For the past three years, we’ve heard one word repeatedly used. It’s not a new word, but prior to March 2020, it was more relegated to the history books.

Pandemic

I’m thankful we’re past the Covid pandemic, but there’s another pandemic, one that threatens the witness of the church. Some might think I’m being a tad dramatic by calling it a pandemic, but I see it in the evangelical church in America.

The virus of self-righteousness

When a person first comes to Christ—genuinely comes to Christ—there is both an enthusiasm and a sense of joyous wonder that Jesus loved them enough to die for them. But the longer we are believers, one of two things happens. Either we grow deeper in humility because we grow deeper in the love and grace of God, or we drift toward self-righteousness.

No one intentionally sets out to be self-righteousness, but it happens.

  • Because Christ changes our hearts, we no longer sin like we used to. We become good people (or better people) and the longer we live striving to do good, the more aware we can become of our goodness—especially when we compare it to the not-so-good lifestyles of others! The longer we have been Christians, the easier it is to see any goodness as our goodness rather than the work of Christ in us.
  • The longer we have been Christians, the more we can take for granted what Christ did for us, saving us when we did not deserve it.
  • The longer we have been Christians, the less we might remember what our lives were like without Christ. We lose sight of the fact that we are included in those who “have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one” (Rom. 3:12).

Let’s be honest. In the following parable, we applaud the attitude of the tax collector, but we often act like the Pharisee.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: “God, I thank you that I’m not like other people — greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.”

‘But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted’” (Luke 18:9-14).

We have forgotten what it was like to be the tax collector; over time we have become the Pharisee.

  • Self-righteousness is seen in our politics, as we rail against the other side. Walk into any circle of evangelicals and mention something innocuous about President Joe Biden—“I liked the tie he was wearing.”—and listen for the venom in how people in the group respond.
  • Self-righteousness is seen in our behavior toward “outsiders,” those who live apart from the Christian faith and ethic.
  • Self-righteousness is seen in our treatment of other Christians. We excel at shooting the wounded, believers who have fallen and sinned. We speak harshly of those who have a different theological view than us—whether the issue is Calvinism or women in ministry.

We should have a political viewpoint; we should speak up for morality; we should have theological convictions, but how we express those makes a clear distinction between righteousness and self-righteousness.

We are called to be righteous—and we can only truly be righteous in Christ. But any righteousness behavior on our part must be soaked in humility. Without humility, we come across as self-righteous.

“My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness” (Jas. 1:19-20).

Christian, let’s remember the sinners we are and what Christ has done for us. Let’s remember that we are where we are today because of Christ’s work in our lives. Let’s remember that, without Christ, we could say with Paul that we are the worst of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).

Therefore, let us respond to others with humility even as Christ humbled Himself on our behalf. Let’s show kindness and grace in our words, even as Christ extended grace and kindness to us, a brood of sinners who deserve eternal destruction.

Let’s. Be. Like. Christ.

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