Why would my church friends say that we should claim to be righteous?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I think my friends mean well but they tell me that I need to live a righteous life and I think this turns people off, as though anyone can do that. My mother told me that self-righteousness is actually a sin, so why would my church friends say that we should claim to be righteous? – S.R.
A: People often confuse righteousness with self-righteous — that is, seeing ourselves better than other people and being proud of it. The proud Pharisee in Jesus’ story “stood up and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men” (Luke 18:11). But Jesus condemned his self-righteous attitude, commending instead the tax collector for his humble prayer for mercy.
But true righteousness — the kind of righteousness the Bible teaches — comes only from God. By nature we are unrighteous and sinful, but when we come to Christ, our sins, like filthy garments, are cast aside, and we become clothed with the perfect righteousness of Christ. Now God counts us as righteous in His sight, because He has imparted to us the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith (Philippians 3:9).
Once we have committed our lives to Christ, God calls us to live righteous lives — lives of purity and goodness and love. In ourselves this is impossible, but as we submit to the control of His Holy Spirit, we find strength to live the way we should, pleasing the Lord in our behavior and doing good work by growing in the knowledge of His Word (Colossians 1:10–11). This is true righteousness — a worthy goal. As believers, we should be so thankful to God for transforming us that we strive through prayer and obedience to be clothed in His righteousness as we turn away from the impurity and sin of this world every day, and to live a life that brings glory to Him.
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
©2022 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(c)2022 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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