I live in a dangerous neighborhood. One of our neighbors is actively engaged in trying to take their next door's property. Mr Moscow is actively attacking his neighbor with dangerous weapons attempting to steal their land by force. Another neighbor had been threatening to do the same to his next door for decades, claiming without proof that the next door land is his. Mr Beijing is known by all those near and far as a bully. Nobody trusts him. Down the street is a neighborhood called little America. They are divided on the left and right sides of the street, and they keep shooting each other. The next street over is little Africa. They could be a wealthy street but they keep on opressing one another. On the other side is a street called little Europe. Each house speaks a different language. They are all quite wealthy but can't agree on a common street policy, so each house is very different and the whole street looks uncoordinated. It's a dangerous part of town around here. Sheriff UNO has tried but he had no power to enforce the peace and neighbors just ignore his efforts, so it's like living in the wild west, where every neighbor does what's right in his own eyes. Be careful out there.

Self-Righteous Christians

Do we trust in ourselves that we are righteous, and despise others? Have a look at self-righteousness and self-justification in Luke 18:9-14. Do we think that others are lesser Christians than us? The faults of others ought to make us humble, not arrogant, because in them we should see our own sins. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us…” (1 John 1:8-10 NKJV) None of us measures up to God’s righteousness. Let’s discern right from wrong, but avoid self-righteously judging others and humbly confess our own sins. The righteous will not live by criticism and judgmentalism, but by faith (Romans 1:17).