Those who are leading sinful lives, often try to prove themselves religious by judging others and holding their own lives as superior. Yet it was precisely this kind of comparative religiosity that Jesus hated and condemned in the Pharisees. Whatever high moral standards they may set for themselves, it was always offset and covered over by the fact that they couldn’t resist the temptation to take pride in themselves by judging others. Judging the sins of others is always a kind of sanctimonious boasting, and it is always very empty boasting at that, because in judging others, we put ourselves in God’s place, taking pride either in what we have done or avoided doing. We make our righteousness our own work, rather than what God has worked in our life. We are no longer grateful, but proud.. Instead of confessing our own sins and allowing God to work more deeply in our life, we try to earn our salvation by proving how much more worthy we are than anybody else. But we are not more worthy than anybody else, and while the former produces a humble and forgiving heart, the latter method produces a proud and judgmental spirit.