There’s something that came to my knowledge that some people are misinterpreting people who say “don’t sin” as being self-righteous.
I woke up this morning feeling fine, and this was on my heart strongly.
Some people are mistaking people who say “don’t sin” to be self-righteous. But Jesus Himself said the same thing. When He spoke to the woman caught in adultery, He told her:
“Go, and sin no more.” — John 8:11
So when I say I’m not endorsing sin, I’m saying exactly what Jesus said.
When I speak about Matthew 23, where Jesus spoke about the scribes and Pharisees who sit on Moses’ seat, notice carefully what Jesus said:
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” — Matthew 23:2–3
Notice that Jesus also said:
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” — Matthew 23:23
Why did He call them hypocrites? Because they said one thing and did another.
Jesus said they tithed mint, anise, and cummin, but omitted the weightier matters of the law:
“Judgment, mercy, and faith.” — Matthew 23:23
So when I say somebody sits on the seat of the law, I mean that the person uses the law against others but does not keep the law themselves. They use the law to justify condemnation while ignoring their own condition.
That is what hypocrisy means.
If I sit at mercy’s seat, it means I’m sitting at the place where I’m looking to receive grace.
Jesus went on to characterize these people further. He said:
“They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” — Matthew 23:4
These are people who tell others what to do but refuse to live it themselves.
Jesus also said they did things to be seen by men:
“All their works they do for to be seen of men.” — Matthew 23:5
They loved status, greetings, titles, and public recognition.
Now, when Jesus spoke about beautiful stones and buildings that would be thrown down (Matthew 24:1–2), the deeper picture is that outward beauty means nothing if inwardly there is corruption.
That’s exactly how Jesus described the Pharisees:
“For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.” — Matthew 23:25
And again:
“For ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” — Matthew 23:27
So Jesus was not merely talking about outward appearances. He was talking about the intentions and condition of the heart.
If Jesus were against righteousness altogether, He would not have spoken about inward uncleanness.
So just because somebody tells you that something is wrong does not mean that person is self-righteous.
Uncleanness is inward first before it manifests outwardly.
If I come to you and tell you, “Don’t sin anymore, it is wrong,” that does not make me a lawgiver. I’m repeating what Jesus Himself told the woman:
“Go, and sin no more.” — John 8:11
I am not of the belief that people should continue sinning so that grace may abound.
The Bible already addresses that directly:
“Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” — Romans 6:1–2
A lot of Christians say, “Well, God uses sinners.” But there is a difference between having sin present in the flesh and making sin your practice.
The Bible says:
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin…” — 1 John 3:9
And also:
“He that practiseth sin is of the devil.” — 1 John 3:8
This is speaking about a lifestyle and continual practice of sin, not occasional failure.
As believers, we still have flesh:
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” — Romans 7:18
So yes, sin is present in human flesh. But there is a difference between struggling against sin and surrendering yourself to it continuously.
When you become a Christian, you bear the image of God inwardly, and the Spirit convicts you toward righteousness.
So occasionally stumbling does not mean you are living in rebellion.
That’s why Scripture says:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1:9
Notice the words faithful and just. God shows mercy, but He is also just.
That’s why I believe justice should walk together with mercy.
Jesus showed mercy to the woman caught in adultery, but He also told her not to continue in sin.
Both things existed together:
- mercy,
- and repentance.
The law itself is not evil.
Paul said:
“Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” — Romans 7:12
The issue was never that the law was bad. The issue is that humanity was too weak to perfectly keep it.
The law reveals sin like a mirror.
Just because something is too good for you to keep does not make it evil. It reveals human inadequacy and our need for grace.
So people cannot simply say:
“Well, since nobody is perfect, I should just continue sinning.”
That is not the Gospel.
Jesus also described these religious leaders as greedy and self-serving. He said:
“Ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer.” — Matthew 23:14
He rebuked their obsession with money and outward religion.
These were people who loved appearances, loved titles, loved recognition, and loved being exalted publicly.
So when Jesus talked about heavy burdens, He was not condemning repentance itself.
Telling someone to repent is not a heavy burden.
The burden Jesus condemned was hypocrisy — demanding from others what you yourself refuse to live.
As Christians, we should read Scripture, pray, seek God, and pursue holiness. Those things bring us closer to God.
But nobody should force outward religion while inwardly remaining corrupt.
At the same time, freedom should not become an excuse for sin.
When you look at the full picture of what Jesus said about the Pharisees, He did not say they were wrong merely because they corrected people. He condemned:
- hypocrisy,
- pride,
- greed,
- outward performance,
- inward uncleanness,
- and using religion for self-exaltation.
So if someone tells you lovingly:
“Repent.”
“Turn away from sin.”
“Don’t continue in wrongdoing.”
That alone does not make them self-righteous.
Jesus Himself preached repentance.