Beware of Self-Righteousness

 March 15, 2024

Friday

When people believe they have become more righteous than others, they get mean. While the Bible does tell us to evaluate our fellow believers and help them overcome their sins, the Bible doesn't tell us that we are less sinners than the people we correct. We should always stay in constant knowledge of who we are. Except for the grace of God we could be in the sin that they are in.

Some people think they are righteous because they carry out every form of strict biblical rules. They believe that they are made righteous by this. They believe they will see God's glory because of their righteousness. They know that they can manipulate people by their superior "knowledge" of the Bible. They gather followers because people want to be on the side of righteousness.

Jesus had a particular disdain for people like that. They knew so much but knew so little. They were so right, but they were so wrong. They hurt people by straining at the gnats and swallowing the camels. When people have such self-righteousness, they can't see what they are doing.

We must strive to be biblically correct while showing justice and mercy to everyone. This means that I don't tell others that I go to a superior church because we don't do the things you do in your church. It is one thing for a church to approve sinfulness. It is quite another for a church to interpret a Bible passage differently than yours. You are not superior nor is your church nor your pastor because you practice the faith differently.

The very strict interpretation of the law with the belief that it made one superior is the fault of the scribes and Pharisees. They could not see who was right before them because they were so self-righteous and Jesus didn't say such nice things about them. They thought that the Messiah would surely recognize them for their righteousness and give them His glory.

There will be others whom you will meet that are self-righteous. Remember that you are not better than them. You are not superior to them. But don't expect them to be anything but mean. They think they have the right to be. After all, who is more righteous than them?

Matthew 23:23–24 (NASB 2020) ²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. ²⁴ You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!