Self-Righteousness Vs Broken Hearts

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·         What is self-righteousness? Trying to get right with God by keeping Law/commandments of God.

Galatians 2:16:

   ¹⁶Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Luke 18:18-25:

   ¹⁸And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

   ¹⁹And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

   ²⁰Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

   ²¹And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

   ²²Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
   ²³And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
   ²⁴And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
   ²⁵For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
   ²⁶And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
   ²⁷And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

John 3

   ¹There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

   ²The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

   ³Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

   ⁴Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

   ⁵Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

   ⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

   ⁷Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

   ⁸The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

·         We need Christ’s Robe of Righteousness to enter into the Kingdom of God.

Isaiah 64:6

   ⁶But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..."

Isaiah 61:10:

   ¹⁰I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Matthew 22

   ¹And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
   ²The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
   ³And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
   ⁴Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
   ⁵But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
   ⁶And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
   ⁷But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
   ⁸Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
   ⁹Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
   ¹⁰So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
   ¹¹And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
   ¹²And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
   ¹³Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

   ¹⁴For many are called, but few are chosen.

·         God delights not in self-righteous but broken hearts

Matthew 9:11-13:

   ¹¹And 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.

Titus 3:5

   ⁵Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...

Micah 7:18:

   ¹⁸Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

Psalms  51:17

   ¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

·         Sacrifice of Cain and Abel

Genesis 4

   ¹And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
   ²And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
   ³And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
   ⁴And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
   ⁵But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
   ⁶And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
   ⁷If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
   ⁸And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Hebrews 11:4:

   ⁴By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

1 John 3:12:

   ¹²Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

·         Parable of Pharisee and Publican

Luke 18:10-14:

   ¹⁰Two 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.

   ¹³And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

   ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

• Parable of Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-35:

   ¹¹And he said, A certain man had two sons:

   ¹²And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

   ¹³And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

   ¹⁴And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

   ¹⁵And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

   ¹⁶And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

   ¹⁷And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

   ¹⁸I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

   ¹⁹And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

   ²⁰And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

   ²¹And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

   ²²But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

   ²³And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

   ²⁴For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

   ²⁵Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

   ²⁶And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

   ²⁷And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

   ²⁸And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

   ²⁹And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

   ³⁰But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

   ³¹And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

   ³²It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

• Thieves on the cross

Luke 23:39-41:

   ³⁹And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

   ⁴⁰But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

   ⁴¹And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

   ⁴²And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
   ⁴³And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

God commands us to strive to enter the narrow gate but in all our striving we need to realize nothing we do can justify us before God and should drive us to our Savior. Salvation belongs to the Lord and we need to wait and hope on God for the Salvation. We need Gods righteousness which is Christ's Robe of Righteousness that can justify us before God.

Rom 9:16 "So then it is not of him that willeth [not my free will] , nor of him that runneth [not my righteous acts] , but of God that sheweth mercy."

This is the end of all our self-righteousness.

Matt 7:21-23 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."