Righteousness: Do You Have One?

Probably the most ignored prospect of salvation is really self-righteousness. So many have been deceived with the idea that we are sure to enter heaven if we always do good. I used to be one with the many people who have been deceived by this idealism.

When I was young, I always believe and am always sure that my final destination would be heaven, even if I really didn't have an inkling about the Law. I tried to do good all the time. I imitated what my elders do, assuming that it's the righteous thing to do, young as I am. My motto then was: "Good works is my ticket to heaven."

Yeah, it's easy to fall prey in this Venus flytrap allusion. Since God is righteous, we should also be righteous. I live everyday wetting my silly shirt with sweat by doing "good stuffs". I tried my best just to get that righteousness I longed for so long. I wanted to be clean from guilt. And so I thought I am.

The most horrible part was when I became the Pharisee. I looked down on the "evildoers"--the rapists, murderers, everyone in prison. I was so proud and secure with the kind of righteousness I gained.

"Buzzzz! Wrong, kid." Says the Angel of the Lord. He woke me up from my stupid wishful thinking. I forgot to look at myself first. Even if I have done so many good things in my life, too many of them to mention, I still was able to make such terrible sins, probably outnumbering the good ones. And breaking one of the commandments is like breaking all the rest as well. Oh how wretched and wicked I am!

I realized that nobody is really righteous in his own efforts. Humans are sinning machines. Our bodies are built to sin. Just as when the Great Mechanic died to give His Spirit to turn our bodies from being sinning machines to righteous machines.

Nobody can boast of being righteous because nobody can be righteous without Christ living inside his heart. If we have done good, it's Christ whose doing the job for us. Our bodies wanted to sin but when we surrender ourselves to the righteousness of Christ, doing righteous things is like sleepwalking.

Thanks be to God, my Father, for giving us the grace of righteousness, the kind of righteousness that nobody is worthy of wearing. God is so amazing. May His name be blessed forever!