The danger of self-righteousness

We need to be upright in our conduct. God has commanded it; duty demands it. However, being the sinners that we are, even when our outward walk is generally above reproach, there is the very real danger that we will become puffed up and begin to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Even the best of men is a black sinner. I would never advise someone to be slack in their conduct to avoid self-righteousness. We need to be righteous in our conduct, but we also need to be humble in our state of mind.