Is your righteousness builted on self?

Psalm 7:8-17

“Let the Lord judge the peoples.  Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.   Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure—you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.   My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.  God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day.

If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.   He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.  Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.  Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.  The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.  I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.”

Can God vindicate me, for as the sign on my back porch states, “Smile you rascal, God knows everything about you, and He loves you anyway”?  So the now is through His Son, Jesus Christ, who came and died for sinners like me.  When God looks at me, the blood of His Son covers my sins, every last one.  Yes, I’m still a mess, but my righteousness is found in Christ who is my life when I entered into Christ, He came into me, and the old Bob died.  But my flesh learned how to get its needs met outside of Christ, and each day I choose to walk by the Spirit or in the flesh.  Do you have God as your shield?

If you have not entered into Christ, your righteousness is in self, which is called self-righteousness.  I found these shortfalls in my self-righteousness; fear of what might happen, lack of joy, and my lust for the praise of men never was an empty hole; never enough, always wanting more.  Never at peace always needing to acquire or move up the social ladder.  But I did not see myself as evil or wicked, but I did lie when it seemed the thing that helped me look better, or got me out of a jam.  My dad gave me this counsel as a boy, “Bobby, it takes a brilliant man to recall his lies and son, your not that smart.”  I’ve come to understand that no one is that smart, and calling lying spin does not change it from a lie, or God’s wrath.  If you are that person, ponder on verses, 14, 15, 16,  “Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.  Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.  The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.”

As always it is your choice, but I have found life in Jesus that gives me peace and joy, so like the psalmist I can say; ^“I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice