The Deception of Self-Reliance: Overcoming Pride and Legalism as Christians

Why Our Hearts Revert to Self-Reliance

As Christians, we believe that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This means that our salvation is not based on our own efforts or good works, but on the finished work of Christ on the cross. However, even though we know this in our heads, our hearts often revert to self-reliance. We begin to rely on our own abilities, rather than on God’s grace, and this can lead to pride, legalism, and even a falling away from the faith.

The Deception of Self-Reliance

Self-reliance is a subtle deception that can creep into our hearts without us even realizing it. We begin to trust in our own abilities, rather than in God’s power to work through us. We may start to think that we have earned God’s favor by our good works or by our own efforts to follow the rules. This is a dangerous place to be because it takes our eyes off of Christ and puts them on ourselves.

In Galatians, Paul addresses this issue with the church in Galatia. False teachers had come into the church and were telling the believers that they needed to follow the Jewish law in order to be saved. The Galatians were starting to rely on their own works rather than on the grace of Christ. Paul reminds them that they were saved by grace, through faith in Christ alone, and not by their own works.

“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” (Galatians 2:21)

Paul goes on to say that if we could be saved by our own works, then Christ’s death on the cross was in vain. We cannot earn our salvation through our own efforts. It is only through faith in Christ that we are saved.

The Dangers of Self-Reliance

Self-reliance can lead to pride and legalism. When we start to rely on our own works, we can become proud of our accomplishments and look down on others who may not be as “spiritual” as we are. We may begin to think that we are better than others because of our good works or our strict adherence to the rules. This is exactly what was happening in the church in Galatia. The believers who were following the Jewish law were looking down on those who were not.

“We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:15-16)

Paul reminds them that everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, is saved by faith in Christ, not by works of the law. We cannot earn our salvation through our own efforts.

Self-reliance can also lead to a falling away from the faith. When we start to rely on our own works, we can begin to think that we don’t need God’s grace anymore. We may think that we have “arrived” and no longer need to depend on God. This is a dangerous place to be because it takes our eyes off of Christ and puts them on ourselves.

“Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)

Paul reminds the Galatians that they began their journey of faith by the Spirit, not by their own efforts. They cannot now try to be perfected by the flesh. It is only through the Spirit that we can grow in our faith and become more like Christ.

Overcoming Self-Reliance

So how do we overcome self-reliance? The first step is to recognize that we are prone to self-reliance and that it is a dangerous place to be. We need to be aware of the subtle ways that self-reliance can creep into our hearts and minds. We need to be vigilant in guarding against pride, legalism, and falling away from the faith.

The second step is to focus on Christ and his finished work on the cross. We need to remind ourselves daily that we are saved by grace, through faith in Christ alone. It is not by our own works that we are saved, but by the work of Christ on the cross.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Finally, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to help us overcome self-reliance. The Holy Spirit is the one who empowers us to live the Christian life. He is the one who helps us to grow in our faith and become more like Christ.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

Conclusion

Self-reliance is a dangerous place to be for Christians. It can lead to pride, legalism, and even a falling away from the faith. We need to be aware of the subtle ways that self-reliance can creep into our hearts and minds and be vigilant in guarding against it. We need to focus on Christ and his finished work on the cross and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us overcome self-reliance. By doing so, we can live a life that is pleasing to God and brings glory to his name.