As Deceitful As Self-Righteousness

There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way of death.
Proverbs 14:12

By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze

Meaning Of Self-Righteousness
         Self-righteousness is the act of counting oneself among the righteous ones, especially when one is not a living saint. Many people deceive themselves by thinking that they are righteous or that they are more righteous than others. They maintain a ‘holier than thou’ attitude. Such people may not want you to stay close to him or like to associate with people he considers inferior to himself. Self-righteousness include:
  1. Claiming to be righteous. Only God has the Holy Spirit of righteousness. None can be righteous without the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus said that only God is righteous.
  2. Claiming doership. All actions are performed by the forces of nature, by the Holy Spirit.
  3. Refusing to grow in spirit and in truth by learning new things. Majority are like sleeping giants that have refused to open their eyes.
  4. Believing that you are the best and highest. In spirit, humility is the height of greatness.
  5. Believing that your religion is the greatest or that your church is the best. The greatest religion is Truth, and the best church is the Holy Spirit.
  6. The false sense of superiority over others. Spiritually, God is greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest. He pervades and animates all things.
  7. Believing that you are destined to lord it over others. On earth, those who are served seem to be the greatest, but in the heavens, it is the servants that are the greatest for the benefit of all.
  8. Looking down on others in a disdainful manner.
  9. Refusing to accept true corrections from your juniors or younger ones. A wise man uses the little light he has to gain more light, and in doing so, he learns from whoever that knows better than himself.
  10. Counting members of other churches as Gentiles. All are children of the same God Almighty.
  11. Discriminating, unnecessarily, against people of other nations, tribes, languages or colour. In the beautitudes, the best blessing was given to the peacemakers, because they are called the Sons of God.
  12. Worshipping God without prophecy, for none can work for a company without taking directives from the organization.
  13. Encouraging either freedom of religion or freedom from religion, which are not acceptable in heaven. Those who worship God must do so in spirit and in truth.
  14. Holding on to personal opinions and collective decisions as if they were commandments of God. What many call faith is nothing but stubbornness. - The persistent refusal to do what God has said.
  15. Spiritual indolence (laziness) and false complacency (pretended peace), when people are not doing the right things expected from them. Over 90% of the dead have not attained heaven, and those still living on earth do not know that such a terrible thing is happening in spirit.
The Testimonies Of Jesus
         Jesus highlighted the problem of righteousness. He not only warned against it, but also recommended the right solutions. The unfortunate thing is that everyone feels the message is for others.

'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Revelation 3:14-19

The Disadvantages Of Self-Righteousness
         People continue in the following ways of self-righteousness because they are spiritually ingorant:
  1. It keeps people stagnant without their knowing it. This is the problem with almost all the religions and churches. Self-righteousness prevents people from growing in spirit and in truth.

    13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees (religious leaders), hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13-14

    15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees (religious leaders), hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte (to convert a member), and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Matthew 23:15

  2. Each group considers themselves as the best, and sees others as Gentiles or sinners.
  3. It creates unnecessary divisions, crisis and violence among humanity.
  4. It makes people stubborn to such an extent that they refuse to welcome new teachings, corrections or revelations from God.
  5. It makes the religious leaders a stiff-necked people, who are always opposing reformations directed by God.
  6. It has misled so many people, especially ministers of God, into the hell fire.
  7. It pitches people of God against God without their knowing that they are working against God.
11 "For both prophet and priest are profane;
Yes, in My house I have found their wickedness," says the LORD.
12 "Therefore their way shall be to them
Like slippery ways;
In the darkness they shall be driven on
And fall in them;
For I will bring disaster on them,
The year of their punishment," says the LORD.
13 "And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria:
They prophesied by Baal
And caused My people Israel to err.
14 Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem:
They commit adultery and walk in lies;
They also strengthen the hands of evildoers,
So that no one turns back from his wickedness.
All of them are like Sodom to Me,
And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
Jeremiah 23:11-14

16 Thus says the LORD of hosts:
"Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you.
They make you worthless;
They speak a vision of their own heart,
Not from the mouth of the LORD.
17 They continually say to those who despise Me,
'The LORD has said,"You shall have peace"';
And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say,
'No evil shall come upon you.'"
Jeremiah 23:16-17

Be Warned! Guard Against Self-Righteousness.
         In all things, pray God to let the Holy Spirit direct your affairs. That is all the more reason why you should be well trained and versed in prophecy, so that you will be able to know when you are moving with God or when people begin to stray from the path of Truth and therefore, take timely corrections. God precedes His work with prophecy, accompanies it with prophecy and afterwards, confirms it with prophecy. Prophecy is both good and necessary before, during and after every operation.