Humble Certainty, Holier Than Thou, Righteousness and Hypocrisy, Assurance of Salvation

1/30/19  Chandler  (see conversation HERE)

It’s interesting that the only people Jesus really criticized were the Pharisees, those “holier than thou” types of 1rst century Judea.  In fact, Jesus was known as a “friend of sinners”, so as Christians we often go out of our way to show that we are actually “normal people”, and not overly religious like modern day Pharisees. 

But really, it wasn’t their religious devotion that Jesus criticized.  He actually said “…unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The Pharisees were known for keeping the letter of the law, while neglecting the spirit.  Jesus didn’t criticize their attempts at following the law, but their hypocrisy:  “…you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”

One effect of the “anti-Pharisee” mentality I find in many Christians I meet is a reluctance to claim assurance that one is saved.  To do so, they often reason, is to be arrogant about one’s own goodness, much like those self-righteous Pharisees.  Better to be humble and unsure about one’s salvation (though not really, I usually find out) than arrogant and smug about it.

That was the sort of thinking I found in Chandler, a friendly and easygoing guy I talked with at the grocery store.  Chandler grew up in a large non-denominational church and a smaller one after that, and had taken ownership of the Christian faith his parents had raised him in.  Yet, he was reluctant to claim confidence in his own salvation, and I guessed that he, too, wants nothing to do with the kind of religious certainty that the Pharisees had and many conservative Christians are known for.

But is it possible to be certain of one’s salvation without the smug and self-righteous attitude of the Pharisees?  I believe it is and, in fact, if we really understand the foundation of our own salvation, we can be certain we are saved and yet filled daily with a kind of wonder and gratitude that is completely opposite to the self-congratulating attitude of the Pharisees.

How? By replacing our “self” righteousness with Christ righteousness!  What actually saves us?  Our self-centered acts of religious devotion, or the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf? 

Paul wrote of the world of difference, between trusting in one’s own righteousness or trusting in Christ, in many passages such as this one from Philippians 3:  “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

I believe Chandler has drifted from the Christ-righteousness he has known to the self-righteousness Jesus warned about, and I hope my friendly reminder there at the grocery store might help to get him back on track.

Thanks for the conversation Chandler!  It can be seen HERE