Rejecting Self-Righteousness
When Jesus said in Luke 18 that "no one is good except God alone", he meant it! But for all of human history, people like the Pharisees and the Rich Ruler (and you and me!) have tried to find peace with God through their own good deeds and self-righteous acts. While the world applauds those who "try harder and do better", the truth is that self-righteousness is just another way of rejecting Jesus and denying his finished work on our behalf. How can we be freed from this insidious self-sabotage? Like Jesus said, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Read Luke 18:9-14.
1. Why do you think that the Tax Collector “went home justified”, while the Pharisee did not?
2. Jon talked about two forms that self-righteousness can take: the “Doer” and the “Can’t-Doer”. The Doer feels deserving of blessings on the basis of their religious resume. The Can’t-Doer lives under a sense of persistent guilt due to not living up to God’s standard. In your own life, do you often resonate with the description of the “Doer” or the “Can’t-doer”? What does that look like for you?
3. Beyond just recognizing our own self-righteousness, how does a Christian put that sin to death? How do we do that together in community?
4. What would it look like for you (and your family) to embrace the practice of REST? (Not just the absence of doing, but an intentional time of trusting and rejoicing in what God has already done). Is there a way you can put that on your schedule for this week?
February 19, 2023 - Jon Schuler