"Pharisees—outwardly but not inwardly religious; self-righteous and censorious of other's manners and morals." -Webster The Pharisees were a sanctimonious sect in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. It was one of their number who "went up into the temple to pray" and said, "God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are," and went on with a self-righteous listing of his own good deeds.
Surely, the sect has died out by now? Surely, there are no pharisees today?
Judge for yourself! A recent poll published in USA Today found that a great majority of Americans believe in heaven, and most of them rate their own chances of going to heaven as "good to excellent." But they feel their friends are not nearly so likely to get there. ("Lord, I thank Thee that I am not as others!") Pharisees to the core!
What does the Bible say about it? Will being better than others save them? Will it open heaven's door to be "not so bad as some"? The Bible says that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23.
Being "better than others" does not make anyone less short of the glory of God, for all have sinned. And there we find the key: "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8. At the same time the Pharisee was telling God what a good man he was, another man also prayed in the temple and his prayer was only, "God be merciful to me a sinner."
A sinner! A self-confessed sinner! What claim did he have on the grace of God? The Pharisee thanked God that he was so much better than that, but what did the Lord Jesus say? "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other."
That is it. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1:15. Heaven is not gained by doing good, or by avoiding evil; it is not won by being better than this one or not so bad as that one, but simply by receiving the mercy God offers to sinners. It is "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." Titus 3:5.
It is a pity that that poor old Pharisee so long ago didn't realize that; it is more than a pity that he has so many descendents in the world today. It is a tragedy! And it is so unnecessary. It is still true that "this Man [Jesus] receiveth sinners." It is still true that "joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth." The Lord Jesus Himself said that in Luke 15:7.
Then what about the Pharisee? He, too, can cause that joy in heaven, but only by taking his rightful place as a sinner before God and trusting in the sinner's Savior. There is no other way.