“Not having mine own righteousness...” An old farmer was once asked if he thought the hardest thing in the Christian life was denying sinful self. His reply was, “No, Sir; the most difficult thing is denying righteous self.” Few Christians realize the truth of this statement by the old plowman. Our deepest and most stubborn antagonism toward God is centered in our good and righteous and sacrificial selves. The real battleground where we as saints hold out against God is in the area of our self-righteousness.
It takes some of us a long time (and some never) to realize that our self-made, refined virtues are nothing more than the ragged rags of self-righteousness. Job is a good example. He was righteous; he was all that God said he was. And Job knew it, too. But what he did not know was the actual corruption of his own heart. God had to bring this perfect and upright man, who feared God and eschewed evil, to the place where he said, “I am vile.” Included in this were his virtues, also.
How embarrassing to see saints trying to impress others by showing off their filthy rags of self-righteousness.
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