A Tale of Two Hearts

Jerry Bridges in his book called The Gospel for Real Life tells a story about two men who happen to be kneeling side by side at the communion rail of a church in England. One was a former convict who had served time, who was now out of prison. The other was the judge who had sentenced him to prison years before. After the service, the minister asked the judge, did you recognize the man kneeling beside you?

Yes, I did, replied the judge. That was a miracle of grace. You mean that a man you sentenced to prison should be kneeling beside you? No, not at all, said the judge.

The miracle is that I should be kneeling beside him. The judge continued and said, you see, that man knew clearly he was a sinner and in need of a savior. But I was brought up in a religious home and lived a decent and moral life and, and served my community. It is much more difficult for someone such as I to recognize his need for a savior.

I am the miracle of grace, he said. Well, so am I and my testimony is very similar as a former Catholic, to the judges. it was hard for me to recognize that I needed a savior till later on in my life. I invite you if you have your Bibles to turn with me to Luke chapter 18.

Luke chapter 18, and as we come to Luke chapter 18, verses 9 to 14 specifically called the parable of the Pharisee and Tax collector, our Lord Jesus Christ was exposing two things in verse 9. First, in verse 9, Jesus was targeting some people who trusted in their own self-righteousness. The phrase trusted in themselves speaks about those who are in a persistent state of confidence in their own abilities, thinking that they will get to heaven by their accomplishments. Secondly, Jesus was exposing self-righteous people as the ones who tend to look down their noses at contempt at others.

Treating them as if they were worthless or of no value. But why was Jesus addressing some people and where did they get the idea that self righteousness would earn them a ticket into the kingdom of God? We've all heard these familiar phrases like father like son, like mother like daughter like teacher, like student. Well John MacArthur tells us where these people received that idea.

He says in particular this parable was aimed at the Pharisees who were the architects of the legalistic system of self righteousness that dominated life in Israel. Their theology was taught in the synagogues and greatly influenced the populace. MacArthur says, and as a result the people believe that their self-righteousness would gain them entrance to God's kingdom. In their sinful pride they conveniently set aside the clear teaching of the Old Testament which said that they were evil and incapable of meritorious human works and that salvation was by grace through faith.

He says because of their self righteous teaching the people believe that their self righteous would gain them a place in the kingdom of God. this thinking is still prevalent today, isn't it, in our society, when we think about that, that self-righteousness can gain your place into heaven. So our Lord is warning us today, and even people today who try to seek salvation through self-righteousness. a few months ago, our pastor read a portion of a quote from Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, about his chances of going to heaven.

Remember that? Here's what the quote said. He said in an interview published in The New York Times, the billionaire, the billionaire quipped or quipped that his liberal philanthropy, including his latest plan to drop $50 million battling the NRA on gun control should guarantee him a seat in the afterlife. Bloomberg said, I am telling you, if there is a God, when I get to heaven, I'm not stopping to be interviewed.

I'm heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. It's not even close. Can you imagine that?

Imagine a person saying that, well, Bloomberg, I think needs to read what Jesus says in our passage this morning about being self righteous and believing that works will get you into heaven. But self righteousness is not only shown in what Bloomberg had to say but it is all over social media today and the newscasters on networks like CNN, Fox News, MSNBC's are always what criticizing people and placing themselves what above others. Well, how did our Lord Jesus Christ deal with self-righteous people?

Well, 4 things, if you're looking at your outline, 4 things Jesus does to persuade people to stop trusting in their own self-righteousness.

And the first thing that Jesus does to persuade people to stop trusting in their own self-righteousness, righteousness is that he introduces us to two men who went to the temple to pray. He introduces us to two men who went to the temple and pray. Let's look at verse 10 of Luke chapter 18. Verse 9 says he told his parable to some people who trusted in themselves.

They were righteous and viewed others with contempt. Verse 10 says two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. One commentator said this, that people who live near Jerusalem would often go to the temple for times of prayer because the temple was the center of their worship, and the temple would set aside two times during the day for people to go and pray to God, 9 o'clock in the morning and also 3 p.m. Well, verse 10, 1 of the men who went up to the temple to pray was a Pharisee.

From your reading of the four Gospels, what do we know about the Pharisees? Well, the Pharisees were what were well respected, aren't they in a nation of Israel. They were legalistic upholders of the law. They placed their man-made oral traditions on the same level as the word of God.

They were hypocritical, proud, bold, confident, rude, and secretive about their sins. And as this morning, it was a Pharisees who gave Jesus the most trouble during his earthly ministries, right? We see that Matthew chapter 9 verses 32 to 34 when Jesus healed a man who was demon possessed. And if you remember Jesus said the Pharisees fought for the best seats in a public place right up front.

I'm not saying that you guys were sitting up front or, or Pharisees or anything, I'm not saying that, so, OK. That's why I sat in the 2nd row by the way, just to let. With this Pharisee in our parables, a man who you, whom you would expect to see in a temple praying. So he was very familiar with these religious surroundings, which brings us to the next man who went up to the temple to pray, the tax collector.

But what do we know about the tax collectors? Well, tax collector was the most despicable person in all of Israel. Tax collectors were considered the scum of the Jewish society. Well, why did tax collectors have such a bad reputation?

Well, the Roman Empire imposed taxes on the Jewish people, and the tax collectors through their purchase of tax franchises would go and collect the taxes but would accumulate more from the Jewish people than the Roman government required. For instance, if you owe the Roman government $1000 the tax collector would come to you and say you owe $1500. That's a $500 profit that he just made on you. So these tax collectors were considered monsters, extortionists, and as a result they couldn't run for public office, they couldn't testify in court, they were social outcasts and nobody wanted to touch them.

Now some people in our society today who would relate to a tax collector would be our modern day ocean pirates, maybe our identity thieves, or financial schemers against the elderly who make their living by stealing from others. Well, this despicable tax collector was an unlikely candidate whom you would not expect to see in the temple praying. It's like we would not expect to see securities fraud criminal Michael Milken attending a worship service here at Cornerstone, right?

it would be great for him to come to know about Jesus Christ and get saved.

In fact, the tax collector rarely went to the temple to pray, maybe once a year, and that being on a day of atonement. One commentator said this, the two men were polar opposites and that the Pharisees was the most, the Pharisee was the most pious and the tax collector the most impious. The Pharisee was the most respected and the tax collector was the most despised member of the Jewish society. So Jesus in verse 9 introduces us to two men who had opposing backgrounds.

They were polar opposites and went to the temple to pray, I should say in verse 10, trusting in their own self-righteousness, which leads us to the second thing Jesus does, to persuade people to stop trusting in their own, in their own self-righteousness, and that is he describes the Pharisee's prayer. He describes the Pharisee's prayer in verse 11. We'll be spending a lot of our time here in verses 11 and 12, but look at verse 11. It says the Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself, God, I thank you that I'm not like other people, swindlers, unjust, adulterers, even like this tax collector.

Now as we peek inside the heart of this Pharisee, notice his two actions. The first action of the of the Pharisee is that he stood up to pray. The word stood there tells us that he was bold and his posture shows that he had great assurance and trust in himself and probably went as close as he could the outer chamber called the holy place because he wanted all to see him pray. But John MacArthur said the Pharisee's posture was one of self-promoting pride intended to showcase his supposed spirituality.

But notice the Pharisee's 2nd action in verse 11. In verse 11, this is the Pharisee stood up and was praying this to himself. So he prayed to himself, but was he really offering prayers to God? the preposition to there means his prayer was directed towards himself.

His prayer was like a boomerang, he threw his prayer out there and it came back. To himself. The Pharisee was not really praying to God Almighty, but his prayer was about himself. And whenever the Pharisees prayed, did you ever wonder what their prayers look like?

How did the Pharisees pray? Well, let me tell you, their, their prayers were wrote. They were ritualistic type of prayers. For instance, commentator William Hendrickson gives us an example of a Pharisee's prayer.

He says, I thank thee, Jehovah my God. That thou hast assigned my lot with those who sit in a house of learning and not with those who sit at street corners, for I rise early and they rise early. I rise early to study the words of the Torah and they rise early to attend to things of no importance. I worry myself and they worry themselves with gaining anything.

I run and they run. I run toward the life of the age to come while they run towards the pit of destruction. Can you imagine? That's what they would pray.

And their prayers. Jay Adams, pastor and biblical counselor, comments and says, there's an emphasis for a self-righteous, righteous age if there ever was one. And not for unbelievers alone. The whole self-esteem, self-image movement exalts self.

Children, he says, are told to pat themselves on the back. People are encouraged to think of themselves as somebody, God's gift to mankind. You ever hear somebody say that? This teaching is bound to produce a crop of little Pharisees who in time, apart from God's grace, will grow into very large ones.

Well, what did our Lord Jesus Christ say about how we should pray? What should our prayers be like? For instance, turn with me to Matthew chapter 6. Look at Matthew chapter 6, the Lord gives us a great example of how we should pray whenever we pray to God.

And Matthew chapter 6, look at verse 5. Jesus says, when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, so they may see, be seen by men. Truly say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you pray, go into the inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Well, back to Luke chapter 18 verse 11. What else did the Pharisees say in his prayer? He says, he says, God, I thank you that I'm not like other people. Let's stop right there.

Did the Pharisee really thank God from the depths of his heart for anything? One commentator said this, oh there was Thanksgiving, but it was customary to begin a prayer with a note of thanksgiving to God. You see in this case it turned out to be an expression of self admiration which is a wrong motive whenever we pray. This really wasn't a prayer to God.

But a personal eulogy, admiring himself. And I, when I think about this Pharisee praying and admiring himself, he could definitely become a member of the mutual admiration society, couldn't he? And it does exist. I checked on Google that society still exists today.

But in verse 11, look at what else the Pharisee, look at the Pharisee really prayed and thanked God for. He said, I thank you, God, that I am not like other people. there are two ways that this self-righteous Pharisee and self-righteous people today justify themselves in their hearts in order to make themselves look good before God. The first way that self-righteous, that self-righteous people justify themselves is that they compare themselves with other people.

They compare themselves with other people and this is how the Pharisee viewed himself. He felt that he was better than other people. just look at the list, look at verse 11, look at the list of all the people that he compared himself to. He says, God, I thank you that I'm not like other people, swindlers, unjust, adulterers, even like this tax collector, swindlers or robbers.

The unjust were cheaters or dishonest people, adulterers, sexually immoral people. So as you look at this list of who the fears he compared himself to, notice that we don't see Caiaphas, the high priest who was serving during Jesus' time. He didn't compare himself with a godly man like John the Baptist, did he? But he cared, he compared himself to those who were the riffraff.

In a Jewish society. Those were terrible, bad reputations, the dregs, the social outcasts of society. Well, if we made a list and compared ourselves to swindlers and robbers and, and adulterers and unjust people, we would look pretty good ourselves, wouldn't we, right? Just like this Pharisee tried to do.

But here's what really condemned the Pharisee in his prayer. Notice there in verse 11 and even 12, in his prayer, there was no self-examination. No self-examination of sin, no confession of sin coming from the lips of this Pharisee. He was basically saying that he was not what?

A sinner. He was not a sinner. Now, maybe he didn't live this type of lifestyle that the others he had listed, lived, but he truly was a sinner. Romans chapter 3 verse 23 says, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, right?

All the Iwana clevers can recite that verse, right? last time I, I knew the word all meant what? All, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, including this Pharisee. Well, what else did this self-righteous Pharisee expressed in his prayer?

Look at verse 11. God, I thank you that I'm not like other people, swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. He looked down his nose at the tax collector with contempt because that's what self-righteous people do. I was talking to Missy and, and to the staff, the other day that it's always exciting to teach and to preach this parable.

Always excited to look at the Pharisee and the tax collector, right? But as I thought about these verses, something dawned on me and, and my excitement wasn't so great after I thought this thought. Whenever I would teach and preach this, this, parable, I used to look at the Pharisees being what the bad guy, right? And the tax collectors being the good guy because of his humility.

And maybe you're like me. However, this passage spoke to my heart, and I have to confess that I have stood as a self-righteous person looking down my nose at this Pharisee. However, I can't let you off the hook either. If you've been sitting here this morning, hearing about the Pharisee and looking down your nose with contempt at the Pharisee, Jesus got you too.

Jesus caught you being self-righteous. And as I thought about this, especially if you look back in verse 9 and he told his parable to some who trusted back in about 2000 years ago. Now the word of God is amazing, isn't it? The word of God is timeless.

When Jesus was speaking to some of the people back then, he was also including who? Us today. Sharing with us that we should not live a self-righteous life, but how should we look at people? Should we live self-righteously?

No. Turn with me to Philippians chapter 2 verses 3 and 4. In Philippians chapter 2, verses 3 and 4, look at the apostle Paul says. In Philippians chapter 2 verse 3, it says, do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard what?

One another as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but on, on the interests of who? Interests of others. Did the Pharisee really care about the tax collector?

Absolutely not. Self admiration, self-absorbed in himself and I think for us I think we can be careful because we're always comparing ourselves, right? and contrasting ourselves with others. it's a common human sinful trait that we do.

We are constantly in our hearts like to measure ourselves up against others and say I'm glad I'm not like that person, right? Or my sins are not as what as bad as that person's sins or I'm glad my family is not like. That family or our family's involved in this, but that family is is involved in that. what a great reminder isn't it for us here at Cornerstone that we should never look down at a person no matter what his spiritual, economical, social position is in life.

Jay Adams says when you counsel someone who you discover despises others, you can be sure it's because he is trusting in his own self-righteousness. He thinks that he is pretty hot stuff. Others can't begin to measure up. Self-righteousness and despising of others always go together.

So I think we have to be discerning. It's very important for us to be discerning regarding sin and yeah, we have to deal with sin, but we need to make sure that we are not standing above another person when we confront someone with sin, thinking that our, our, our life is much better. Because we put ourselves in a self-righteous position like this Pharisee did. Remember, as we think about the list of the Pharisee mentioned in verse 11, that Jesus died.

That Jesus died for all types of sinners, all types of sinners, including this Pharisee. And again, those that he had listed. Well, the second way that self-righteous people justify themselves to look good before God is that they brag about all their accomplishments. Look at verse 12.

First, he said I fast twice a week. I pay tithes of all I get. Notice the hypocrisy and how many times the personal pronoun, pronoun I is used to draw what attention to who? To himself.

He uses the personal pronoun I 5 times in verses 11 and 12. Talk about being stuck on yourself, right? I fast twice a week, I pay tithes of all that I get. He was patting himself on the back and also of his lifestyle.

Remember the apostle Paul? He fell into this trap and he believed the lie that self-righteousness would get you into heaven. For instance, turn with me. To the Philippians chapter 3.

In Philippians chapter 3 verse 4, the apostle Paul said this, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh, if anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more. So he admits that that he put confidence. In his, in the flesh and his self-righteousness. Now, this was before his conversion, look what he says in verse 5, circumcise the eighth day of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews as a law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, and to the righteousness which is in the law found blameless.

So there Paul the apostle believed that the Pharisees were teaching the people that self-righteousness before God will gain you a place into heaven. But look what happened to the apostle Paul after his conversion. Look at verse 7. Whatever things were gained to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

More than that, I count all things to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ. Everything that Paul accomplished in his life was nothing compared to believing and trust in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, because that's where it's at, right? Knowing and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Let's take a closer look at what the Pharisee's resume looked like when he spoke about himself.

Look at verse 12 again. He said, I fast twice a week. I fast twice a week. Now don't get me wrong, fasting is a very honorable action a believer can partake in.

But what was so hypocritical about the Pharisees saying that? Well, according to Leviticus chapter 23 verses 26 to 32, Jewish law states that a person who was only required to fast once a year. And that was on the day of atonement. Bible scholar Alfred Ersham said this fasting was likely Mondays and Thursdays because these were the market days where the towns were full of people from the country and the fast with the which the Pharisees would engage it would attract more attention to themselves and approval from the people on these days.

Well, what does Jesus in his sermon on the mount say about one's attitude when, when fasting again turn with you to Matthew chapter 6. Our Lord gives us specific instructions if you are fasting. Especially as a believer. And Matthew chapter 6 verse 16, our Lord Jesus Christ says this, whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as a hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance, so they will be noticed by men when they are fasting.

Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be noticed by men. But by your Father who is in secret and your Father who sees what is done in secret, will, what will reward you. So remember when you fast, it's supposed to be done how?

in secret. So no one else knows that you're fasting. Let's take a look at what else the Pharisee included in his resume. He said in verse 12, I fast twice a week, I pay tithes of all that I get.

Again, as we go back to Matthew chapter 6, verses 1 to 4, what our Lord Jesus Christ say about giving? He says, beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them. Otherwise, you have the reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor do not sound the trumpet before you as a hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so they may be honored by men.

Truly I say to you, they have the reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be seen in secret and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. I like what one commentator said. He says this prayer that recites our accomplishments is nothing more than pious conceit.

When you pray, recite God's accomplishments instead. That God, all that God has done for you and what he has done for others. So what can we learn from this? Well, I think one thing we can learn is if we're not careful, we could all fall into this performance, self-righteous legalistic trap, couldn't we?

We'd be very careful looking at our own accomplishments and everything that we have done, which by the way is all from the grace of God, right? When we think about that. Well, Jerry Bridges in his book Transforming Grace says this about the performance legalism trap, he says, not only are we legalistic by nature, our Christian culture reinforces this attitude in us. We are exhorted to attend church regularly, have a daily quiet time, study our Bibles, and pray, all of which are important Christian activities.

Though no one ever comes right out and says so, somehow the vague impression is created in our minds that we better do those things or God will not bless us. That's a performance gospel type of living that our pastor, Pastor Milton mentioned in the back of the gospel primer. That we sometimes can live a gospel performance type of life. God doesn't love us because of what we do, right?

In our Christian life. God loves us because of what Jesus Christ has done for us, right? Truly, God wants us to read the Bible, go to church and study. But remember, our focus needs to be on Jesus Christ and everything that he accomplished on the cross and how he saved us.

Jesus here says in Luke chapter 18 to stop trusting, stop trusting yourself, stop viewing yourself superior to others, looking down with them with contempt like this Pharisee did in his prayer, which leads us to the third thing Jesus does to persuade people to stop trusting in his self-righteousness, and that point number 3 is that he describes the tax collector's prayer. He describes the tax collector's prayer. Now as we contrast the Pharisee's prayer with the tax collector's prayer, notice the hard attitude of the tax collector that is radically different from that of the proud heart of the Pharisee.

And I believe this tax collector represents all the broken, helpless people on a journey.

These are people who realize the spiritual bankruptcy and need Jesus Christ, the gospel, and a merciful God to save them as we sang about this morning from their sins. But notice in verse thing, the first verse 13, the first action the tax collector took, the tax collector stood some distance away. When he prayed, he was probably closer to the crowd than the holy place where the Pharisee prayed. wow, what an, what an amazing theological word picture to show us his sinful heart and how far he felt he was away from God.

Isaiah 59:2 tells us, but your iniquities, your sins have separate separated you. Between God Isaiah 59:2 says, but your iniquities sins have made a separation between you and God. The word separation there says you have been alienated from God because of your sins. a few years ago, our family Went and visited the Grand Canyon.

I know many of you had a chance to see that this amazing display of, of, of what God can do and everything he has, he's done in, in this world. But if you've ever visited a North or south rim of the Grand Canyon, how again how vast and how overwhelming it is. Well, they say that the average distance width-wise from one side of the Grand Canyon to the other is an amazing 10 miles. Can you imagine 10 miles.

From one side to the next, if you're measuring it. By width. Well, maybe you were here this morning, and maybe you're like this tax collector, feeling the weight of your sin and there's a, there's a huge gap between you and God. Where our great God and Savior Jesus Christ can bridge that gap.

He can make you whole again by trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Well, let's look at the second action a tax collector did. He was unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, verse 13, but a tax collector standing some distance away was unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven. One commentator said this, lifting your eyes to heaven when praying was normal, but his sense of unworthiness prevented him from doing this.

Another commentator said this overwhelmed with guilt and shame. He had an overpowering sense of his own unworthiness and alienation from God. His sin, disobedience and lawlessness brought him pain along with fear and dread of deserved punishment. Well, what else did a tax collector do?

Look at verse 13. says he kept beating his breast, he kept beating his breast, and beating his chest. The phrase there speaks about those who are are in deep mourning and sorrow because of sin. This tax collector felt was mourning.

He needed a solution for his sin. One commentator said this, beating his breast was like a man who was groaning because he was dealing with something deep within the crevices of his soul. He was seeking to find healing, relief, or deliverance. Now the only other time in the New Testament when the crowd beat their breasts was in Luke chapter 23 verses 44 to 48.

That was when our Lord Jesus Christ, after he said it is finished, remember that? And when he died on the cross. The crowd who watched Christ die, they left. They were in in remorse, and they were anguished after our Lord died on the cross for our sins.

Well, as you look at verse 13, what was this simple prayer that the Pharisee ushered to God? He said, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. Now unlike the prayer we see, the Pharisees prayer, we, we see a person who's broken. A person who's humble before God, who is meek, who's repentant, who is sorrowful, who is thankful that there's a solution to his sins.

This man was truly convicted of his sin. No, very interesting this phrase be merciful means to appease, to be satisfied, to make propitiation for me, or to permanently apply Christ's atonement for my sins so that God would be pleased with me. the only other time the meaning of this unique word for mercy is used in the New Testament is in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 17. Turn with me there very quickly to Hebrews chapter 2 verse 17.

The only other time this word for mercy is used, Hebrews chapter 2 verse 17, it says, therefore, he, Jesus had to be made like his brethren in all things, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest and things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Jesus' death on the cross would satisfy the God's wrath for our sin. the Greek text there says that the tax collector was respectfully, but literally very listen this was literally commanding God when he asked God to be merciful to him, he was commanding God to be merciful to him because he was the sinner.

It was as if he was saying to God, he was commanding God saying, God, you need to be merciful and make punishment or payment for my sins, please, is what he said.

He was commanding God. Asking God To pay for his sins through the death of Jesus Christ. Well this tax collector's payment for his sin would be atoned. By Jesus Christ when he died on the cross.

Now John chapter 1 verse 29 says, speaks about the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. That's what Jesus Christ can do for you this morning. If you are a sinner this morning and you need to be forgiven of your sins, place your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and as the word of God says, he truly will not reject you. He will not reject as we saying this point a contrite heart.

But as I was thinking about this even more this passage, this is so neat. Jesus, who was a narrator here in this passage, and he's as he was speaking to some of the people there in verse 9 was really providing a foreshadow to them, wasn't he? He was foreshadowing them, letting the people know because he knew that in a number of months that he could provide the perfect atonement for their sins. Isn't that amazing?

when you think about that. He said wait in a couple of months I will provide atonement for your sins. I will take your place on the cross. I will take your punishment that you deserve for your sins on the cross.

Well the Pharisee said, God, be merciful to me, the sinner, by saying the sinner, the tax collector was transparent with God, that he was a sinner. He didn't skirt the issue. He let God know exactly who he was, and the only place he could turn was to the mercy of God. These words are very familiar to what the apostle Paul said, right, in 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 15, that he was the chief of what?

Of sinners. That's right. when we think about confessing our sin to God, I think it's very important that when we come to God in prayer and I, and I learned this was very, very, eye-opening for me and, and Pastor Milton's leadership, class. But here's what he said, he says, let's make sure that when we are confessing our sins to God, that we are transparent.

Let's make sure that our sins are, are big before God. Make them big before God. God knows already that we sinned, right? But make them big before God, be transparent with them.

God is omniscient, and God gave the ultimate sacrifice His Son Jesus Christ to die for his sins, big and small. Amen. We thank God for that. So when you approach God in prayer, make sure that you're transparent with Him.

And again, try to remember every sin that you committed that day and confess it before God. As I think about this Pharisee, the Pharisee had no clue regarding his sins that were in his heart, and the fact that Jesus Christ could be the one that would wipe The board clean and make him whole again, which leads us to the 4th and last thing Jesus does to persuade people to stop trusting in their own self-righteousness is that he describes the outcome of the two men's prayer. He describes the outcome of the two men's prayers, as I mentioned before, many times as you read this parable, we see the Pharisee is a bad guy, right, in the mood, the villain, right, with a hat and cape, and we see the tax collector is a good guy in need of a savior.

Well, the truth of the matter is both of these men were what?

Desperate sinners, weren't they? in need of a savior. One just responded in a humble way to God's offer of salvation. So as we contrast the attitude of these two men's hearts and their prayer, what did Jesus say about them?

Look at verse 14. I I tell you this man went to his house justified. The tax collector went home justified and that had to be a stunning statement to those that Jesus was talking to. Just unbelievable, you mean to tell me that, the, the tax collector is better than the Pharisee and, and the tax collector went home justified?

They probably went away scratching their head. I can't believe that. But the resume that the Pharisee had, he went home justified? unjustified?

I can't believe that. One verse 14, Jesus says with authority, I tell you this man went home justified rather than the other. See, the tax collector who humbled himself before God, admitting his sins was the one whom God justified and declared righteous. that the word justified is a, is a great word, isn't it?

Justification means that whenever a sinner repents and places his faith in Jesus Christ, he is instantly declared righteous, instantly, just like that, by God because Christ's righteousness has been imputed to him. Now 2 Corinthians 5:21 says he made him who knew no sin to be what, sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, right? And we thank God for that. Then when Christ was on the cross, God treated Jesus Christ as if he were the sinner, the sinner, and poured his wrath upon him.

We should have been the ones. To pay for our own sins. Jerry Bridges from a recent message at the Philadelphia Conference Reformed on Theology in 2009 in Sacramento provides a clear definition of justification, and I, and I believe, and I understand this was taught at the Women's conference a few months ago also. But he said this, he said justification is not just as I have never sinned, right?

We always think about that, right? But here's what he says, that's a great truth, but it is actually better than that. Justification is just as if I always what? Obeyed.

Isn't that a great thought? Just as I have always obeyed. Great definition for justification. God has credited the very righteousness of Jesus Christ to every single believer.

However, it's critical for us to understand as we look at this parable, as we come to a close here. That the spotlight here is not really on these two characters. The spotlight is really on God's continuous power and mercy to forgive, justify, and save any person if he would only come to Christ, right? We see that the task collector went home justified and then now we see again in verse 14 that the Pharisee went home what unjustified.

Because he relied on his self-righteousness. And it's so interesting we look at verse 14 when Jesus says, rather their critical word, Jesus was, was solidifying that word solidifies the fact that a person can't go to heaven. Based on their own self-righteousness. In fact, his self-righteousness did what it condemned him, didn't it?

It actually condemned him. The Pharisee was fearful to confess his sin and who thought that his tax collector was a greater sinner will be sent to a spiritual sense to hell, right? Because he did not humble himself. And see Christ's righteousness, but held on to his own self-righteousness.

Our Lord summarizes there in verse 14 where he says, for everyone who exhausts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. Proverbs 29:23 says, God is opposed to who? The proud. But he gives grace to the humble.

One commentator said this, when you come to God and prayer, humble yourselves before him, that he will not only forgive you of your sins, but also empower you and lift you up like he did with this tax collector. 4 things, 4 things Jesus does to persuade people to stop trusting in their own self-righteousness. He introduces us to two men who went to the temple to pray. He describes the Pharisee's prayer.

Thirdly, he describes the tax collector's prayer, and lastly describes the outcome of the two men's prayer. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you so much. For a time this morning.

And we thought, Father, we thank you so much for justification. We thank you Father, so much for what happens during justification that you impute the righteousness of Christ to those who've placed their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And I pray for anyone this morning here, Father, who may not know Christ, who may be just like this Pharisee who, who, who are focusing and, and thinking about their own self-righteousness and how that could get them to heaven. I pray, Father, that you would soften their heart.

They would come to realize that their self-righteous would not allow them entrance into heaven, but I pray, Father, they would look upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ as the key for them to go to heaven. So we love you, Father, we thank you again. We pray, Father, for our offering. We pray Lord that this offering be used to further the gospel, not only here in Riverside but also in the surrounding areas.

We love you and thank you and praise you and Jesus' name we pray. Amen.