Reg Killingley - Self-Righteousness

Reg Killingley, asking the questions “How many of you righteous?” and “How many of you are self-righteousness, suggests that few individuals would want to admit to the second. Being self-righteous, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, consists of being convinced of one’s own righteousness or goodness. Like the proud Pharisee in Luke 18, the self-righteous individual is convinced that he can do things better than anyone else. Secondly, he looks down on other people, realizing how bad they are, having little or no compassion for their shortcomings. Thirdly, he has a list of all his good deeds or qualities. Some individuals have strong political, dietary, or health convictions, looking down on others who do not share their convictions. Self righteousness constitutes an attitude of disparaging others as inferior. We need to acknowledge that we are deficient in many areas. We are inferior to someone else in almost all areas of our lives. In the body analogy in I Corinthians 12, we are reminded that we are interdependent, needing one another or dependent on each other. We dare not take pleasure in the sins of others, thinking that their downfall provides a foil for our righteousness. Our knowledge at the present time is only partial, a tiny part of the whole puzzle, nothing much to boast about. We need to remember that forgiveness is conditional, depending on our willingness to forgive others. We should understand our own lack of righteousness, esteeming others better than ourselves, realizing that, even in our best state, our righteousness is as filthy rags. We all have metaphorical feet of clay. Instead of seeking our own righteousness, we need to be seeking God’s righteousness.

“All that” * Beam and speck * Better than others * Boasting of weakness * Boasting * Building the body * Building the ego * David’s recognition * Deficiencies * Diet * Division * Ear * Eye * Fasting * Feet of clay * Filthy rags * Food * Health convictions * How to eat an egg * How to eat * Humility * Independents * Keeping a list * Looking down on others * Lord’s prayer * Luke 18:9-14 * Matthew 6:12; 18:24-35 * Model prayer * Need for forgiveness * Romans 7 * Pattern of self righteousness * Paul’s humility * Peter * Political arena * II Corinthians 12:1-7 * Self-righteousness * Speck and beam * Spiritual gifts * Thorn in the flesh * Tithing