Copyright © 2011 Grace Family Church of Rhode Island

I needed to buy the pair of shoes - they were on sale and they matched the dress I bought last week. I had to speed on the freeway because the cars behind me were going fast and making me go faster. I ate that piece of cake because it was the last one and I needed to make more room in the refrigerator. I had to lie a little bit so I wouldn't hurt my friend's feelings.

We've all done it. We start when we're children and continue as adults. We do it when we do things we know we shouldn't. Things we should feel guilty about but don't because we feel we have a good reason. We had a need that made what we did seem necessary, at least at the time, and it didn't seem to hurt anyone. It's called self-justification and most of us do it without even noticing. It can become a habit, a way of thinking that can keep us from accepting responsibility for our actions. I frequently practice self-justification when I open my big mouth and say something unkind or critical.

Yes, I do say unkind things from time to time. The tongue is difficult to control. Justifying myself (almost) removes my guilty feelings and makes me feel satisfied that I helped the recipient of my comments learn something and grow spiritually.

Self-justification does several things for us. It can help us feel superior to others. It can take away our guilt. It helps us feel we are in the right and what we did was OK. It can give us a sense of security that we won't experience any negative consequences. Right? Wrong.

Self-justification doesn't make us right. It doesn't do anything but give us a false sense of getting away with bad behavior. But there is a justification that makes us right.  R. C. Sproul says: "Justification may be defined as that act by which unjust sinners are made right in the sight of a just and holy God."

When we through faith and faith alone receive justification from God, he declares us free from guilt and acceptable to him. It's not like self-justification wherein we try to make ourselves not look guilty because of our so-called good reasons for sinning. True justification comes by Christ alone. It is his righteousness that God imputes or attributes to us, not our own.

If we are truly justified by a living faith in Christ, we will no longer feel the need to self-justify. Again Sproul says, "Justification depends on true faith, which in turn will inevitably lead to works of obedience." Obedience to Jesus as Lord will cause us to recognize and own up to our responsibility in such circumstances as mentioned at the beginning of this article. We will acknowledge our motives, take accountability and repent.

True justification does not give a false sense of security, but real security. We won't be right in our own eyes, but right in the eyes of God. And that's much better.