Thankfully, while our self-righteousness reaches far, God's

The words of Tullian Tchividjian, “Thankfully, while our self-righteousness reaches far, God’s grace reaches farther,” are not the simple reflection of a preacher, but the cry of an ancient truth clothed in modern speech. In them lies the eternal tension of the human heart — our tendency toward self-righteousness, pride in our own works and judgments, and yet, against this frail striving, the immeasurable flood of grace that flows from the divine. His words remind us that no matter how far humanity stretches its arrogance, God’s mercy stretches farther still, surrounding, surpassing, and redeeming what pride cannot heal.

To understand the depth of this statement, we must first know what self-righteousness is. It is the belief that our goodness, our deeds, or our morality can exalt us above others, or even place us beyond need of mercy. The ancients warned of this. The Pharisee in Christ’s parable stood in the temple, boasting of his fasting and almsgiving, while the tax collector bowed low and cried, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” And it was not the Pharisee, robed in self-righteous pride, but the tax collector, clothed in humility, who left justified. Thus Tchividjian’s words echo this truth: human self-righteousness may reach far, but it cannot save.

Against this, there rises the mightier force of God’s grace. Grace is the unearned gift, the undeserved favor, the boundless mercy that flows not because of who we are, but because of who God is. It is higher than pride, stronger than failure, and deeper than despair. Grace reaches farther — beyond the sins of kings, beyond the rebellion of nations, beyond the brokenness of every human heart. It is grace that lifted David after his fall, grace that transformed Saul the persecutor into Paul the apostle, grace that continues to call the proud and the broken alike back into life.

History, too, bears witness to this. Consider the story of John Newton, a slave trader whose hands were stained with cruelty. By all accounts, his life was a monument to sin and arrogance. Yet when grace reached him, it reached farther than his guilt. He was transformed, renouncing his trade, becoming a preacher, and penning the hymn “Amazing Grace,” which still sings across centuries: “I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.” Here is the living proof of Tchividjian’s claim — self-righteousness may reach far, but grace reaches farther.

The power of this teaching is not only to humble the proud, but also to comfort the weary. For many despair when they see how far they have wandered, how heavy their guilt has become. They fear they are beyond saving. Yet this quote reminds us that no matter how far sin or pride has carried us, grace stretches farther still. There is no pit so deep, no pride so high, that divine mercy cannot reach it. This truth has sustained martyrs, comforted prisoners, and lifted countless souls from despair into hope.

The lesson for us is clear: do not trust in the fragile strength of your own righteousness, for it cannot carry you far. Instead, lean upon grace. Walk humbly, acknowledging both your weakness and God’s strength. Let this truth silence pride and banish despair: pride, because grace is greater than your works; despair, because grace is greater than your sins. To live in gratitude for grace is to walk in freedom, no longer bound by the need to prove yourself, nor crushed by the weight of failure.

As practical action, practice humility each day. Begin with confession — acknowledge where pride has taken root, where self-righteousness has blinded you. Then turn your gaze upward, giving thanks for the mercy that sustains you. Extend that same grace to others, refusing to judge them by their failures or exalt yourself above them. In this way, you become not a vessel of pride but a channel of grace, reflecting the mercy you yourself have received.

Thus, Tullian Tchividjian’s words resound as both warning and comfort: our self-righteousness reaches far, but God’s grace reaches farther. Pride may rise like a tower, but grace is the sky above it. Sin may dig deep like a pit, but grace is the ocean that floods it. And those who learn to trust in grace, and not in themselves, will walk in a freedom that neither pride nor despair can ever steal.