SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS

Rarely are alien sinners self-righteous. They make no pretense about their rebellion against God. Often they revel in it. You will find few hypocrites in the bars and the brothels.

It takes some element of righteousness to be guilty of self-righteousness. In fact, it seems the more "righteous" we get, the greater are our chances of becoming self-righteous. Speaking of those who viewed themselves as righteous, the Apostle Paul warned: "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12).

Clearly there are some sins for which we become particularly vulnerable when we "think that we stand." Yet, Christians should have an accurate perception of themselves (Rom. 12:3), and we should be able to recognize ourselves as "blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world" (Gal. 2:15).

However, we should never think that anything that we can do can merit our salvation (Eph. 2:8; Tit. 3:5). The sins which we have committed disqualify us from salvation as much as does the sin of "the worst of" sinners. But for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we would share their very same fate.

While true conversion to Christ starts a process of sanctification in which we grow in spirituality (Heb. 5: 11-14), it never results in our being perfectly sinless (1 Jn. 1:8). And, when we commit a single sin we become as guilty as if we committed them all (James 2:10).

The height of self-righteousness is thinking ourselves sinless. Not far removed is entertaining the idea that our sins are not as bad as others' sins. We must never de-value a soul; for the one that we detest could be the very person (once converted) to lead us back to Christ if we should fall.

Do you believe this? If so, the very next time that you sin, place yourself in the same category as the child molester, the rapist, the murderer. If you do not allow the blood of Christ to cleanse this sin (1 Jn. 1:9), you are in the same state as they are (Lk. 13:3).

If you have difficulty with this, reread Lk. 18:9-14, and recall the words of Jesus when he said to some others who trusted in their own righteousness: "Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you" (Mt. 21:31).