IMPOSSIBLE with man, which is why we NEED the righteousness of Christ applied to us ("Justification").