Philippians 2:5-8-  Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility], who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it];… 

How Arrogance Roots from Self-Righteousness

If we’re not actively surrendering to Christ’s righteousness for us on a daily basis, then we all naturally default back to our version of self-righteous. Self-righteousness is a dangerous lie that will lead us into a ditch of arrogance.

Working really hard to get God to like you is a fruit of self-righteousness. And what is that? It’s the effort to become righteous before God by your own efforts. Self-righteousness is always defined by self. You decide what is right and wrong. You vainly attempt to define what is good enough to please God. Or, more accurately, you determine what pleases you. You desperately work to get to the point where you can say, “This is good enough. I bet God likes me now.”

However, the road of self-righteousness always has a deep ditch. If you travel this road long enough it will get so narrow that it will eventually push you into this deep ditch called arrogance. The ditch of arrogance causes you to think you’ve reached super-Christian status. You have now been granted a capital C on your chest with a gold-plated shield around it. It will stay buried under the shirt of false humility waiting for the perfect opportunity to bulge out. 

This is a dangerous ditch in which to find yourself because there’s only one judge on all spiritual matters there—you. Whether it’s the pastor’s sermon or the lyrics to the latest song the worship band covered, nothing is deep or right enough for you. You’re the smartest person in the room. You’ve got the inside track to the heart of God. However, deep down in your heart of hearts, you know it’s all a sham. You’re dying. You’re fearful. On top of it all, these all-too-sobering verses hang over your head: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18). God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5) 

When you look in the eyes of grace, when you meet grace, when you embrace grace, when you see the nail prints in grace’s hands and the fire in his eyes, when you feel his relentless love for you – it will not motivate you to sin. It will motivate you to righteousness. Judah Smith