How can we avoid being "overly righteous" as warned in Ecclesiastes 7:16? Setting the Context of Ecclesiastes 7:16 “Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise—why should you destroy yourself?” (Ecclesiastes 7:16) Solomon is not discouraging genuine righteousness; he is warning against a self-manufactured, proud righteousness that pushes past what God commands and ends in ruin. What “Overly Righteous” Looks Like Today • Trusting personal performance more than Christ’s finished work • Measuring worth by religious rule-keeping rather than grace • Adding extra-biblical standards and judging those who do not follow them • Displaying a critical spirit toward fellow believers • Masking inner sin with outward piety • Pursuing theological knowledge only to elevate one’s reputation Why It Destroys Us • Pride: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled” (Luke 14:11) • Hypocrisy: “They preach, but do not practice” (Matthew 23:3) • Loss of joy: “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6) • Isolation: self-righteousness distances us from those who need grace • Gospel denial: “If righteousness comes through the Law, Christ died for nothing” (Galatians 2:21) Guardrails Against Over-Righteousness • Remember universal need: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) • Rest in grace: “He saved us, not by works of righteousness that we had done” (Titus 3:5) • Hold both truth and grace: “The Word became flesh… full of grace and truth” (John 1:14) • Submit only to Scripture, not man-made rules: “Why, as though living in the world, do you submit to regulations… according to human commandments?” (Colossians 2:20-22) • Walk humbly: “In humility consider others more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3) • Rely on the Spirit: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16) Practices for Daily Humility and Authentic Righteousness • Confess sin quickly (1 John 1:9) • Thank God for undeserved mercy each morning • Serve unnoticed needs; seek no recognition (Matthew 6:1-4) • Invite accountability from mature believers (Proverbs 27:17) • Meditate on the gospel—Christ’s righteousness counted as ours (Philippians 3:8-9) Keeping the Focus on Christ “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) True righteousness is received, not achieved. Staying near the cross guards the heart from self-made extremes and preserves a balanced, joyful walk with God. |
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