How do we know it's evil to think we can earn righteousness?

The notion that we can achieve righteousness by our own actions or 'cleaning up' our lives is fundamentally flawed and evil according to the scriptures. Such a belief is rooted in pride, as it assumes we possess the ability to stand before God on our own merits. The Apostle John warns against this mindset in his letter, stating that those who think they can do good apart from grace have not truly seen God. The Scripture asserts that salvation and righteousness are solely a result of God's grace through faith in Christ. Thus, believing we can earn our way to righteousness is akin to rejecting the very essence of the gospel, which is that we are saved by grace alone through faith, not by works.