Righteousness based on works is talked about a lot. When this is brought up it's easy to think about the Pharisees and how they measured their righteousness by the things they did or did not do. They were so bound by looking righteous that they missed the point of true righteousness.
In my opinion true righteousness looks nothing like the world thinks it looks. True righteousness is being able to admit, I am nothing, I have sinned and done what is evil before the Lord, I fall short of His glory constantly; but beneath all of that knowing that I am righteous because of JESUS CHRIST.
Truely nothing I have ever done, nothing I am doing and nothing I will ever do defines my righteousness. I am righteous by the body, the blood, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I love reiterrating this over and over, because it is something I have to constantly remind myself of.
Some of my teammates have been giving me compliments, "Cassie, I really appreciate the way you listen and hear from the Lord." "God's presence just radiates off of you and encourages me so much." Honestly my first response on the outside was thank you, but on the inside I was hearing "Don't listen to these compliments, if you receive these you are just being prideful." So at first I shyed away and tried not to think about it.
After a day or so God took me back and showed me one of my biggest prayers I've been praying is for Him to be glorified through me. And sometimes for Him to receive glory, He glorifies us.
So not only was I doing the exact opposite of what I wanted to avoid (having pride) I was allowing the enemy to invade my thoughts. What God showed me through this is that if I am unable to receive compliments it's because I'm still thinking that I have something to do with my righteousness. I'm thinking that the good things that are coming out or off of me have something to do with things I have done. So my attempt at being "humble" and not receiving those compliments was really pride creeping in.
Praise the Lord that I have nothing to do with my own righteousness and Jesus has everything to do with it! Praise the Lord for conviction and His grace He lavishes on us to recognize sin, confess, ask for forgiveness and receive the righteousness that He claimed for us.
"Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ." Galatians 2:16
"For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." Romans 3:20
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
