Galatians 3:10-For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

One of things you hear in society is the resiliency of the “human spirit”, and it’s determination to accomplish goals, and do what it takes to survive. In the boom of the self-help industry, and the idea we don’t need God directly for anything, it can mislead us to think we can do anything if we are determined enough! But where does such self-determination stop?

I think this mentality has carried over to many of us as Christians, thinking that walking with God is as much self-determination as it is anything else. The idea of being determined enough to be righteous, maybe the biggest self-delusion we can have! The verse above is clear, that if we rely on works to be righteous than we are cursed! Now what makes an individual see plainly that determinism in Christianity is to curse yourself, but do it anyway?

Pride is so blinding, that the Bible says, “Pride goes before destruction”(Proverbs 16:18). Now, no one who foresees destruction is purposely trying to walk into it. But we do it all the time, because we are blinded by our pride that our way will work and achieve the desired result! So it is with self-righteousness, and thinking we will live a blessed life. We become literally blind that the scripture says that we are cursed if we live in self-righteousness, and not by faith in Christ.

Our pride blinds us to the most obvious fact, that to try and attain righteousness apart from Jesus, is to compete with Jesus! Jesus becoming a curse for us, was able to do so because He was perfect in obedience to the Law. The same Law that condemns us repeatedly, revealing our unrighteousness. Fight against the pride to think you can achieve everything without help. Christ came to achieve what we never could, allow Him to empower you in the fight to live righteous.

In His Love, Ld