The Self-Righteous Generation

I have been very concerned about the judgmental attitude of the current generation toward previous generations. People of the past who were respected and honored are now rejected and despised. This does not bode well for the current ruling generation, because Jesus said, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:” Luke 6:37. Yet, the current ruling generation judges and condemns past generations, and does not forgive them.

Recently the statue of John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada, was taken down in Victoria B.C. because his government started the residential schools for indigenous children. Also, other statues of him were vandalized in Montreal and Regina. Likewise, in the United States, Thomas Jefferson has been denounced by many people because he had slaves. The question is: ‘Will many leaders of the past be denounced because they do not measure up to the standards of this present ruling generation?’ Every prime minister in Canada, for a hundred years after John A. Macdonald, agreed with the residential schools and their treatment of the indigenous children.

All of us realize that past generations did not think as we do. They did not have the benefit of knowing how history would unfold and how God would direct his people. God brought about liberty and justice for people over time, but it did not happen all at once. The corrections God made to our society were the result of the work of the Holy Spirit in people, mostly in Bible believing churches in our Israel lands. The current ruling generation cannot see this. They do not understand the source of liberty. And that source of liberty is Jesus Christ.

When I watch a documentary on part of the history of the British Empire, that empire is usually portrayed as being oppressive and self-serving. Likewise, the history of the United States is portrayed as a domination of other people by self-serving Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Our people are bombarded with propaganda about how evil our ancestors were. The people who promote this type of propaganda ignore the thousands of acts of charity and the movements of the past to make our society more compassionate to the needy. They ignore the greatest gift that anyone can give to the poor and needy. Jesus said it: “the poor have the gospel preached to them” Matthew 11:5 (part). The average self-righteous critic cannot see the value in this. The truth is that ever since Nimrod (Genesis 10:9-10) there have been poor people in every nation. That is why Jesus said, “For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.” Matthew 26:11. Only Jesus Christ can bring an end to poverty. It is impossible for the self-righteous generation to bring an end to it.

If the self-righteous generation would look in the mirror they would see a people who are worse sinners than their ancestors. Whenever a people reject the Bible they are on their way to becoming selfish and oppressive, and blind to their own condition. Our society is becoming expert at clinical murder, in the forms of abortion and euthanasia. They think these are excellent ways to get rid of undesirable people, people who will be a financial burden on society. All of this is done in the name of compassion, but those who benefit are not those who are put to death. People who are victims of euthanasia have often gone through a period of depression when they want to die because they think their lives are without value. In a CBC interview with Dr. Margaret Cottle of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition in Canada, she stated that if a doctor chooses to counsel such a person to commit suicide, the doctor is agreeing with the person that his or her life is not worth anything. I believe nobody should be killed because of a brief period of depression. Every life is a gift from God and should be treated with respect.

Debilitating anxiety and depression are on the increase in our society. The incidence of suicide is on the rise, especially among teenage girls. Illicit drug use has led to theft, violence, murder, and gang activity in cities throughout our Israel nations. Fornication has become an accepted practice for most young adults. Pornographic entertainment has become a way of life for millions of men and women of all ages. Rape and child abuse are constantly going on behind closed doors. In the midst of this, the typical member of the self-righteous generation is quick to blame anybody else, other than the person in the mirror.

We should begin seeing ourselves as to ‘what we are’. We are a depraved, sick generation, and instead of calling out the sins of our ancestors, we should be on our knees in repentance to God Almighty. We should turn to the Bible for recognition of our sins and instruction on how God wants us to live. The axe is above us and is ready to fall upon us in judgment if we do not repent.

Jesus told a parable that illustrates the attitude of the self-righteous generation. “And he spake this parable unto 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 thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or 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 smote 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 every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14.

All of us have sinned in thoughts, or words we have spoken, or actions we have done. We have also sinned in words we should have spoken, but did not speak, and actions we should have done, but did not do. None of us are innocent. Only by trusting in the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us on the cross can we be forgiven. We continue to sin, so must continually ask God for forgiveness. We may not be aware of all the sins we are guilty of, but we still must ask God to forgive us of them. We can do this by simply praying the Lord’s prayer. Let us not fall into the trap of the self-righteous generation and give in to the sin of pride. God will judge each generation. The judgment does not belong to us, but to Jesus Christ alone.