What is the worst sin in scripture?
While this may be up for debate, I believe any sin that keeps you from aionian life or the special salvation of believers would be right up there.
One of these sins and the sin that the apostle Paul talks about most is SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. Let’s look at a few instances that this heinous sin is discussed:
2 For I am testifying to them that they have a zeal of God, but not in accord with recognition. 3 For they, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, were not subjected to the righteousness of God. -Romans 10: 2-3
In the above verse, the apostle Paul says that human self-rightousness causes one to reject the rightousness of God. That is a big deal. The reason the sin of self-righteousness is so bad is because it puts the human being in the place of God. Now, I’m not talking about petty self-righteousness that boasts in our day to day accomplishments as I believe everyone falls into that from time to time. We can certainly be happy and proud of our accomplishments and of those around us.
However, its in attibuting the ultimate cause of our success to us and not God that causes problems. Self-rightousness says that the human determines outcomes separately from the Almighty God. Nothing reveals the evil of self rightousness more than the issue of salvation.
Salvation is all of God as 2 Corinthians 5:18 states. In fact, everything is from God and we can give Him nothing that He has not first given to us.
34 For, who knew the mind of the Lord? or, who became His adviser?
35 or, who gives to Him first, and it will be repaid him? 36 seeing that out of Him and through Him and for Him is all: to Him be the glory for the eons! Amen! -Romans 11:34-35
In fact, we live, move, and exist in God and He gives ALL to ALL while working ALL according to His will. Scripture says that there is no possibility of any human having or giving to God anything that God has not first given to them.
25 neither is He attended by human hands, as if requiring anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all (Acts 17:25)
28 for in Him we are living and moving and are…(Acts 17:28)
1 in Him in Whom our lot was cast also, being designated beforehand according to the purpose of the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11)
So, God planned and is in charge of everything. If you repent, God gave repentance to you (2 Timothy 2:25). If you have faith, God gave faith to you (Romans 12:3). If you disobey, God gave it to you (Romans 11:32). The process from start to finish is all of God and knowing this eliminates Self-Righteousness. Not knowing this produces Self-Righteousness.
Okay, if self-rightousness is such a horrible sin that keeps you from knowing God’s righteousness, then let’s look at a few examples of what produces self-righteousness. But first, what exactly is the self-righteousness discussed in scripture.
There is no doubt, for instance, that believers believe things and do things that unbelievers don’t believe and don’t do. That is self evident. However, as scripture declares in the above passages and throughout the bible, what we as humans believe and do are determined by God before we were even born. All we have to do is read Romans chapter 9 and 2 Timothy 1: 9-11.
What produces self-rigtheousness is us, as the creature, making part of this process that is of God and claiming it as our own. For instance, faith is something God gives to those that He has chosen to have a special or early salvation. God has determined that a person will believe before creation, then, at some point, this person is born and walks through their God-given life experiences that lead them to believe the truth about Christ. All of God.
However, when one inserts this faith as their own creation that they, without influence of God, present to God to receive approval…then SELF has entered where only God can go. Now, this person’s faith or free-will choice earns God’s favor. Therefore, they give something to God that God did not first give to them. As a result, they can hold this decision over others by saying their choice or belief accomplished this and if YOU don’t do the same, YOU will miss out on what I have. SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Christ saved everyone on that cross, each in their own order of course. Believers by God-given faith and unbelievers eventually through judgement. We accept Christ’s death for sin, His enbomement, and His resurrection as our justification and salvation if God determined beforehand that we would accept it.
Our acceptance is not the Self-Righteous decison that determines whether or not we are saved. It is a result of God’s sovereignty. So, even in our choices or our good deeds, we credit God and not ourself.
The truth of God’s sovereignty does not mean that we take a fatalist approach to life saying “Oh, it doesn’t matter what I do because God does everything.” No, we live our lives and do the best we can while understanding that the unseen hand of God is behind each and every experience.
The fatal flaw of religion is a percieved belief in independence from God. God is our source of life and nothing happens outside of Him. However, every religion claims that works of flesh (human created work that is separate from God’s influence) are needed to bridge the gap between humanity and God.
On the contrary, the gap of sin, death, and separation from God is bridged by Christ Jesus and its God’s responsibility, in Spirit, to get every creature to Christ, eventually. Its God’s responsiblity because God does everything.
This includes creating evil (Isaiah 45:7) and giving humans an experience of it (Ecclesiastes 1:13) by subjecting all His creation to vanity (Romans 8:20). This process of salvation includes death and destruction, so that God’s Son enters death and destruction to save all creation from it. This is all of God.
Saying that any part of this plan of salvation or any other aspect of life is separate from God is a lie. Putting human effort or free-will choice as the determining factor of God completing His plan is indeed, self-righteousness and works of flesh. It is impossible to please God by works of flesh because it denies that God is God and rejects His righteousness provided to us by Christ Jesus.
8 Now those who are in flesh are not able to please God. -Romans 8:8
3 for we are the circumcision who are offering divine service in the spirit of God, and are glorying in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in flesh. -Philippians 3:3
Jesus Christ didn’t die for our sin in order for us to perform righteousness through the flesh, instead, Christ Jesus is our righteousness. So, you either choose SELF or Christ. You either get it now or you get it later, through judgement. You will make a choice that God determined you would make long before you were born.
For another biblical example of the evil of self-righteousness, we go no furthur that Saul of Taursus. Remember, Paul was Saul before his conversion on the road to Damascus. Well, in 1 Timothy 1: 15-16, Paul says that he was the foremost sinner. This means that Paul, when he was Saul, was the chief or the greatest of all sinners.
15 Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, foremost of whom am I. 16 But therefore was I shown mercy, that in me, the foremost, Jesus Christ should be displaying all His patience, for a pattern of those who are about to be believing on Him for life eonian. -1 Timothy 1: 15-16
Paul says that he was the greatest sinner when talking about his former life. Well, how did Paul describe his former life as Saul, the greatest sinner? Did he talk about stealing, commiting adultery, lying all the time? No! Paul was the greatest sinner because he was the best at KEEPING THE LAW. Saul was a pharisee of the pharisees, and in relation to righteousness which is in law, becoming blameless.
6 in relation to zeal, persecuting the ecclesia, in relation to the righteousness which is in law, becoming blameless. 7 But things which were gain to me, these I have deemed a forfeit because of Christ. -Philippians 3: 6-7
Do you see this? Saul was the foremost sinner not because he committed gross sins in breaking the law. Saul was the foremost sinner and yet he was the best at KEEPING THE LAW. The sin is self-righteousness in trying to attain salvation through behavior. In fact, in verse 7, Paul forfeits his righteous behavior in favor of Christ.
How many christians today fight their sin and attempt to behave in order to earn or maintain their salvation? These religious warriors are victims of Saul’s sin of self righteousness. They are trying to earn salvation through human effort as opposed to giving up on self and realizing that Christ has accomplished the impossible for us.
While christians engage you in fighting various sins, they engage themselves in the greatest sin of all. The reason self-righteousness is the greatest sin is because it denies the righteousness attained for us by Christ.
Self-righteousness is ignorance of God because it denies what God has accomplished through Christ. Instead of letting Christ’s accomplishment drive our behavior, the self righteous behave in order to earn or maintain salvation.
I encourage all reading this to throw off human attainment for salvation and rest in the fact that Christ has saved you and there is nothing your or anyone else can do to get you un-saved.
So, let love and a thankful heart drive your behavior instead of the fear of punishment.
God bless you all!
Saved ignoble 
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