Self-Righteousness


I go to the local YMCA everyday at lunch to either swim, lift weights, or run on the treadmill. The treadmills are located in front of 4 TVs. Nine times out of ten; these TVs are set on ESPN, TNT channel, Fox News, or ABC channel. If I remember my ear phones, I watch Fox News while I run. Beside that TV is the one with ABC and on that channel during my lunch hour is “The View.” I cannot stand that show. One time I was waiting for my truck to be inspected and the waiting room had that on. I was stuck for an hour with this on and I thought I was going to go insane. The name says it all; they have one view and they will scram it down your throat and if you don’t see things their way, you’re stupid.

I read an article last month that for a week, “The View” had people who were famous for the wrong reasons on. One of the people that was on was Jessica Hahn. If you are unaware of who Jessica Hahn is, she was the secretary for Jim Bakker and he had an affair with her in the 1980’s. She came out and said she was a 21-year-old church secretary; she was drugged and raped by Bakker and another preacher, John Wesley Fletcher. Later in the 1980’s she became a sex symbol and did rock videos. Barbara Walters tore into her asking if she felt ashamed of what she did. According to the article I read, Ms. Hahn actually pushed back on Ms. Walters asking if she felt shame for the affair she had with a married man in the 1970’s. You see according to Barbara Walters’ auto-biography, she admits to having a long-time affair with a then married Congressman. After Ms. Hahn’s question, Ms. Walters did not ask another question; the other hens asked the questions.

This is a perfect example of self-righteousness. People will compare themselves to other people to try and make it seem they are alright in their sin. If a person is guilty of spreading gossip, they might compare themselves to a drug addict. In their eyes, doing drugs is far worse than spreading gossip. That is a lie out of hell. There is no degree of sin. You see sin is sin is sin. A “little white lie” is the same as murder in God’s eyes. If you need to make yourself feel better about your sin, you can always compare yourself with someone whose sin is worse but you are still a sinner. You see when we stand before God at the Judgment Seat, God will not compare us to others; He will compare us to His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the standard (or measuring rod) in which we will be compared. When we compare ourselves to Jesus Christ, we all fall short (Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God).

No one can ever be righteous on their own (Romans 3:10 & 11– “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.). It is only by God’s grace that He offers us an opportunity to trust in Him and accept the gift that Jesus Christ did on the cross. Once we are His children, we have His righteousness and He no longer sees our sins. It’s not anything we have done to earn it; it is a free gift.