“As the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root will be rottenness and their blossom will ascend like dust: because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 5:24). “Your ways and your doings have procured these for you. This is your wickedness. Because it is bitter. Because it reaches to your heart” (Jeremiah 4:22). “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). “Oh Lord I will praise You: though You are angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Behold God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for You, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:1-3, also see Exodus 15:2).
Confidence is not necessarily self-pride. Knowing that your salvation is sure is faith and not self-righteousness, if you know that Jesus is why it is sure. It has been said, “No one is so high that they cannot fall.” But God said that if it were possible even the elect would be deceived (see Mark 13:22). “If it were possible,” means that it is not possible. If you are high on yourself, then no one is too high not to fall; if you are the elect of God, He will not let you fall. If Jesus Christ is your salvation, and He is the only salvation, then your salvation is sure. Jesus Christ, the Word of God (see John 1:1) is the only infallible resource for salvation. Jesus Christ is our righteousness and knowing that is not self-righteousness, but faith in God.
The things that we do (works) need to be out of love. First God loves us then, with help from the Holy Spirit, we love God. We love one another – other like believers and our enemy. We love the world that God also loves, and God loved the world enough to send us Jesus. Jesus came and died for us while we were in sin, not for a just or perfect woman or man. Jesus lives to assure us that our salvation is a living salvation.
When it is seen in another, it is too easy for some to confuse faith with self-assurance. When it is seen in another, it is too easy for some to confuse confidence with self-pride. When it is seen in in another, it is too easy to confuse knowledge of salvation though Jesus Christ as self-righteousness. That is why Jesus said, “Judge not.” When you see someone else doing good works, do you know what is in their heart? If Jesus is in their heart, they are serving because their salvation is sure and not working to insure their own salvation – and there is a big difference.
We are our own wickedness in our flesh and Jesus Christ is our salvation and our righteousness. That is why we praise and worship Him and give all glory to God. We are not really giving anything other than our acknowledgment of what is true. Jesus is our salvation and that must be in our heart for our words to be praise. “Lord I will praise You: though You are angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me” (Isaiah 12:1).
“The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation” (Exodus 15:2a). The Lord was salvation even before the law. Law was given because people rejected the Lord as their salvation. In the garden Adam and Eve hid from God and tried to cover themselves. They would not accept God as mercy. Adam and Eve would not accept that the Lord is our salvation and we (humans) are still making the same mistake over and over again.
Praise God and give Jesus (the Son of God) all the glory (it is His already). Accept Jesus as salvation and make Him your righteousness, He is already. Accept Jesus Christ and live in His peace. He is our Sabbaths, our rest. Jesus is how God sees a righteous man. There is no other way. Not exclusive, but inclusive – available to everyone. Let Jesus be in you.