Intro

“What a man is alone on his knees before God, that he is –and no more.” – Robert Murray M’cheyne

While our good works, our religious attendance, may be a fruit of salvation, they are not what causes us to one day be able to stand before God and answer the question, “Why should I let you who have committed so many sins into my holy heaven and my holy presence?”

It will all come down to what we are trusting in…Are we trusting in our selves or are we trusting in a salvation outside of ourselves. This is demonstrated by what we pray from our hearts on our knees before the Lord in Prayer… Terry Johnson, remarks… “the content and manner of our prayers reveal our true convictions about God, life, and eternity...”

And Jesus illustrates this clearly and pointedly for us this morning…what are you trusting in? Is it yourself? What are you living for?

Read Luke 18:9–14

[9] He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: [10] “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ [13] But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (ESV)

Prayer of Illumination

The Way Luke tells this parable is like a teacher including the answer key on a test…V. 9 says he told it about those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt…Thus 3 questions and 1 Conclusion this morning:

How does the Pharisee view Himself and what does this say about Grace and Faith?

How does the Tax-Collector View Himself and what does this say about Grace and Faith?

What is Jesus’ final pronouncement of the Grace of Justification by faith alone?

Thinking Carefully about Faith and Grace

First Question, How does the Pharisee view Himself? And what does this say about Grace and Faith?

Luke answers, The Pharisee “trusted in himself that he was righteous.” This leads to self-righteous condemnation for others because he was not a sinner saved by grace, but supposed, he was a man who was personally righteous. Yes, maybe with some help from God and the help of the law.

This leads to a weak thankfulness. The prayer of thanksgiving in v. 11 is actually a prideful looking to himself and his characteristics and traits, Not a thankfulness for God’s sovereign gift of grace and God’s loving him while he was still a sinner.

In his view, the Pharisee is loved because he is good….NOT that he was first loved, forgiven, cleansed, and had Christ’s righteousness and the gift of the Spirit poured out in his heart…

He does not believe “blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.” He does not believe the church is a hospital for sinners. Nor does he believe that “nothing in my hand I bring simply to thy cross I cling.”

And as Terry Johnson remarks, an inflated view of self brings a deflated view of others.

Let us look more closely at this pharisee, What does it mean to be a pharisee? What does he highlight in his prayer

He is thankful, he believes, that he is Not like other men and their sins,

Are these other things sins in v. 11? Yes, certainly. – Though, he does seem careful to avoid sins of the heart like coveting and pride…he lists the EXTERNAL sins he avoids

And He lists his External good works: Fasting and Tithes.

Very particularly, he is trusting in religious good works and religious rituals.

Can we say these are good things? Certainly from a humble heart, and if actually obeying the law of God for his people who have been REDEEMED BY GRACE, then these are pleasing to the Lord.

...But not done by this man. This is a heart of legalism. Specifically, a legalism of going beyond the law of God, and a legalism of believing these works were the grounds of salvation not the gracious fruit of salvation.

Terry Johnson remarks, “In each case, the Pharisee goes beyond what the law of God required. The law required only an annual fast, on the day of atonement (Lev. 16:29). He fasts not weekly, but twice weekly. Tithing was required of only some income, not of all. Yet he tithed ‘all,’ as did many Pharisees (Deut. 14:22; Luke 11:42). This all sounds good, doesn’t it? (Terry Johnson, Parables, 115).

But there is no mention of sin. Of Need. Of humility. Of the Mercy of God on him, a sinner. He only stresses what Luke calls the point of the parable, Jesus calling out those trusting in his own righteousness…

The bible consistently says good works are a pleasing fruit of salvation, a fruit of grace, and the fruit of faith. But Works are NOT the ROOT. Of justification, not what brings about forgiveness of sins, these are not things being added to the scale of justice tipping us towards being acceptable to God.

We do not have a few little sins that we need to throw some good works on top of to make ourselves pleasing to God.

The Pharisee needs to learn from another former Pharisee, the Apostle Paul, and recognize that he is dead in his trespasses and sins, walking according to the passions of his flesh and by nature a child of wrath, like all mankind (Eph. 2:1–3) ... none is righteous, no, not one; no one understands or seeks God, and all have turned aside, so that by works of the law no one is justified (Rom. 3:10–12, 20) ... everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin, and apart from Christ cannot break its bondage (John 8:34; Rom. 6:20) ... the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God and cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14) ... the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, leaving men without excuse (Rom. 1:18–20) ... yet God demonstrates his love for the helpless, sending Christ to die for the ungodly while we were still sinners, so that while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son (Rom. 5:6–10)

... therefore, apart from grace, the Pharisee is spiritually dead, blind, enslaved, and under God’s righteous judgment, entirely dependent on God’s mercy and the gift of Christ for justification and life (Eph. 2:8–9; Rom. 3:24).

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

The Pharisee needs to see the actual nature of his sinfulness…And if he does he will see the weakness of his supposed righteousness.

Jesus calls this kind of righteousness a white-washed tomb

This man’s righteousness is early 2000s CGI, it looks good and shiny until you pause the movie for closer inspection.

Human righteousness fails on closer inspection.

This is why the tax collector is so amazing in this parable. He gets his spiritual poverty. He sees his spiritual need.

You see, Jesus says, he who is forgiven little loves little. He who is forgiven much loves much.

But all human beings, all of us, when we look to Jesus, are actually forgiven MUCH. We are all in great need, so every last human being is in need of great forgiveness.

All sins cause a need for forgiveness.

This doesn’t mean all sins are equal. Some sins are more heinous in the sight of God than others. (“WSC 83). But all sins great and small are against an infinitely great and holy God. WSC 84; Every sin deserves God’ s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.

If this is true we can see the importance of us being disillusioned of trusting in ourselves that we are righteous.

We need a better example of what to say to God when it is just God and us in prayer…

Transition statement: Let us look at the prayer and example we need…Verse 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

#2 How does the Tax-Collector View Himself and what does this say about Grace and Faith

Note four actions of the tax collector.

First action, He stood far off

He felt far off from God; he felt far off from the religious people.

And indeed, tax collectors were traitors to Rome, unclean, and corrupt in the minds of others…but not an untrue reputation

But what should we take him standing far off to mean? It means that He is wrestling in prayer about his worthbefore the Lord. He feels unworthy to approach God’s holy presence.

Second action, He wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven

You can feel this; he didn’t dare “meet God’s eyes” if you will. He is ashamed, low…because unlike the pharisee, he is dealing alone with himself and God, not comparing himself to others…The Pharisee looks at God only after going through his comparison with others. This man is looking at his own heart through the eyes of God.

Third Action, He beat his breast

He is grieving his sin; he is mourning the state of his soul.

This is accurate. And you know it is accurate for every one of us in this room.

At night, between us and God, in our sane moments in considering the sin in our hearts and lives, we feel low, unworthy, unclean, mourning, and wondering if we can lift our heads up to meet the gaze of God into our hearts and souls…

And the Answer, very simply, is we ARE all those things; IF God does not show love, mercy, acceptance, cleansing, restoration, lifting up, restoring us as sons and daughters.

Fourth action, in prayer, the Tax-Collector speaks of mercy, not earned righteousness.

“God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

The form of this mercy is specifically the mercy of propitiation, the mercy of God in covering over sins. to be propitious, be gracious, be merciful by a sacrifice to cover sins. This man knows his sins are as scarlet and that for him to be declared Just, another innocent must take his place. The Word does not allow any merit or saving work from the tax collector.

He knew he was a sinner. I won’t re-read the verses…but the tax-collector is correct. He doesn’t suffer from low self-confidence; he has been broken by guilt and shame.[1]

And Jesus is a merciful savior. Jesus shed his blood, taking our guilt and covering over our sin.

Richard Sibbes says, “There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us; there can be no danger in thorough dealing. It is better to go bruised to heaven than sound to hell.”(Sibbes, The Bruised Reed)

#3 What is Jesus’ final pronouncement of the Grace of Justification by faith alone

v. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Justified: That is to be declared righteous and accepted in the courtroom of God.

And it is the one who humbly entrusted himself to the mercy of God.

Note the contrast “rather than the other man.”

It is impossible for man to exalt himself

Humility, humble faith, entrusting our exaltation to the grace, power, and mercy of another.

Humble-Faith, Is the posture in which God pardons us and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed (credited) to us and received by Faith Alone.

So this morning, if you have never before, acknowledge your sins before God. Entrust yourself to the mercy of God provided for you in the death and resurrection of Jesus for sinners.

Entrust your sin to Christ to be covered by his blood and trust that if you cry out for mercy in prayer to the Lord Jesus,

he will cover your poverty in his righteous robes, calling you son or daughter. [PAUSE]

This wonderful truth needs both protection and recovery every generation. In the protestant reformation, the Roman Catholic church of the time took on numerous parallels to the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. God’s grace was seen as working in cooperation with human accomplishments (human merit); Or God’s grace mediated through the merit of religious ceremonies, pouring out grace into our hearts.

So let us carefully state what we believe about Faith and Grace and then see what some key scripture passages have to say to us.

#4 Thinking Carefully about Faith and Grace

The slogan Sola Gratia, or Grace Alone, simply says, “Our salvation is not earned in any part; it is the free gift of God from start to finish

The scriptural evidence is clear and straightforward in three truths of scripture.

We are fallen in sin and all our best moral efforts are corrupted by sin.

Therefore, we cannot earn God’s favor and eternal life by our moral efforts.

Therefore, we can obtain God’s favor and eternal life only by divine grace.

Paul clearly tells us these three truths in Ephesians 1-2, but particularly in 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

The scriptures teach us that we are declared in a right relationship with God, that we are Declared Just by Faith Alone:

“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28) ...(Again) to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted/credited as righteousness (Romans 4:5) ... a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ (never faith in faith, it is TRUST in Jesus) (Galatians 2:16)... not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ Philippians 3:9) (why he was the one who took our sin and gave us his righteousness…Not our moral efforts…Jesus’ perfect moral efforts…Jesus succeeds where we fail…where Adam failed…)( ... since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God (Romans 5:1) ...he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy (Titus 3:5–7) ... whoever believes him who sent me has eternal life, and has passed from death to life (John 5:24) ... by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous (Isaiah 53:11).”

So we are saved by faith, by believing on the name of Jesus…But What is this Faith, this believing, that Jesus and Paul speak of? (4 quotes who said it?)

“Faith is a firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence toward us, founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, III.2.7

“Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.” (WSC Q.86)

“Faith is the hand that receives Christ, the empty vessel that is filled with his grace, the mouth that drinks the living water.” - Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 4, p. 116

Faith is not work, nor merit, nor effort; but the cessation from all these, and the acceptance in place of them of what another has done—done completely, and forever.” (Horatius Bonar, The Everlasting Righteousness)

Faith is the moment when you are on a climbing wall that you swing your body over the wall and believe that the rope is ABLE to hold you, and you actually rest your full weight on it, doing just that. But for a moment your weight is swinging over the wall…you can’t go back…you are committed, but its nots yet holding your weight do you trust the nature of that rope? Trust Christ and believe he is who he says he is. Repent and sorrow for your sin, knowing that he accomplished what he said he did in his life, death, and resurrection. YOUR SINS are forgiven, you are a child of God, you have the righteousness of Christ, and you are declared Just!

The Scriptures are clear that salvation by faith alone is because of God’s Grace Alone.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24) ... he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy (Titus 3:5) ... ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy (Romans 9:15–16) ... who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began (2 Timothy 1:9) ... for from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace (John 1:16–17) ... so too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace (Romans 11:5–6) ... for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).”

What is this grace? “Grace is the undeserved favor of God, rooted in his eternal good pleasure, revealed in Christ, and bestowed by the Holy Spirit.” - Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 3, p. 523

Remember, God saves sinners by Christ Jesus as a gracious gift. And Jesus says in our passage today your walk with Christ begins with a humble prayer.

So in prayer, like the tax-collector look away from your sin, hating it, and turn to Christ for mercy and covering by his blood…

When we do this know you are pardoned, cleansed, accepted, and loved by the Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit in your heart will begin to bear good fruit in keeping with being a son and daughter, and you.

If you have done this before then keep your eyes on Christ, delight in the forgiveness you have received, remain humble, and do not forget the wonders of his mercy to you. Do not forget the grace of Jesus and fall into pride of your own righteousness. That righteousness is but the gracious fruit of the Spirit worked in your heart, so humbly delight in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in your life, delight in the Heavenly Father’s love for you, delight in knowing the Angels of heaven rejoice to see sinners receive grace through Jesus our Lord.

Prayer

Benediction

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