46 Bible Verses about Self Righteousness, And The Gospel

“In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before God?

The men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up from us?”

‘Can mankind be just before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?

“What is man, that he should be pure,
Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger burned because he justified himself before God.

“Will you really annul My judgment?
Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?

If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?

because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.

nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

“When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near,

For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this.”

They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.

“Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.

as it is written,
“There is none righteous, not even one;

Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils;
For why should he be esteemed?

“When I select an appointed time,
It is I who judge with equity.
“The earth and all who dwell in it melt;
It is I who have firmly set its pillars. Selah.
“I said to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn;

Thus says the Lord,
“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the Lord.

“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

The Lord has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.

“I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant salvation in Zion,
And My glory for Israel.

“My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth,
And My arms will judge the peoples;
The coastlands will wait for Me,
And for My arm they will wait expectantly.

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,