Self-Righteousness: Going Blind to the Way That’s Right
Preached on November 3, 2024
There are many who are blind to the way that’s right as they choose to go the way that seems right to a man. There is a way that leads to disaster and a way that leads to life. Are you going the right way? Watch this week’s message as Pastor McCrary shares wisdom from Solomon and shares a dire warning about mankind following the same steps of the devil.
Introduction
There is a way that seems right to a man but then there is the way that is right. One way leads to glory, honor, and righteousness. The other way leads to true glory, honor, and righteousness. One way leads to disaster and doom while the other leads to life everlasting. Do you know which way is the right way or are you blinded to the truth?
The Way That’s Right
“There is a way that seems right to a man,” is what scripture tells us in Proverbs 14:12. That is a scripture that speaks to the subjectivity of man; it speaks to the failure of man as well. Man struggles to identify what is or isn’t right which is why we constantly argue, fight, and debate over what is or isn’t right.
Now, while there is a way that seems right, scripture tells us that there is a way that simply is right, no arguing and no debating it. Let’s take a look at the way that is right according to scripture.
In Proverbs 3:1-8, Solomon starts off by saying, “My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands.” The law that Solomon governed himself by was the law of God. Therefore, his commands to his son were the commands (directions) from God. Solomon then stated in Proverbs 3:2 that obedience to God’s law will add “length of days and long life and peace”— this is to say obedience will bring about peace of mind from one’s troubles.
On that note of obedience, Solomon then stated, “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart (Prov. 3:3).” Let’s note here that mercy and truth is the way of God – these are fruits born from God’s grace.
Paul spoke of these fruits when he defined love to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Paul wrote that “love suffers long and is kind” – love is patient. He wrote that love does not rejoice in iniquity (wickedness), but rejoices in truth. Then Paul said that love “bears all things (is merciful), believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things” — love is mercy, truth, and full of faith.
Some will say that these statements on what is right are coming from the opinion of two men. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus taught that the first and great commandment is to love the Lord wholeheartedly. Then, Jesus said that the second is like the first in that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Let’s be very clear about this— love is the right way, it is the divine way. The right way helps, supports, and uplifts, no arguing nor debating that.
Go in the Way That is Right
So, when we look back to the first of my key verses, Proverbs 3:5, Solomon tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Let’s understand the right way is to trust and have faith in God’s way and understanding. Trusting in His directions will lead us to that door set before and permit us to enter His pasture.
The Way That Seems Right
So, once again, we are left with a choice to make: Will you go in the way that is right or will you go in a way that seems right?
Unfortunately, many people are choosing to go in the way that seems right. Now, the Book of Proverbs perfectly highlights the difference between the way that is right and the way that seems right.
If we take a look at Proverbs 1:7, the differences in both ways are plainly laid out for us. The scripture states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” As we have seen, those that fear the Lord, His judgment, will follow God’s instructions. Now, what this verse makes very clear is that those who choose to go in a way that seems right despises God’s ways.
When one despises God’s way, they believe their way to be better than Him – the one that is omniscient – all knowing. Think about what that means for a moment. For one to think their way is better than God’s way means they trust themselves more than they trust the Lord. Such a person feels they never have to lean on the Lord because their way is superior. Therefore, they do not fear God’s judgment because they are perfect!
What way is better than God’s way? Help me to understand! If God’s way is to help, support, and uplift, are they saying selfishness is the way to go? The opposite of love is selfishness and hate. So, the way of selfishness and hate is the way to go in life? There are certainly many living that way today and they even will proclaim to be a child of God. Be attentive to me when I tell you that such a way is the way of folly.
Man’s Pretentious Nature
Something that we’re seeing a lot today, and has also been clearly shown throughout history, is that man has a pretentious nature about itself. Being pretentious means to exaggerate one’s importance, worth, or stature. So when I say that man has a pretentious nature about itself, I want you to understand that man wants to be more than what he actually is.
Man desires to gain power, glory, honor, and be praised as if he is righteous – a god. One man tries to take what isn’t his as a show of power. Another tries to burn down the world so that everybody has to depend on him like he is the provider – a god. Another wants to dictate their ways on to others as if others shouldn’t be able to choose how they live. Yes, we’re seeing it today, and history shows us that man has a god complex issue.
Throughout scripture, we are warned time and time again about having a pretentious heart. One of those warnings we can see in Proverbs 3:7 where Solomon warned, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” In 1 Corinthians 3:18, Paul wrote, “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.”
When Paul says, “Let him become a fool,” he is saying that one needs to let go of that pretentious nature and humble themselves. When one lets go of their arrogance, pride, and ego they can then truly become wise and move in the way that is right.
Learning From Satan’s Downfall
Something that we must understand is that these warnings come from a place of knowing the end result of having a god complex issue. If we take a look at Ezekiel 28:11-19, we will see the greatest warning in scripture against the pretentious heart.
Satan’s splendor
In Ezekiel 28:11-12, we are told that the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel and he was instructed to “take up a lamentation (a letter of sorrow and mourning) for the king of Tyrus (Tyre).” Who was this king and why was Ezekiel to take up a lamentation for him?
The Lord said that this king was the “seal of perfection” and was “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty (Ezek. 28:12).” Then, in Ezekiel 28:13, the Lord said of this king, “You were in Eden, the garden of God.” Now, the only people recorded ever being in Eden was Adam and Eve and neither Adam nor Eve was alive during the days of Ezekiel.
So who is this king and what garden is being spoken of? Things begin to become a lot more clear in Ezekiel 28:14 where God said, “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God.” A cherub is an angel that stands guard. This angel held a high position on the holy mountain of God. In fact, this angel had the important role of guarding the throne of God.
Satan’s splendor corrupts him
The Lord then said of this anointed cherub that he was “perfect” in his ways until iniquity (wickedness) was found in him (Ezek. 28:15). In Ezekiel 28:17 we are told that the heart of the anointed cherub was “lifted up” because of his beauty. If it isn’t clear just yet who the anointed cherub is in this scripture, it is none other than Satan.
All of what the Lord said about Satan in this lament is what Satan came to realize about himself. Satan recognized his beauty – that’s to say he recognized his great wisdom and that he held a high position and role in the kingdom of heaven. So, he thought very highly of himself and became pretentious in his heart. He began to have that “only I can do things” mindset. (Better watch developing this mindset).
Satan’s pretentious heart ended up getting the better of him. Again, in Ezekiel 28:17, we’re told that Satan corrupted his wisdom for the sake of his splendor. In other words, Satan’s perceived greatness got the better of him and caused him to think outside of God’s way. Ezekiel 28:18, tells us that Satan defiled his sanctuaries (his spirit) by the multitudes of his iniquities (wickedness).
The multitudes of his iniquities are shown to us in Isaiah 14:13. In his heart, Lucifer (Satan/the devil) said that he would ascend in heaven and exalt his throne above the stars of God. Then, in Isaiah 14:14, we will see where he said that he would ascend above the heights of the clouds and be like the Most High” – pride, arrogance, and ego.
Satan thought so highly of himself that he put himself over everything. Satan’s pretentious heart had given birth to his own righteousness. Self-righteousness was his doom and what led him to being cast down to the ground by the Lord (Ezek. 28:17). Jesus said that He watched Satan fall “like lightning” from heaven (Luke 10:18).
With Pride Comes the Fall
I warn today that man has fallen in love with its splendor as it boasts about itself. This whole time, I’m trying to figure what it is that we have to boast about?
We like to boast of our power and dominion over the world but the world is constantly at war. We like to boast of our wisdom as many are proud to say, matter of factly, there is no god. We are so proud of knowing everything when the actual truth is that we know little to nothing!
Man is so proud of its “advances” when we still haven’t figured out that selfishness and greed is not better than the way of love. Man is so proud of its wisdom when we still don’t understand that it’s better to work together than apart; nor is it good to hinder and oppress. Man is so proud of his way when he still hasn’t learned the morale of Satan’s downfall – “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Prov. 16:18).”
So, again in Proverbs 3:7, we are encouraged not to be wise in our own eyes but to fear the Lord and depart from evil. Mankind is in the position it’s in today because our pretentious heart is giving way to self-righteousness. Mankind is becoming more and more consumed with a way that is leading to nothing but pain and suffering.
The sad part is that many are so blinded by their self-righteousness that they are now blind to the way that is right. In Romans 1:28, Paul wrote that those who do not like to retain God in ‘their knowledge’, are given over to a debased mind, to things which are not fitting (right).”
God permits us all to live as we choose to desire, even if that includes a way that seems right but is incredibly wrong. Paul wrote that the Lord will permit the unrighteous to be filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, strife, and evil-mindness (Rom. 1:29). Why will God permit this?
Because He has given man the freedom to choose how they will. At the same time one must understand what is said in Romans 1:18. “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Yes, you may go in the way that seems right to a man but its end is death.
Humble Character is the Key
Understand that self-righteousness is not the key to success— humility is the key. Solomon wrote, in Proverbs 16:19-20, “Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.”
We are at a pivotal moment in time where God is giving mankind – the world – the choice to turn from a way of bitterness, selfishness, and hatred. God is giving mankind the opportunity to turn to the way that is right. What will we, mankind, choose to do in this pivotal moment?
As I said last week, I will again this week, character is important. One who is of love and humility will see the path of righteousness. One who is of love and humility will walk that path and be granted entrance into true glory, honor, righteousness, and everlasting life. No self-righteous person will ever be granted entrance into the pasture of Christ, let alone be able to even find the path to his door.
So, we have a choice to make today – will you go down the path that is right or the path that seems right. One way leads to the notion of glory, honor, and righteousness while the other leads to true glory, honor, and righteousness. So that you aren’t blind or confused to what path is right, humble yourself and fear the Lord. As it’s said in Proverbs 3:8, “[Fearing the Lord] will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”