Christians are sometimes accused of being self-righteous. Sometimes
that accusation may be true. But I’m not sure if people who make this
accusation really think about what they are saying.
Self-righteousness can be understood as being righteous
based on what the person believes to be righteous or is able to attain as a
level of righteousness. It is based on the person’s perception of himself, many
times in contrast to another person or group.
So, self-righteousness really has nothing to do with God. It’s
all about the self-righteous person. It has everything to do with his perception
of morality, self, & how he measures up.
It seems more reasonable to tie the label of self-righteous
to those who believe that man (either as an individual or a non-theistic
society) has the ability to define & measure righteousness. Humanity for
them is the definer of the moral compass.
Genuine followers of Christ by definition cannot be
self-righteous. This is because the moral compass they seek to follow is
outside of themselves. The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to shape that, & the
Christian life is a process of being more & more confirmed to the image of
Christ. It is only when we get off that track that we become self-righteous.
Moral authority based on a life lived in conformity to
Christ is often labeled as self-righteousness, in hopes that the accusation
will discredit the life or testimony of the follower of Christ. Believers must
allow the Lord to reveal areas of life where they are not conformed to Christ,
but must also not be intimidated by false accusations of self-righteousness.
