Please open your Bible to Luke 18:9-14. This passage talks about people who put their trust in their own righteousness. And this self-righteousness leads to doing wrong on several different levels.
First it is wrong to God. It is wrong to set aside trusting in the work of the Cross and replace it with trusting in our own works instead. This is like telling God that Christ's sufferings and death were unimportant and needless.
Second it is wrong to our fellow man. When we trust in our own works to make ourselves worthy before God it leads us to despise others. Notice in verse 11 how he began the comparison game. He contrasted his works to the works of others. And you can see in the comparison there was an attitude of contempt. Self-righteousness does not promote love. It leads us to despise others.
Third it is wrong to the individual who is trusting in his own righteousness. When the prayer time was done he did not go away justified. God provided only one way for man to be right before Him. It is through the Cross of Jesus Christ. You will not be justified before God if your trust is in your own righteousness.
Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)
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True. Self righteousness lead us to also handle a whole lot of other issues the wrong way, take forgiveness as an example.
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