Righteousness is souls that are purified to a point where they resemble our loving Maker and Redeemer´s own heart. It takes all that is dark, bad, and cruel out. Self-righteousness is a clever trick that is being sold to us to try and make it look like we are better people and pleasing to the Lord. The problem is described in the name itself. Self-righteousness looks to self. Righteousness is a full-on life-focus on the Wonder that is our God. One is looking at ourselves and the other is intently engulfed in Him. If there is anything that we can find in ourselves that would like to purify us and make us better in the core of our souls, it should be to shift the focus from us to Christ. That way, His Spirit can enter in and we can learn to walk with the Lord. There, with our whole hearts wrapped up in our walk with the Savior, His righteousness can cover us and change us from where it should, from the inside.