SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS OR THE GOSPEL? YOU CAN’T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO.

If I was sick with rare disease and I needed help…and there was a very qualified surgeon with excellent credentials that was willing to help me, would I turn him down if he was extremely arrogant, full of himself, and a host of all kinds of moral flaws? I don’t believe I would turn him down. First, my trust would be in God and that He would protect and guide, and if God allowed this immoral surgeon to help me, then I will trust the Lord to allow what needs to be done and the hands that are operating.

Have you thought about this? We can be just as arrogant, and prideful with character flaws as Trump or Biden. If we are able to restrain ourselves from external unrighteous character, this is not extra brownie points. We still experience it in our hearts. We can be just as self important, self righteous, and egotistical.

And you say, “well I control myself better, I don’t say it out loud that makes me better.”

And the Bible says, “whatever a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Do we believe in the gospel or do we believe in self righteousness?

These two are contradictory.

Do we see ourselves as better than the next person?

Maybe what is really being exposed in all of the division is the fact that we have to look in the mirror and see ourselves for who we really are.

We are sinners in need of a savior. “There is no one good no not one!”

We have two choices: We can look in the mirror and lie and say, “I am so much better than the next person. I’m so glad I’m not like him.” Or we will look in the mirror and say “Woe is me..for I am a man of unclean lips. You alone are holy.”

Just because someone has external righteousness does not make them righteous.

I struggle with pride, and my ego and my motivations are less than honorable much of the time.

What are we telling the world about Christianity with this confusion and division in the church?

Christianity is not about squeaky clean, polished people, that have it together. Christianity is about sinners like me who deserve punishment, but because of the grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross I have been given freedom and life, because I saw in myself the beast that I am and that I need a savior.

God doesn’t tolerate, but because of Jesus work on the cross, the penalty has been paid for my sin, and I can now stand righteous because of Jesus. He is my garment of righteousness.

I have walked with Jesus for a long time, but oh how I have messed up. And I still do. He has never stopped loving me and lavishing his grace on me. He has lavished his grace on all of us. He is slow to anger. He is so very patient with us and wants to see people come to Him and place their trust in Him alone. Deny yourself and take up your cross. Lay down your self righteousness. We have no righteousness on our own. Our righteousness is through the blood of Jesus.

Lets tell the world, what the real gospel is. What real Christianity is all about.

Take the log out of your own eye and start loving your neighbors and loving your enemies.

Remember we were all enemies of God and He loved us enough to die for us to bring us back into a right relationship with Him. We are no longer enemies but friends of God. All you have to do is confess your sinfulness and trust in Him as your savior. Take up His robes of righteousness.