It is sheer folly for men to think
that they have it within their own power and free will to worship
God whenever they please, or in any wise to approach unto
His presence by an activity which they perform, as if He was hungrily
waiting on them to do so, and would be disappointed if they
do not. Two things that were a great abomination to the Jews
were swine and dogs. Yet it is to these two things
that the Lord likens their sacrifices and offerings, which they brought
before Him in outward obedience to the law of Moses. He rejected
their offerings and sacrifices because they made them not out
of reverence for Him, a knowledge of His holiness, or a desire
to be found faithful before Him, but because they assumed that
they could establish their own righteousness before Him by the
activity of their own flesh. They thought he was a god like
those of the heathen who dwelt in temples made with hands and
who could be enhanced or magnified by their bringing or adding something
to him. Religious men assume that God
will be pleased with their activity if they meet certain requirements
prescribed by some form which is of their own making. This
is what prompts men to rely upon prayers, creeds, and liturgies
written by others, or even the rote recitation of the Lord's
model prayer which He gave to His disciples. This tendency
has its clear illustration in the notion that a man can become
a Christian simply by reciting a prayer which some have called
the sinner's prayer. Yet it is no less manifested
by those who take satisfaction in their times and orders of
worship, their confessions of faith, or what a woman puts on
her head. There is no attitude or condition
with which God is pleased to find in men other than that of
a broken and contrite heart. No man ever yet stirred himself
up to take hold upon the horns of this altar, except those in
whom the Spirit of God first performed this work of repentance
and godly sorrow. When a broken and contrite heart
is missing, there can be no approach unto the Lord, and any activity,
regardless of its mandate, is an abomination unto him. Nothing
that men in the flesh bring before the Lord, regardless of its orthodoxy,
is that which pleases him. He is pleased in nothing or no
one other than his beloved Son and those who are found hidden
in him. No man can make any approach unto God nor have any expectations
of being received into His presence outside of that one who is the
Savior of sinners and the perfect righteousness of His elect. The
Pharisees were very sincere, morally upright, and deeply religious
men. They thought they could be justified
by their own actions and went about their devotion trying to
establish the grounds of their own righteousness. They have
many followers in the present day among those who make a profession
of having faith in Christ, but yet think to add to themselves
something which will cause them to be made more acceptable to
him. This is exactly why the Pharisees stumbled at his words
and hated his way. He gave them no grounds upon
which they could glory and revealed that those who were morally bankrupt
would go into the kingdom before they did. Verily I say unto you
that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before
you. A man cannot even sorrow for his sin in a proper fashion
or in any wise be led into true repentance apart from the work
of the Holy Ghost to humble him in the dust to the hating of
his own flesh. When Job was finally brought
to see what he was in the light of the glory and holiness of
God, he said, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.
Job was a very morally upright man, knowledgeable of truth,
and regularly made offerings for his own sin and that of his
family. Yet when true repentance was given to him, he abandoned
all hope of being made righteous before Him who is absolutely
righteous by anything less than the application of perfect righteousness
to him by the power of God. Such is the manifestation of
the Spirit to those whom the Lord is pleased to call. He will
give them a desire for a broken and contrite heart and will in
His own time work repentance in them. He will cause them to
see their own powerlessness and their abject need of His mercy
lest they perish. They will identify with the publican
who could not even so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven,
smiting upon his own breast and crying out for mercy. David gave
evidence of such repentance when he said, Have mercy upon me,
O God, according to Thy lovingkindness, according unto the multitude
of Thy tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions. Wash
me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For
I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil
in Thy sight. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall
be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow. If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at 4the4 at windstream dot net.