Righteousness Conscious!

“He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5

In the four gospels, Jesus had ongoing debates within the Pharisees. Beyond their covetous lifestyle and wrong interpretation of scripture, a significant challenge He had with them was their self-righteousness and how they thought about themselves. The pursuit of self-righteousness is an advert of self endangerment that can haunt us like the tell-tale heart.

Though in common sense, it is easy to see that self-righteousness was not a problem to deal with. However, we can be caught up in our righteousness, which leads to pride and selfishness that you cannot help but be tempted to think that if you are good enough for God’s grace and others are not. The demon of sanctimoniousness and holier-than-thou attitudes can judge others quickly because we don’t know what is right or wrong.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Several times Jesus warned the disciples of their doctrine with their perception of righteousness as a significant gospel theme. He warned them that they should not judge if they are willing to win the sinners’ souls. They should be able to see their righteousness in Christ, who has helped them to overcome sin.

The way of salvation is because God has helped us. We cannot do without him. Likewise, we must believe that God’s grace is sufficient for the salvation of others who have fallen short of his standard. God never sleeps nor slumber but always in the business to forgive and redeem. Help others to live by faith. Romans 14:1 says, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.”

Prayer:
1. Thank you, Jesus, for your mercy and grace in my life.
2. Please help me to be more like Christ, who help without judging me.