Answer
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines self-justification as “the act or an instance of making excuses for oneself.” Generally, it involves attempts to make ourselves appear good or approved in the eyes of others. We engage in self-justification when we minimize our faults, exaggerate our successes, or rationalize our wrong actions. Everyone seeks approval, and we are tempted to pursue this approval through our image, reputation, success, intelligence, marriage, etc.
In Scripture, self-justification covers our attempt to be in right standing with humans and with God. Often, we can succeed in convincing others that we are just, but self-justification fails in the sight of a perfect God. God’s moral standards are such that we cannot meet them in the flesh; we cannot earn His approval. Ergo, we tilt to one of two directions in a bid to justify ourselves.
One way we pursue self-justification is to lessen God’s standard. We insert human traditions in the place of God’s commands, or we focus on outward behaviors, neglecting inner transformation. This is the road of the Pharisees, who externally obeyed the law and added human traditions to it. At the same time, they denied their need for reconciliation with God. People heralded the Pharisees as epitomes of righteousness, but Jesus called them “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27–28). In His parable aimed at people who seek self-justification (Luke 18:9–14), Jesus highlighted the inevitable consequence of this path. The Pharisee in the parable displayed inner pride and was brimming with superiority as he compared himself to the tax collector.
A second way we pursue self-justification is to rationalize sinful behavior. Adam and Eve sought this form of justification when they rationalized their sin in the Garden (Genesis 3:9–13). Much later, King Saul attempted to justify himself by presenting “good” reasons for his disobedience to God’s clear command (1 Samuel 13:11–12; 15:20–21). In the New Testament, Jude critiqued false teachers who “pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality” (Jude 1:3–5). Such people seek approval by rationalizing their immorality.
The pull toward self-justification is a subtle problem in all our lives. Some seek justification by calling evil good and good evil. Some create a “god” who conveniently affirms all their choices. Fitting Paul’s description, they “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles” (Romans 1:23). The sophisticated modern man maybe wouldn’t carve an idol out of wood, but he creates idols in his heart.
Others attempt self-justification in the manner of the Pharisees, emphasizing human traditions of their choosing and outward conformity to a set of rules. This particularly appeals to religious people, including those who wear the Christian label but try to earn salvation by human efforts. The problem of self-justification is not limited to religious people, however; even secular individuals often seek justification through acts of social justice, humanitarian efforts, or moral living.
Scripture provides the best solution to our need for approval and the only path to true justification. That begins with accepting that there is no such thing as self-justification in the sight of God. We cannot rationalize sin, as God says we are “without excuse” (Romans 1:20). We cannot hide sin, as He knows our hearts. Creating our own traditions is unhelpful, because the standard we must meet is God’s holiness. And His standard applies to our thoughts, motives, and inner life —not just our outward behavior. Consequently, Scripture attests that “by works of the law no human will be justified” (Romans 3:20). We cannot earn a right standing with God. Our pursuit of self-justification is futile.
We are only justified in God’s eyes when we are in Christ. Our faith in Jesus is what makes us right with God. Justification comes as we trust in the person and work of Jesus, as revealed in the gospel. Jesus lived a sinless life, died to pay the penalty for our sins, and rose again to offer eternal life. We must abandon our attempts at self-justification and seek the Lord. Scripture is plain on this matter: “People are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners” (Romans 4:5, NLT).
