Moral Superiority

As humans, we like to be right. It often shows in our conversations with others. Most of us like to think well of ourselves too, and in the event we do something wrong, then we usually have an excuse to justify our actions. I believe our single biggest proponent for sinning is pride. Self-righteousness is a form of pride. We believe we are thinking right, doing right, saying the right things, etc. We see ourselves as good.

“Behold how idolaters disagree: one adores righteous self, and another worships sinful self; but both idols must be utterly abolished.”

Charles Spurgeon

We do not read the words “self-righteousness” in the Bible, yet the principle is taught. The dictionary says it is being “convinced of one’s own righteousness especially in contrast with the actions and beliefs of others” or when someone thinks their ideas and beliefs are “morally better than those of other people.” It is when we are more concerned about the sin of others and are blind to our own.

One of the more common stories used to illustrate the sin of self-righteousness is in Luke 7:36-50 which tells of the Pharisee and the immoral woman.

When you start reading the story of Jesus being invited into the home of Simon, the Pharisee, you may feel the scene quickly becomes uncomfortable. As they were eating, the weeping woman (believed by many Bible scholars to be a prostitute) comes into the home and after cleaning Jesus’ feet with her tears and drying them with her hair, she anoints His feet with perfumed oil. I mean, was she invited? No. Didn’t she realize everyone, especially Jesus, knew how sinful she was? Yes.

Simon was certainly feeling the same way (uncomfortable and irked at this woman) although we are told he did not verbalize his thoughts. Jesus being omniscient (all knowing) knew Simon’s thoughts. Even though Simon was a religious and law abiding person, he was also a sinner. Simon thought himself to be righteous, but the woman knew herself to be a sinful woman. She didn’t deny it. Her sins were more obvious, but Simon’s were more dangerous. He was blind to possibly the number one sin against the gospel – self-righteousness.

Why is self-righteousness so dangerous?

Any righteousness we have is ONLY because of the payment Jesus Christ paid. Not because of ourselves. (Titus 3:5)

Were it not for the grace of God, we would not be His child. Self-righteousness negates the grace of God and the work Jesus did on the cross.

“Among the many general causes of decline in grace, we may assign a principal place to spiritual pride and self-admiration.”

John Newton

There is nothing wrong with wanting to live righteously, wanting to please the Lord trying to achieve sanctification (which we will not reach until heaven). The problem comes when we *think* we have reached righteousness which is when we develop a critical spirit.

What does self-righteousness look like?

Self-righteousness can wear many disguises even camouflaging itself such as “being a better Christian than so-and-so” when we see the way another person lives or “we have it figured out” when we think we have this daily Christian walk down pat. We may say, “I get fed up when other Christians [gossip, lie, show off, etc]…” yet we don’t see the beam in our own eye (Luke 6:42).

When we determine we are more righteous than others, we may start thinking we need to tell them how they need to change. We are not to be the Holy Spirit for other believers. We are to be more concerned with ourselves and our own sin.

We are not going to say, “Stay away; I’m too righteous for you!” but unconsciously the way we feel and maybe even act toward some shows we believe they are below our level of holiness.

Self-righteousness causes us to look at others with disregard. We see people who are clearly living in sin and instead of having compassion and love as we are commanded to do, we look at them with contempt. We begin to think we are better than them. When we start condemning others concluding we are better, we are living hypocritically (Romans 2:1).

It is self-righteousness that keeps an unsaved person from seeing their sins and accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Simon, the Pharisee, could not see his sin, yet the woman came to Jesus Christ, weeping and repentant of her sins. Jesus continued to share in a parable with Simon that if we think we’ve been greatly forgiven, then we will love Jesus greatly. But if we think we are so righteous, how deep will our love for Jesus be when he forgives us of our sins? Not much.

When we start measuring how faithful we have been, how obedient we have been, how sacrificial we have been, how righteous we have been, THEN we begin to think we are earning something. We may start to consider God owes us something.

This is the danger of self-righteousness.

Again, we are commanded as believers to try to live holy lives as Christ did (1 Peter 1:15-16). However, we have to realize no matter how right we try to be, we’ll never be right enough. Not a single day passes with our heads hitting our pillows when we have not sinned.

Don’t think living a righteous life will make God love you more. He already loves you unconditionally. Try to live righteously because YOU love Him. And then love others as Jesus loves.

Probably 99.9% of us (maybe more) struggle with self-righteousness. It has been on my prayer list FOR MYSELF for a few years. I recognized it in myself at one point years ago and asked the Lord to forgive me and keep me from thinking that way. I know I’ve failed many times since, but I continue to pray and desire the Holy Spirit to convict me of this sin if I commit it.

We must put our pride and our selfishness aside. We must see ourselves for who we are – sinful but saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). Let us humble ourselves by dying to self and endeavoring to live for Christ every day, every moment (Mark 8:34-35).

Are we more aware of how good we are or how desperately we need the Lord to help us live humbly? Don’t be like Simon, the Pharisee, and be spiritually blinded by self-righteousness. Remember, our love for Jesus will be in proportion to the degree in which we admire our own righteousness. How are you living your portion in this life? 💕