Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The natural thought of
man is to equate righteousness and morality. Thus it is quite
common for men to make various judgments of the suitability
of the behaviors of other men based upon what they judge to
be righteous conduct. When they discover this moral
acceptability, then they consider that such men are righteous,
and where they don't, they deem such to be unrighteous. The Pharisees
were just such a people. They were the epitome of religious
men who consider righteousness to be what they can see in themselves
and others who follow their moral code. To say that the Scriptures
do not set forth a basis or standard of morality which men imperil
themselves to disregard would be an error. Yet to consider
that a man could be deemed righteous by an adherence to this standard
of morality would be a more egregious error than to disregard this
standard and live unto his own lust. A man may be delivered
from the wicked works of his mind which sets him at odds with
his creator, but there is no deliverance for the man who considers
his own or others' conduct to be found pleasing unto the Lord. Nowhere is this any more vividly
illustrated than in the Lord's parable concerning the two men
who went up to the temple to pray, one being a Pharisee and
the other being a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men
are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast
twice in the week and I give tithes of all that I possess."
He reeled off quite an impressive list of accomplishments and seemed
in his own mind at least to have avoided many of the pitfalls
which befell those less righteous than himself. We have no reason
to believe that he was not perfectly satisfied with the moral standing
which he claimed. Such men are sure that they have
done what is required of them and therefore in their own mind
do stand in a place of righteousness at least when they compare themselves
with others. The publican, on the other hand,
could not escape the knowledge that he had fallen woefully short
of all that was required of him, and could find no place of standing
before the Lord. And the publican, standing afar
off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. The Lord said that he was justified,
that is, judged as accepted, while the Pharisee was not. Thus
we learn that righteousness and morality are not synonymous,
nor can one define the other. The Lord alone can judge a man
to be righteous. The basis upon which he does
so is by imputing the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ
to those whom he loves. The faithfulness of the Lord
to convince his own of their sin and shortcomings is seen
in the lament of this publican. Saul of Tarsus was a man full
of his own righteousness, and in his own mind was zealous in
his service to the Lord. It was only as the Lord stripped
away his self-glorying that he was called to cry out, Who art
thou, Lord? When the righteousness of Christ
is revealed, a man can make no claims of his own righteousness
and must, as the publican, cry out for mercy. Paul looked upon
that which he once rejoiced in and counted it all as garbage,
circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe
of Benjamin and Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law of
Pharisee, concerning zeal persecuting the church, touching the righteousness
which is of the law blameless. But what things were gained to
me, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless, I count
all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do
count them but done, that I may win Christ. The work of the law
is a necessary one due to the innate sin of men, but it cannot
minister hope or help to the sons of God. The purpose of the
law is in bringing repentance, which is not an end in itself,
but rather has its perfect work in bringing the sons of God to
rejoice in the righteousness of Christ. He is our salvation. Such rejoicing is meant to occur
in the tabernacles of the righteous. Those dwelling places of the
Lord are indeed temples of joy. Thus Paul exhorted the Thessalonians,
rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Where else
can the joy of God's people be found but in him who has brought
life and immortality to light in the gospel? For he said, now
is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
Cannot all the sons of God now say the right hand of the Lord
doeth valiantly? Salvation is of the Lord. We
will rejoice and be glad in it. Is the Lord your righteousness?
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