The Gradual Fall Into Spiritual Self-Righteousness

1. Recognition of Sin - The individual, moved and called by the Holy Spirit, recognizes the darkness and brokenness within that seeks to destroy every piece of them
2. Salvation - Upon recognizing this brokenness, the individual comes to a crossroad; receive the eternal gift of adoption into the kingdom of Christ, or deny this inheritance and move forward in carnal pursuits with no desire for a relationship with the Creator
3. Restoration - The individual that chooses salvation begins to exemplify the fruits and restorative power seen in one whom has graciously been given this priceless inheritance    
4. Pursuit of Righteousness - And so we enter into the body of Christ (i.e. the Church) and spur each other on towards the things of Him; seeking to live the high standard he has set before us as we utilize the gifts he has instilled within us
5. Righteous Expectations - The more we are able to distinguish darkness from light (good from evil), the more we feel an obligation to live this righteousness in front of our fellow Christians.  Often times with these righteous expectations come less grace from our fellow brothers and sisters and less pursuit of inward accountability.  Therefore, walls are built creating dark shadows of "the heart" (i.e. our spirit). 
6. Self-Righteousness - Instead of restarting the cycle of recognizing sin and pursuing restoration, we allow our spiritual pride to grow, thus killing the Godly fruit that had once defined us.  This not only immobilizes our spiritual growth and effectiveness but creates a different kind of fruit; one that looks shiny and polished but tastes bitter and rotten

Unfortunately, this "fall" into self-righteousness is all too common in the modern church.  We're all guilty of it to some degree, but how do we continue the cycle of spiritual restoration while we still pursue the Christ-like example of one who has been set free from the bondage of sin; including that of spiritual pride?