Righteous Or Sinner?

Do we use our knowledge of God's word to criticize others, or to become more and more humble about our own sins? Let’s learn that we are all still sinners and that God alone justifies. Let’s discuss self-righteousness and self-justification in Luke 18:9-14.

Self-Righteousness

“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:” (Luke 18:9 NKJV)

Are we caught up in self righteousness, constantly criticizing other churches? What about the Old Testament or Paul? Are we self-righteous about not being self-righteous like a Pharisee, which still makes us self-righteous?

A Patriot & a Traitor

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.” (Luke 18:10 NKJV)

Pharisees were patriots who preserved the faith under foreign domination. Tax collectors were traitors profiting from foreign occupation. Yet, Jesus challenged us to rethink our judgments. We don’t know another person’s heart. A seemingly wonderful person may be arrogant, and an outwardly bad person may have a heart of repentance.

Delusion

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ ” (Luke 18:11-12 NKJV)

If we pray “thank God I’m not like so and so” we are self-deceived. Like a delusional person, believing he is Napoleon, or a different gender, we can all imagine that we are something we are not. Self-righteousness is a fool’s delusion, defining our worth by the faults of others.

Can we be close to the Church yet far from God? The Pharisee had dedicated his life to holiness and became confident in his own righteousness. He believed he was superior. Yet he forgot one thing. All our good deeds do not clean up a filthy act (Isaiah 64:6).

Righteous Repentance

“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:13-14 NKJV)

This prayer is included in the liturgies of Catholics and some Protestants. But, some object: Christians are no longer sinners but saints.

No Longer Sinners?

Some Bible verses contrast the righteous and sinners. Does that mean that saints never sin? A saint’s sins are covered, but saints still sin.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us…” (1 John 1:8-10 NKJV)

Paul clearly stated that he still sinned as a saint.

“... For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice…” (Romans 7:15-20 NKJV)

The word sinner can mean different things in different contexts. In some contexts it means a habitual sinner, a non-Christian. In other contexts, we find that Christians are also sinners, though not slaves to habitual sin.

“knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (Romans 6:6 NKJV)

We still sin, but those sins are forgiven, or covered.

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:7 NKJV)

Every church has imperfect doctrines, but most get at least the essentials for salvation right. Even if we had perfect doctrines, sin would still taint us. Self-justification fails, because we have all sinned. The faults of others ought to make us humble, not arrogant, because in them we should see our own sins.

None of us measures up to God’s righteousness. Let’s discern right from wrong, but avoid self-righteously judging others and humbly confess our own sins. The righteous will not live by criticism and judgmentalism, but the righteous will live by faith (Romans 1:17).

New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.