When I think of
‘self-righteousness’ I am immediately drawn to Jesus’ blistering of the
scribes
and Pharisees in Matthew 23 and also to the Pharisee and the publican (tax
collector) in Luke 18:9-14. However, lest we forget, Satan is the originator of
self-righteousness (Isaiah 14:12-17), and reigns supreme in that area.
God says in Proverbs 6:16-19,
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A
proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that
deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A
false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
The New Living Translation
(NLT) says it this way, “There are six things the LORD hates—no, seven things
he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart
that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out
lies, a person who sows discord in a family.”
Did you happen to notice what
God listed first? It was “pride,” which results in self-righteousness.
Pride was Satan’s downfall
because he thought he could usurp control from God. At the very beginning of
mankind, he convinced Eve that she could be like God. Her husband Adam fell for
the same line and went along with their direct disobedience of God’s command to
not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Because of their sin, God
demonstrated to them and all of us that “… almost all things are by the law
purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews
9:22) Innocent blood had to be shed, “For Adam also and for his wife did the
Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21)
So clearly we are all born
with a sin nature, and since only the blood of the innocent can redeem us from
sin, we remain in our sin and need a Savior. Jesus Christ is the only one who
can qualify to be our Savior. His innocent blood was shed in order that we may
come to Him and be redeemed from the judgment of sin.
Coming to Jesus to be “born
again” as He identifies it in John 3:3, is something that certainly cannot
involve any self-righteousness on our part. If we attempt to add anything
whatsoever to what He has provided for us by His sacrifice, we insult the
God-head and are refused the very pardon we seek from God. We may come to Him
with all of our ‘baggage,’ but we must come to Him with the clear understanding
that salvation can only come from Jesus.
Let’s say that I invite a
beggar in from the cold for a lavish meal, new clothes, a hot bath and a warm
bed, explaining that all the expense is on me. That’s it. I have provided all
they need to be full, clean and warm, but if they attempt in any way to pay for
my generosity, the offer is cancelled. They will remain hungry and out in the
cold.
People do this every day with
regards to Jesus’ offer of salvation. We want to leave a tip for the meal, or
we want to wash the dishes afterwards. We offer to do some kind of work to
repay the generosity shown us, but what are we actually doing? We are
attempting to lessen the value of the gift and to elevate our self to show
worthiness on our part when there is no worthiness on our part.
If a beggar comes to me
wearing clothes that need to be burned, reeking of body odor, not a penny to
their name, and a lifestyle that is shameful, what exactly do they have to
offer me? Nothing. But someone says, “I’m not like that. I have a good job, a
nice place to live and good moral habits.” Oh really!
“Then said I, Woe is me! for
I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
(Isaiah 6:5)
“But we are all as an unclean
thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a
leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
“As it is written, There is
none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none
that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together
become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat
is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of
asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Their feet are swift to shed
blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways:
And the way of peace have
they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18)
“For all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23)
We all need a Savior. We are
all like the beggar. There is nothing we have to offer Jesus, but a willing
heart of acceptance in HIS work on our behalf.
How ugly it must be to God
when people come to Him trying to add something to the work Jesus did for us.
Remember, even “our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Yet, there are those
who try to add (for example) baptism, or joining a church, communion, ‘good’
deeds, dress codes, food and drink codes, etc., etc., etc.
I’ve witnessed Christians
burden the unsaved with these, and other, acts of self-righteousness when
witnessing to them about the Lord. That is wrong.
In short, Satan is telling
the same old lie that we can be like God (Genesis 3:5). What do you think got
him into trouble? He wanted to be like God (Isaiah 14:12-14). When we insert
any part of self-righteousness in with His Holy righteousness, we are
attempting to be like God. We must come to Him, leaving all the
self-righteousness behind, and trust unequivocally in His righteousness to save
us if we are lost and to help us grow as a Christian if we are His child.
Grant Phillips
Email: grantphillips@windstream.net
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
