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Self-Righteousness.

From: The New Topical Textbook

By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 1 min. read • grade level: 16

Man is prone to. Prov. 20:6⁶Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? (Proverbs 20:6). Prov. 30:12¹²There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. (Proverbs 30:12).

Hateful to God. Luke 16:15¹⁵And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. (Luke 16:15).

Is VAIN BECAUSE OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Is But external. Matt. 23:25-28²⁵Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. ²⁶Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. ²⁷Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. ²⁸Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (Matthew 23:25‑28). Luke 11:39-44³⁹And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. ⁴⁰Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? ⁴¹But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. ⁴²But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. ⁴³Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. ⁴⁴Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. (Luke 11:39‑44).

But partial. Matt. 23:25²⁵Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. (Matthew 23:25). Luke 11:42⁴²But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (Luke 11:42).

No better than filthy rags. Isa. 64:6⁶But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6).

Ineffectual for salvation. Job 9:30, 31³⁰If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; ³¹Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. (Job 9:30‑31). Matt. 5:20²⁰For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20), with Rom. 3:20²⁰Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20).

Unprofitable. Isa. 57:12¹²I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee. (Isaiah 57:12).

Is boastful. Matt. 23:30³⁰And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. (Matthew 23:30).

THEY WHO ARE GIVEN TO

Audaciously approach God. Luke 18:11¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. (Luke 18:11).

Seek to justify themselves. Luke 10:29²⁹But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? (Luke 10:29).

Seek to justify themselves before men. Luke 16:15¹⁵And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. (Luke 16:15).

Reject the righteousness of God. Rom. 10:3³For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (Romans 10:3).

Condemn others. Matt. 9:11-13¹¹And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? ¹²But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. ¹³But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Matthew 9:11‑13). Luke 7:39³⁹Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. (Luke 7:39).

Consider their own way right. Prov. 21:2²Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts. (Proverbs 21:2).

Despise others. Isa. 65:5⁵Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. (Isaiah 65:5). Luke 18:9⁹And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: (Luke 18:9).

Proclaim their own goodness. Prov. 20:6⁶Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? (Proverbs 20:6).

Are pure in their own eyes. Prov. 30:12¹²There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. (Proverbs 30:12).

Are abominable before God. Isa. 65:5⁵Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. (Isaiah 65:5).

Folly of. Job 9:20²⁰If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. (Job 9:20).

Saints renounce. Phi. 3:7-10.

Warning against. Deut. 9:4⁴Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee. (Deuteronomy 9:4).

Denunciation against. Matt. 23:27, 28²⁷Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. ²⁸Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (Matthew 23:27‑28).

Illustrated. Luke 18:10-12¹⁰Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. ¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. ¹²I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. (Luke 18:10‑12).

Exemplified. Saul, 1 Sam. 15:13. Young man, Matt. 19:20²⁰The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? (Matthew 19:20). Lawyer, Luke 10:25, 29²⁵And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? (Luke 10:25)
²⁹But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? (Luke 10:29). Pharisees, Luke 11:39³⁹And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. (Luke 11:39). John 8:33³³They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? (John 8:33). John 9:28²⁸Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. (John 9:28). Israel, Rom. 10:3³For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (Romans 10:3). Church of Laodicea, Rev. 3:17¹⁷Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (Revelation 3:17).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Scorning and Mocking.

• Scorpion, the.

• Scriptures, the.

• Sealing of the Holy Ghost.

• Second Coming of Christ, the.

• Seeking God.

• Self-Delusion.

• Self-Denial.

• Self-Examination.

• Self-Righteousness.

• Self-Will and Stubbornness.

• Selfishness.

• Sidonians, the.

• Simeon, the Tribe of.

• Simplicity.