What are the signs of being self-righteous?

As Christians, we are saved to walk in righteousness before the Lord. 

Are we sure we are being righteous, or are we unaware that we are being self-righteous?

What is self-righteousness

Self-righteousness is about manifesting that you are superior to other people. This is about always being right and others being wrong. 

Also, self-righteousness is about thinking that your ways are always better than others.

More importantly, being self-righteous is about providing your own standard of righteousness. 

We should be aware and evaluate ourselves to see if we are still walking in holiness according to God’s will or our will.

When we decide what is moral and correct, we might be using our own moral judgment or law. We eat from the wrong tree and steal God’s role as the righteous Judge.

Thus, the danger of being self-righteous is not knowing that we are pleasing God but ourselves. 

Many people could also be privately self-righteous. They can be nice and polite on the outside, but inside they think they are better than anyone.

Self-righteousness is the deadliest sin of all

Spurgeon mentioned in one of his sermons that self-righteousness is the deadliest sin of all. 

He explained that a self-righteous man does not and cannot trust Jesus Christ and cannot see the image of God.

Additionally, they would not seek God to clothe them in His righteousness. They do not long for a change since they think they are enough.

Furthermore, being self-righteous is a grave deception. Everything they think about themselves is a lie.

If they were not awakened, they would not realize they are walking in the wrong way of righteousness.

Jesus hates those who are self-righteous. He said to the self-righteous Laodiceans in Revelations 3:16-17, “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Signs of being self-righteous

We must know the traps and signs that we might be self-righteous to understand how to change our character. 

We aim to please God by seeking His righteousness without downgrading others or thinking we are better than them.

Here are some signs to watch out for to know whether we are being self-righteous.

All-knowing

Self-righteous people think that they know everything they need to know. They not only have "sufficient" knowledge, but they also have a "complete" understanding of God.

Besides, they think they have the authority to understand God and preach to others the absolute truth of who he is.

They tend to feel like they have the answer to everything and insist that what they know is right. They always have a say in everything.

Close-minded

Since self-righteous people think they know everything, they are also close-minded. They do not need to listen to others’ opinions because they think they are always right. 

More so, Christians become close-minded when they stop learning from God. As self-righteous people, they seek evidence or believe that their ideas are enough to live comfortably.

You cannot correct or rebuke self-righteous people. They would put the blame on you if you corrected them.

Defensive

A self-righteous person could easily defend himself. He thinks he is not doing anything wrong and does not need to change anything. 

If you try to tell him about the things he needs to change or improve, he will defend himself instead of listening to your advice.

Additionally, they will put the blame on the other person and think of their weaknesses to defend what they do. 

Self-righteous people are manipulative. They point out others’ mistakes to defend themselves and believe it is always someone else’s fault, not theirs.

No remorse 

You can never expect a self-righteous person to feel guilty about what they did, regardless of whether they are aware they hurt somebody. 

How can they feel guilty when they think they are always right?

If you told them they had caused you pain, you should not be surprised if they pointed out your lack of strength and weakness instead of admitting your mistakes. 

Self-righteous people are proud because they do not know how to be humble and accept that they are imperfect.

Rule-keeper

A self-righteous person thinks that he or she follows the rules. However, the truth is that they only follow rules that are easy. They disregard those rules that are difficult to obey. 

Thus, they mostly break rules while showing everyone they obey God’s commands. 

For instance, a young adult who serves in the church and is even fond of posting Bible verses on her social media account is living with her boyfriend. 

Also, you could be a husband who serves faithfully in the church, but you are cheating on your wife.

Therefore, a self-righteous person is a lawbreaker and a hypocrite.

Quick to judge others

When someone else sinned, self-righteous people would say, “I would never do that.” 

They justified themselves by others’ performances and are also proud of their reputation and pedigree. 

Moreover, they want others to notice their good work. They are people who are always looking for other people’s faults. 

Antidote for self-righteousness 

Self-righteousness breaks relationships and can even lead to abuse and manipulation. Besides, it drives us away from having a closer connection with God. He wants us to seek His righteousness. 

However, we cannot find God’s righteousness and favor if we are self-righteous. It would only lead to distractions and curses.

Besides, self-righteous people will keep hurting others, especially our loved ones.

Thus, we must learn to overcome it. Here are some ways to help us overcome this deadly sin:

Humility

First, you must be humble and realize that you are not God, who is all-knowing. You are not better than other people. We all have fallen short of God’s glory. (Romans 3:23) 

Pray and ask for God’s forgiveness and mercy. 

Also, you need to be humble to other people. If we only think that there are more experienced and knowledgeable people around us, then we could learn from them. 

Besides, be humble and apologize for your mistakes. 

Let God’s word guide you

To know whether we are walking in God’s way or our selfish desires, we must devote ourselves to reading God’s words, promises, decrees, and commands. 

In this way, we could evaluate our actions if it is still pleasing to God.

Moreover, God has appointed people to guide us as we walk in His righteousness. We have our church pastors, leaders, and elders to guide us. 

Be open to rebuke 

The Lord disciplines people He loves, including you. Do not hate God or His appointed servants when they highlight what you need to improve. 

Appreciate them for showing their concern for you and not wanting you harmed. 

Be thankful that other people are telling you your mistakes because those are the people who truly care. 

Remember that God will refine our hearts and minds to become the best versions of ourselves for His purpose. 

You are not always right. Sometimes it is difficult to see our shortcomings with our own eyes.