9 Common Lies Christians Believe: Part 3 Of 3 Exemplo

If we’re not actively surrendering to Christ’s righteousness for us on a daily basis, then we all naturally default back to our version of self-righteous. Self-righteousness is a dangerous lie that will lead us into a ditch of arrogance.

Working really hard to get God to like you is a fruit of self-righteousness. And what is that? It’s the effort to become righteous before God by your own efforts. Self-righteousness is always defined by self. You decide what is right and wrong. You vainly attempt to define what is good enough to please God. Or, more accurately, you determine what pleases you. You desperately work to get to the point where you can say, “This is good enough. I bet God likes me now.”

However, the road of self-righteousness always has a deep ditch. If you travel this road long enough it will get so narrow that it will eventually push you into this deep ditch called arrogance. The ditch of arrogance causes you to think you’ve reached super-Christian status. You have now been granted a capital C on your chest with a gold-plated shield around it. It will stay buried under the shirt of false humility waiting for the perfect opportunity to bulge out. 

This is a dangerous ditch in which to find yourself because there’s only one judge on all spiritual matters there—you. Whether it’s the pastor’s sermon or the lyrics to the latest song the worship band covered, nothing is deep or right enough for you. You’re the smartest person in the room. You’ve got the inside track to the heart of God. However, deep down in your heart of hearts, you know it’s all a sham. You’re dying. You’re fearful. On top of it all, these all-too-sobering verses hang over your head: 

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18) 

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5) 

Questions for Reflection: 

What is self-righteousness? In the moments of life when you’re not focusing on Christ, do you tend to be arrogant? What is a way to fight arrogance today?

Truth: 

Christians are not saved by their own works, but by the work of Christ. Therefore, we have nothing to be arrogant about. We should only boast in Him.