Determining the Source of our Righteousness

by Steve Bray

Self-produced righteousness has its source in the pride of life. It can therefore be offended. This is why people who live in self-produced righteousness inevitably stumble into sin when they are opposed. Something other than perfect love comes out of the mouth because there is still something other than perfect love in their heart. “For a tree is known by its fruit… For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matt. 12: 33-34)

It is possible to live by many of God’s laws in a self-produced form of righteousness, without having a pure nature of love that can endure “all things” with meekness, humility, and longsuffering patience. It is in this sense that we need to determine if our righteousness has its source in God or if it is something we have developed through our own efforts.

Love {the love that has its source in God – *see again pages 15-16} suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up…does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil…bears all things…endures all things. Love never fails… (1 Cor. 13: 4-5, 7-8)

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another…But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. {In other words, put on Christ’s life of righteousness.} (Col. 3: 12-14)

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps…who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return…but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. (1 Pet. 2: 21, 23)

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven… (Matt. 5: 44-45)

Those who are filled with Christ’s Spirit naturally reveal the fruit of His Spirit. His love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control will continue to flow out of their heart like “rivers” of Living Water. (Gal. 5: 22-23) This steady flow of life from heaven makes it possible to consistently manifest His nature of holy love—the righteousness that comes from God by faith. “For the fruit of the Spirit is in ALL goodness, righteousness, and truth.” (Eph. 5: 9)

Jesus said we will find hypocrisy in those who produce their own righteousness. It is exposed by the way they judge others with a critical spirit concerning certain pet beliefs while they neglect “the weightier matters of the law” such as “love and mercy.” (Matt. 23: 23) Yes, they can be very adamant about certain laws, but their basic nature is contrary to perfect love. And we are afraid there is going to be a day when these people discover, to their own horror, how their lack of mercy, along with their critical and overbearing spirit, have put out some flickering wicks in weak Christians. They have actually turned them away from the true Christian faith. “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come {in a fallen world}, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” According to Jesus, these legalistic offenders would have been better off tying a millstone around their neck and jumping into the ocean before they caused one of His little ones to stumble. (Matt. 18: 6-7)

James has clearly described the wisdom that comes down from heaven. (Jam. 3: 17) It comes from the life of Christ when He has become our “wisdom” and “righteousness.” “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” (v. 17) In other words, if these characteristics have not yet become an innate part of our inner nature, then we have to assume that we are still not sharing with Christ in the righteousness that comes from God by faith.

Self-produced righteousness, which has its source in the pride of life, will inevitably result in partiality, contentions and divisions. This form of life is nothing more than human politics. After various individuals and groups determine what they consider to be the right way to live, they then try to press their opinions onto others. It naturally results in the divisions and favoritism we now find in churches and nations. It is how “mere men” naturally act. “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Cor. 3: 3)

Those who receive the righteousness that comes from God by faith will no longer behave like “mere men.” Having lost their self-life, they are lifted by the power of God into His heavenly life where they become “perfect in one” with each other. (John 17: 22-23) These children of the Father bear His image of holy love in everything they do. They are “peaceable,” “gentle,” “willing to yield” and “full of mercy.” Their whole purpose in life is to lead others into the heavenly Kingdom-life that comes down from above. And they know it has nothing to do with self-produced righteousness.

Those who die to their own righteousness are in a place to live by the Spirit alone. It is by living through the Son, and sharing with Him in His eternal life of love, that we can all remain in harmony with God and each other. It makes it possible to “be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Cor. 1:10) And while our knowledge will tend to differ depending on our spiritual growth, when we all die to our own righteousness and opinions, we can then be led by the Spirit into the same truth.

Therefore let us, as many as are mature {spiritually}, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you {when you are dead to your own opinions and give Him sufficient time}. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained {to God’s life of heavenly love}, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. (Phil. 3: 15-16 NIV)