Righteousness vs. Self-Righteousness

 

 

Scripture:

“For the person who is righteous will attain life by trusting and being faithful.”

— Romans 1:17 (CJB)

 

 

 

Reflection:

Righteousness is not something we earn — it’s something we’re given through faith in Yeshua. Before we ever did a single good thing, before we served, preached, or gave, God loved us. He called us His own when we were still lost in our sin, our addictions, our rebellion. It was His grace, not our goodness, that saved us.

 

But somewhere along the way, many of us start to forget that. We begin doing good works, serving others, leading ministries — and slowly, our focus shifts from Him to us. The quiet whisper of gratitude turns into the noise of “Look at what I’m doing for God.”

 

That’s when righteousness turns into self-righteousness. And when that happens, we’re no better than we were before Christ found us. Because self-righteousness is just another form of pride — only this time, it’s dressed in church clothes.

 

 

 

Encouragement:

Stay humble. Stay broken before the Lord. Every good thing we do is only possible because of the One who lives in us. Remember daily:

 

“It is not by our works that we are made righteous, but by our faith in the One who made us new.”

 

 

 

Personal Challenge:

Check your heart. Are your works flowing from your faith — or are they trying to replace it?

 

Let your righteousness be a reflection of His grace, not a monument to your goodness.

 

 

 

-Rev Carlos Figueroa

TheFreeBible.Org