202: Self-righteousness, the Door of the Works of the Flesh

The cycle of sin is a result of self-righteousness.

Self-righteousness is the open door to the works of the flesh. Before the works of the flesh manifest (for example, adultery, fornication, selfish ambitions, heresies, envy, drunkenness¹), guilt causes us to work on ourselves to clean up our act. Whenever we get into self-righteousness, in time sin will be the result. We sin, then we try to fix it, then we fail again, then we experience shame, then we sin again, attempt to fix it, fail, experience shame, and on it goes, like a vicious cycle with no end.

Cycles of sin develop because of self-condemnation. And if we condemn ourselves, we cannot get out of the cycle of sin. Why? Because we have identified ourselves by our behavior instead of by our identity in Christ. It’s an identity issue. We will act like who we believe we are.

The more people think that God demands righteousness by performance, the more they say, “I can’t live this Christian life. It’s just too hard for me!” But in reality, the Christian life is not too hard – it’s impossible! There’s only one Person who lived up to the standards that God’s holiness requires, and His name is Jesus Christ. We simply allow Him to live through us by resting in Him. The first thing we need to know, though, is that we are holy and blameless at the core of who we are!

(from pages 298-299 of Unveiling Jesus)

Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!

Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.

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¹Galatians 5:19-21