What is self-righteousness

[psalms109:31]

Ezekiel 14:
Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable
12 The word of the LORD came to me: 13 “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, 14 even if these three men—Noah, Daniel[Or Danel, a man of renown in ancient literature; also in verse 20] and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.

15 “Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, 16 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.

17 “Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals, 18 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.

19 “Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals, 20 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.

21 “For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals! 22 Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. 23 You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

Ezekiel 33:
12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.

Ephesians 4:
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Hebrews 5 :
Warning Against Falling Away
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

What is self-righteousness?

Is it doing what you can to live a righteous life a new life in Christ or is it a self proclamation of your own righteousness?

Who is the only one who can proclaim righteousness of anyone?

 

[plain_n_simple]

People who try to follow the Ten, or the Law are self righteous.

 

[psalms109:31]

People who try to follow the Ten, or the Law are self righteous.

Psalm 19:7
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

Hebrews 7:
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

The Law does not make us righteous nor do we place the Law over Loving God first of all and when it doesn't go against the main to love God and then to love people, How does it make one self-righteous by living by them?

Matthew 12:
11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

 

[psalms109:31]

When does telling others how to live a righteous life become self-righteousness?

Is it wrong or when does it become wrong?

I really want to hear your views from scripture or what you got from reading scripture on the differences from self-righteousness and righteousness?

 

[Tom Butler]

Here's a concrete example of self-righteousness:

"I don't smoke, drink or chew, or go with girls who do."

I have declared myself righteous in the light of criteria I myself have established for righteousness.

So, if you smoke, you're not as righteous as I am.
Drinkers aren't either. Neither are chewers.
And if you go with girls who do all three, I am definitely more righteous than you are.

And, of course, people who are as humble as I am usually are righteous.

As I told someone when I was younger, who accused me of being conceited, "people as handsome and intelligent as I am usually are."

 

[Tom Butler]

Here's another thought.

I don't drink, and you don't smoke. I think I'm more righteous than you because drinking is more harmful than smoking. Therefore I am more righteous for not drinking than you are for not smoking.

 

[psalms109:31]

Someone who is more humble than someone else is not humble. What I want to hear about here is Hebrews 5: 11 through 14. To know right from wrong a mature righteousness. I quit smoking for 15 years and that does not make me better than one who smokes. I have a desire to get other people to quit smoking what would make me self righteous by doing so?

 

[JonC]

Someone who is more humble than someone else is not humble. What I want to hear about here is Hebrews 5: 11 through 14. To know right from wrong a mature righteousness. I quit smoking for 15 years and that does not make me better than one who smokes. I have a desire to get other people to quit smoking what would make me self righteous by doing so?

If that desire is because you care about their health and share a relationship where it is appropriate to offer such advise (i.e., have their consent to offer advice about their health), I’d say no. If it is because you believe that they sin when they smoke, then probably yes.

I would define self righteousness as striving to do what is right on our own accord, and righteousness as submitting to the will of the Father by allowing Christ to work through you. Self-righteous work is what you do, righteous work is what God does – its spiritual fruit.

 

[Tom Butler]

Here is self-righteousness:

I am a humble man.

And proud of my humility.

 

[psalms109:31]

How Saints May Help the Devil

"That thou mayest bear thing own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them."—Ezekiel 16:54.

"IT IS NOT a comfortable state to be at enmity with God, and the sinner knows this. Although he perseveres in his rebellion against the Most High, and turns not at the rebuke of the Almighty, but still goeth on in his iniquity, desperately seeking his own destruction, yet is he aware in his own conscience that he is not in a secure position. Hence it is that all wicked men are constantly on the look out for excuses. They find these either in pretended resolutions to reform at some future period, or else in the declaration that reformation is out of their power, and that, acting according to their own nature, they must continue to go on in their iniquities. When a man is willing to find an excuse for being God's enemy he need never be at a loss. He who hath to find a fact may find some difficulty; but he who would forge a lie may sit at his own fireside and do it. Now, the excuses of sinners are all of them false; they are refuges of lies; and therefore we need not wonder that they are exceedingly numerous, and very easy to come at.
One way in which sinners frequently excuse themselves is by endeavoring to get some apology for their own iniquities from the inconsistencies of God's people. This is the reason why there is much slander in the world. A true Christian is a rebuke to the sinner, wherever he goes he is a living protest against the evil of sin. Hence it is that the worldling makes a dead set upon a pious man. His language in his heart is, "He accuses me to my face; I cannot bear the sight of his holy character; it makes the blackness of my own life appear the more terrible, when I see the whiteness of his innocence contrasting with it." And then the worldling opens all his eyes, and labors to find a fault with the virtuous. If, however, he fails to do so, he will next try to invent a fault; he will slander the man; and if even there he fails, and the man is like Job, "perfect and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil;" then the sinner will, like the devil of old, begin to impute some wrong motive to the Christian's innocency. "Doth Job serve God for nought?" said the devil. He could find no fault with Job whatever, his character was untainted and unblemished; but, says he, "he keeps to his religion for what he gets by it." I reckon it to be a glorious accusation when we are falsely charged with being religious for the sake of gain. It shows that our enemies have no other charge that they can bring against us. They have ransacked all the flies of their calumny, and they can find nothing tangible, and this is the last they can bring—an imputation upon the motive of the man who has no other motive in all the world than to glorify his God and win sinners from destruction. In this, then, let us glory. If sinners slander us, it is because we make them uneasy. They see that our lives are a protest against them: and what can they do? They must somehow or other answer the Bill which we have filed against them in Heaven's Chancery, and they do it by issuing a Rejoinder against us, and bringing us in as defendants in the case. We glory in this, that we are defendants who can prove our innocence, and we are not ashamed to stand before the her of God to have our motives tried. There is much I say to cheer us in the fact of such a libel. We know the work is done. We are sure our shots have told on their armor, when they are driven to return on us their calumnies and the venom of their wrath. Now we know that they feel the might of our arm, now we know we are not like them, mere drivellings and dwarfs. They have felt our might, and against it they kick, they foam, they forth their wrath. In this, I say, we glory. We have smitten them hard, or else they would not rise against us in this fashion...."

C.H Spurgeon

 

[psalms109:31]

If that desire is because you care about their health and share a relationship where it is appropriate to offer such advise (i.e., have their consent to offer advice about their health), I’d say no. If it is because you believe that they sin when they smoke, then probably yes.

I would define self righteousness as striving to do what is right on our own accord, and righteousness as submitting to the will of the Father by allowing Christ to work through you. Self-righteous work is what you do, righteous work is what God does – its spiritual fruit.

1 Peter 1:23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

1 John 3:9
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

John 6:63
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.

Ephesians 4:
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Galatians 5:16
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Proverbs 3:
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[Or will direct your paths]

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.


His word should always go before us, that is God leading us and not our own desire.

 

[psalms109:31]

Here is self-righteousness:

I am a humble man.

And proud of my humility.

Pride and being humble can't be together, you can only have one or the other.

Pride and humble can never be one.

Faith that come from God through the words of Jesus and the words about Jesus that can move mountains in love and being humble go great together.

There is nothing wrong with being humble and having faith from God.

 

[psalms109:31]

I have not made this O.P. in no way to condemn babes in Christ that is in no way the purpose and in Christ you can't be condemned, but to talk about what God considers maturity and how to reach it. I know it isn't by following a religion, but learning from God and His Word.

God desires is for us to mature is it not?

Maturity according to Hebrews 5:11-14 has do with righteousness.


Reaching it without coming to self-righteous is a good place to start I thought.

 

[Tom Butler]

Originally Posted by Tom Butler
Here is self-righteousness:

I am a humble man.

And proud of my humility.

Pride and being humble can't be together, you can only have one or the other.

Pride and humble can never be one.

Faith that come from God through the words of Jesus and the words about Jesus that can move mountains in love and being humble go great together.

There is nothing wrong with being humble and having faith from God.

I quite agree. My comments were strictly tongue-in-cheek

 

[psalms109:31]

Originally Posted by Tom Butler
Here is self-righteousness:

I am a humble man.

And proud of my humility.




I quite agree. My comments were strictly tongue-in-cheek

When someone humbles themselves before their God and it is shame to make this that they are better than someone who has not. It is one being lead by God. We cannot be humble and be proud of it, it is not being humble. It is like turning what is good into bad. I am not saying that you are, but there might be those who do.

I do need to relax a little sometimes and not take things so serious sometimes. I hope you know this is me just discussing this and not making it personal.

 

[psalms109:31]

Is teaching about righteousness meat of His word?

I would like to hear more about a righteousness to a point of not being self-righteous.

That one day we will hear from Jesus saying to us


Matthew 25:
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

 

[Tom Butler]

When someone humbles themselves before their God and it is shame to make this that they are better than someone who has not. It is one being lead by God. We cannot be humble and be proud of it, it is not being humble. It is like turning what is good into bad. I am not saying that you are, but there might be those who do.

I do need to relax a little sometimes and not take things so serious sometimes. I hope you know this is me just discussing this and not making it personal.

I didn't take it personally. I tried to make it clear that I was joking. I was actually making fun of those who might wear their humility on their sleeve (if there is such a thing).

Now, I have a problem. If I describe myself as a humble man, does that automatically mean I'm not?

 

[psalms109:31]

I didn't take it personally. I tried to make it clear that I was joking. I was actually making fun of those who might wear their humility on their sleeve (if there is such a thing).

Now, I have a problem. If I describe myself as a humble man, does that automatically mean I'm not?

1 Chronicles 28
9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Acts 8
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.


Humility like righteousness should be known by the way we live our lives not by the words we speak. Men look on the outside, but God knows the intent of our heart and the reason we do what we do. We can hide our true intent from man, but not from God



"...A true Christian is a rebuke to the sinner, wherever he goes he is a living protest against the evil of sin..."
C.H. Spurgeon