It is the state of our souls, not our words or actions that justify us before God, and in Jesus' famous parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, the Pharisee’s central problem is that he does not know his own heart. He trusts in his own righteousness and is too easily critical of others.

How do we know ourselves truly? We can only really know ourselves in community. But as long as we don't risk relationship, we can sell ourselves all kinds of false ideas of what we're really like while ignoring the magnitude of our narcissism.