Romans 10:3 (KJV)
3 "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."

Self-righteousness is a dangerous trap that many of us fall into, often without realizing it. It’s easy to believe that if we can just work hard enough, follow enough rules, or be good enough, we can somehow earn favor with God.

God’s righteousness cannot be earned, it must be received.

Paul, speaking about the Israelites in this verse, points out that they were trying to establish their own righteousness rather than submitting to the righteousness of God. Self-righteousness is when we depend on our own efforts instead of surrendering to God’s grace. It’s when we try to control our lives instead of letting God lead. And it’s something we all struggle with at times.

But the beauty of the gospel is that God doesn’t ask us to establish our own righteousness, he gives us his.

Through Jesus, we are made righteous, not because of what we’ve done but because of what He has already done. Letting go of self-righteousness means trusting in God’s work on our behalf, even when we don’t want to surrender control. Self-righteousness can creep into our lives subtly. Maybe it shows up when we feel pride in our accomplishments or when we judge others for not living up to our standards. Or perhaps it’s the quiet voice that tells us we’re doing enough to earn God’s favor. But the truth is, our righteousness is like filthy rags before God. No matter how much we try to be good or follow the rules, we will always fall short of God’s perfect standard.

That’s why the gospel is such good news. Jesus came to live the perfect life we could never live. He took our place on the cross and gave us His righteousness in exchange for our sins. Letting go of self-righteousness means recognizing that we don’t have righteousness by ourselves. Jesus had to give us his righteousness, so we shouldn't boast. 

One of the reasons we cling to self-righteousness is that it gives us a sense of control. We think that if we can just get everything right, we’ll be in control of our lives and our relationship with God. But true freedom comes from letting go and allowing God to lead. It’s about trusting that God’s plan is better than ours and that His grace is sufficient, even when we feel like we’re not enough.

In letting go, you’ll find that God’s way is better than your own.

When we finally let go of our need to control and be self-righteous, we experience a freedom that can only come from God. 

We trust that God’s righteousness is enough and that His grace will carry us through every situation. This doesn’t mean we stop trying to live holy lives, but it means we stop relying on our own strength to do it.

I hope we can truly surrender our righteousness in order to receive God's righteousness.