Why is it important to look away from self for salvation?

It is vital to look away from self in the pursuit of salvation because human efforts and self-righteousness cannot achieve true justification before God. The focus must shift to Christ, who saves us through His grace and righteousness alone. When individuals concentrate on their own merits or merits from the law, they risk falling into spiritual pride and misunderstanding the true nature of salvation, which comes solely through faith in Jesus Christ. By contrasting our inherent failures with Christ's sufficiency, we realize the depths of His love and the completeness of His redemptive work, as highlighted in Matthew 11:28, where Jesus invites the weary to come to Him for rest.