Beware Self-Righteousness
Let’s look closely at what the Pharisee in Jesus’ story in Luke 18 got wrong. First, he was a picture of self-righteousness. Or ‘self-holiness’ or ‘self-faithfulness’, you might say.
Self-Righteousness Exposed
Luke says that Jesus was speaking “to some who were confident of their own righteousness” (Luke 18:9 NIV) Their own righteousness/holiness/faithfulness. They looked at themselves and thought: We’ve been holy. We’ve kept our hands clean. God would be pleased with me because I am a good person and I have done good things and I avoided sin as much as I can.
This is a subtle but classic mistake that people of God often make. We give ourselves credit for that which God has done. Early on in history, God pointed this out to us. Look at what Moses said to the Israelites way back in Deuteronomy 8:11-18: “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God… Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness… He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness… You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”
Gifts of Holiness
So even then, we humans had a tendency to say “look what we have done”, and forget it is He who gives us all things - including the ability to work, provide, make money and do useful things in the world.
It’s the same principle when it comes to our spiritual good works and deeds. Many of us, so to speak, build up ‘mansions’ of righteousness for God, as we should, but then we get quite proud of our faithfulness, our holiness, our righteousness. We think “I’m good. Look at what I have done.”
But friends, even our holiness is a gift from God. It is not of ourselves. We can’t claim any self-holiness or self-righteousness or self-faithfulness. Holiness is a gift given to us by God’s grace!
Many of us think that God’s forgiveness is a gift, and then the rest is just up to us. And that’s wrong. His cleansing us and empowering us are gifts we receive by faith too. Now, that’s not to say that we have no responsibility. Of course we have to live out the holy life, and that is often done through blood, sweat and tears, resisting temptation and fleeing the evil one. But we can’t do that through self-will and self-discipline alone - we need to believe that God has gifted us with holiness and then we can strive to live out that holiness practically. Do you see the difference?
By the end of his parable, Jesus has said this: “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”” (Luke 18:14 NIV) The Pharisee exalts himself and says: let me show God how holy I am by my good deeds! The Christian humbles himself and says: God has graciously made me holy! I trust Him now to keep me holy as I walk in faith. It’s a subtle difference, but a big one.
Humility in Faith
Let’s not be self-righteous. Let’s not for a second think that we can merit God’s favor by our goodness! Let’s remember that even our holiness is God-given.
Be holy today, by receiving His gracious gift of empowering grace.
