Well, last week, we went to Leviticus,
the book of Leviticus, and looked at the atonement, the day of
atonement. And we were looking at a credible
atonement, an atonement that works. We must have an at-one-ment
to be right with God. And all sorts of religion thinks
it has an atonement, but if you examine it, it's worthless, it
doesn't work, it's ineffectual. Remember I told you I hate things
that claim to work and then they don't work. The atonement of
most religion that calls itself Christian is an ineffectual atonement
that doesn't work. This week I want to come back
to the Gospel of Luke that we've been working through and see a contrast between those
who look like they hold to an atonement but actually have no
credible atonement at all, and in contrast those who look like
they have none, as the world of religion judges it, and yet
have a most effective atonement. There had been a division between
John's disciples and the disciples of Jesus. and it was a division
over outward secondary things. The disciples of John, we saw
it earlier a few weeks ago, the disciples of John, they lived
an austere lifestyle. They didn't have much in the
way of comforts. They ate very basic food, you
know, John came just eating locusts and wild honey. A very austere
lifestyle. And Christ came and had a much
more social, liberal lifestyle. He went to people's houses and
he ate meals, he drank wine, he turned water into wine at
the wedding of Cana of Galilee. These are all secondary matters,
they're not fundamental truth. Because John the Baptist, as
I've shown you several times, and the Lord Jesus Christ preached
exactly the same message. They preached repentance and
faith in the atonement that Christ would accomplish, that he has
accomplished. That's what they preached, repentance
and faith in that atonement. They preached both John and Jesus,
the only way to be right with God is on the basis of what he
came to do in the atonement. Now in verse 29 of this chapter
you see the different reactions. For he had, where am I? Sorry,
I'm in the wrong chapter. Verse 29. And all the people
that heard him and the publicans justified God. Because Jesus
had been talking about John the Baptist and saying what a great
prophet he was. All the people that heard him
and the publicans, the sinners, not the religious folks, justified
God. Said God is right. Because they'd
been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and
lawyers, the religious establishment, rejected the counsel of God against
themselves, being not baptised by him. They either justified
God or rejected God's counsel. And in the face of that, and
seeing that, in verse 31, Jesus talks about this generation. Whereunto, he said, then, shall
I liken the men, what shall I compare them to, the men of this generation? To what are they like? And he
says, they're like children sitting in the marketplace and calling
to one another, and saying, we asked you to play this tune and
you didn't, and we asked you to dance to this melody and you
didn't. And then he says, John the Baptist came neither eating
bread nor drinking wine, and you say he's got a devil, and
the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, look,
he's a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, and a friend of publicans and
sinners, but... Wisdom is justified of all her
children. Wisdom is justified. I've called
this message this generation or wisdom's children? This generation
or wisdom's children? This generation, in verse 31,
where unto then shall I liken the men of this generation? And
to what are they like? These are religious folks. You say, religious folks believe
stuff. I tell you what, there's a lot
of religious folks that fundamentally disbelieve the truth of God in
the gospel of his grace in this book. Be they ever so religious,
they're unbelieving religious folks. They love their religion,
they love the status that their religion gives them, they love
their own credentials, but their minds are carnal, fleshly. And thus, Romans 8-7, enmity,
at odds, the enemies of God. And they're aptly described in
Psalm 12. If I can read Psalm 12 out to
you. Help, Lord, for the godly man
ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
They speak vanity, every one with his neighbor. With unflattering
lips and with a double heart do they speak. The Lord shall
cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh
proud things. He's speaking about the religious
establishment, who have said, with our tongue will we prevail.
Our lips are our own. Who is Lord over us? For the
oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will
I arise, saith the Lord. I will set him in safety from
him that puffeth at him. The words of the Lord are pure
words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord.
Thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever." Note
the words, this generation. He will preserve his true children
from this religious generation that oppresses and opposes them
forever. The wicked walk on every side
when the vilest men are exalted. Be they ever so religious, Listen
to me, be they ever so religious, they despise the doctrine of
scripture. Oh, they believe the Bible, don't
they? They've got their seminaries, they've got their schools of
theology, they believe the Bible, don't they? No, I'll tell you
what, they despise absolute free grace. They despise it. absolute
free grace without the addition of any works they despise it
they talk about grace but they truly despise free grace without
any works on our part they despise simple faith you remember the
story of happy jack you know the one who became a believer
and they said when he wanted to join what he thought was his
local church well what what what what what tell us about yourself
what what what are your credentials and all jack would say is this
I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all, and Jesus Christ is my
all in all. But what have you done? You must
have done something. What have you done to make us
think that you're fit to come and join this church? I'm a poor
sinner and nothing at all, but Jesus Christ, he's my all in
all. Simple faith in Christ. Paul
talks about it in 2 Corinthians, departing from the simplicity
that is in Christ. Just simple faith in Christ. These religious folks despise
that. They despise substitutionary atonement in its fullness, in
its absolute sovereign grace and particular redemption. Substitutionary
atonement with its sanctification, which is all in Christ. And they
call it dangerous doctrine. They tell their people to have
nothing to do with it. to steer clear of people who preach it.
They despise it. They're the religious establishment
and they despise it. And Jesus describes them like
this in verse 31. He describes them like children. You say, isn't that a good thing?
Didn't Jesus say it was good to be like a child? Yes, he did.
He said it was good to be like a child in receiving the kingdom
of God, in the innocence of childhood. Not arguing, not coming up with
what they think is mature contradictions against it. He said, receive
the kingdom of God like a child. But these are like petulant brats. of children. These are like ones
that are never satisfied, they always want something different
from what is being offered. They say, we wanted to call the
tune in religious things, but you, Christ, refused to dance
to our tune. We wanted to say it would be
this way, but you refused to go along with it. God had ordained
that John the Baptist would come as a Nazarene with an austere
lifestyle, and what did they say of him? Well, we didn't do
what the Pharisees and scribes wanted, so they said, he's mad,
he's got a devil. Secondly, Christ, the Messiah, the promised Messiah
came as a social man for sinners, meeting and eating and drinking
with sinners. And they said, he's a glutton and a drunkard,
and he keeps loose company, sinful company. And they just stand
on the sidelines critiquing over secondary issues and missing
completely the central message of the gospel. It's like a sort
of a factual, a factional following of one preacher over another,
rather than listening to the chief shepherd's voice through
the voice of a preacher. That's what to listen to. you
know, some in the Corinthian church, I am of Paul, I am of
Apollos, I am, and some even said, I am of Christ, you know,
making them out to be really superior. No, it's the central
message that is important. Who is this generation that he's
talking about? I liken To what shall I liken
the men of this generation? The religious world in which
he was, and to what are they like? Who is this religious generation? In Christ's day, they were the
Pharisees. They were the scribes. They were
the religious leaders. They had an interest in the things
of God, and they were proud of their tradition. What about today? In this day? It's the religious
establishment. I'm going to just dismiss the
great national churches that call themselves Christian because
I see so little that purports to be anything to do with gospel
in it. But this is the religious establishment,
those who think they maintain the gold standard of truth. They
think they can organize revival because God is obliged to honor
their activity. They're just so much like the
church in Laodicea, to which the glorified Christ writes in
the book of Revelation, in Revelation chapter 3 towards the end of
it. He says of them, Thou sayest, this is the church of Laodicea,
I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing,
and knowest not. that thou art wretched and miserable
and poor and blind and naked. You think you've got so much,
you think you've swallowed the map on the truth and you've got
nothing. You're wretched, blind, miserable,
poor and naked. And he says, I counsel you Come
and buy from me ointment for your eyes. Come and buy from
me. That's this generation that he was speaking to. Let's contrast
this with verse 35. But wisdom is justified of all
her children. Who are these children of wisdom?
Who are wisdom's children? They're in contrast. There's
a but there. They're in contrast to this generation
of religious truth rejecters. They're in contrast to them.
The children of wisdom. What is wisdom, and who are wisdom's
children? Surely wisdom is the doctrine
of Christ. Surely wisdom is the gospel of
His grace. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse
30. But of Him, of God, are you who
are believers in Christ Jesus. He's put you there, is what that's
saying. Of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God, Christ Jesus
of God, is made unto us who believe. He's wisdom and righteousness. and sanctification, and redemption. Happy Jack. I'm a poor sinner,
a nothing at all, but Jesus Christ is my wisdom, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption. I have nothing outside of Him.
He is everything to me. This is wisdom. It's the doctrine
of Christ, the gospel of His grace. In Proverbs chapter 8,
The Lord Jesus Christ clearly is speaking there, in Proverbs
chapter 8, in the name of wisdom. He's speaking as wisdom. I wisdom. He's talking about his eternal
generation. He's talking about the truth
of God coming by him. He's talking about the blessings
of wisdom. Christ is wisdom, and he's speaking
He's speaking in His Word. He is the Word. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He's speaking in His Word as wisdom, and that wisdom is the
doctrine and gospel of Christ. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15,
Paul writes to Timothy that from a child thou hast known the holy
scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. Wisdom. Children of wisdom. The
Holy Scriptures. What's that? The Word of God.
Who is the Word of God? Christ, in the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He
is able to make you wise unto salvation. In him, in Christ,
Colossians I think it is, tells us, dwell all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge. All the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge. And in his face, we see the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And he says
to Timothy, the scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation, how do I get it? Through faith which is in Christ
Jesus. It's only through faith in Christ. Only through absolute simple
faith in Christ. If any man lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, who giveth liberally. I know it applies to other sorts
of wisdom as well, but surely it applies to this. If any of
you lack wisdom, gospel wisdom, let him ask God, because it's
God that gives it liberally. the truth of the gospel of grace
in Christ is justified, is affirmed as true by all of the children
of that gospel of grace. The truth of Christ, of free,
sovereign grace salvation, of particular redemption, effectual
atonement, salvation, without any effort or merit on the part
of man, that gospel truth is justified and confirmed and affirmed
by all who are the children of that gospel truth. They're wisdom's
children. You and I, if we trust Christ,
if we're believing in Him, are wisdom's children. And we justify
that truth, that gospel truth, if we're in Christ. We unequivocally
affirm. How do you affirm it? From the
heart. It's easy to affirm from the
head, but we affirm it from the heart that this is true. I prepared
this message, and then I was looking for things to put in
the bulletin, and I saw in Tom Harding's bulletin, which I got
by email, this piece by Henry Mahan. And I thought, this just
sums it up perfectly. Religion is to know biblical
facts. Life is to know God. Religion
is to know what I believe. Life is to know whom I believe. I know whom I have believed.
Religion is to be baptized into the church. Life is to be baptized
into Christ. Religion is to be reformed. in
your doctrine. Life is to be regenerated by
Christ. Religion is to be a new convert
to a cause. Life is to be a new creature,
a new creation in Christ. A man was asked, I think it was
Paul, and what is your religious persuasion? And he replied, I
am persuaded that nothing can separate me from the love of
God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That's the affirmation
that comes from wisdom's children. It's an affirmation that comes
from the heart, not just from the head. It's an affirmation
that comes from the experience. Wisdom, the truth of the gospel
of grace, is justified of all her children, all who truly believe,
truly believe this gospel and this grace. Wisdom's children
do not petulantly split hairs over secondary issues, but we
do affirm heartfelt experience heartfelt experience, God's judgment
of our sin, our conviction of that judgment, our desperate
hopeless state. We affirm it. Wisdom's children
affirm these things. We justify what God says. When
God says that we're sinful, when God says that we deserve to die,
when God says that we deserve nothing other than his condemnation,
we affirm he's right. He's right. Absolutely right,
in all things. We know our desperate state,
but we also know this, that we've been shown and that we've received
and that we've embraced by the grace of God the complete provision
that there is for sinners in the atonement of Christ. Jesus
Christ, he's my all in all. Now these are two stark opposites. This generation, the religious
establishment, And beware, there's a lot of it calling itself very
biblical type of terms. But they're as far apart from
Wisdom's Children as that piece that we just read from Henry.
Two stark opposites, and that's illustrated in verses 36 to the
end of the chapter. The account of Simon the Pharisee
and this unnamed woman. And that's what I want us to
focus on in the time that remains this morning. Pharisee had seen
along with many of the other Pharisees the things that Jesus
was doing and The Pharisees had a serious problem with Christ,
as they had had with John the Baptist, because he didn't conform
to their way of doing things. He didn't come from their schools,
he hadn't grown up in their nice Judean southern culture. He was a northerner from Galilee,
he spoke with a Galilean northern accent, he wasn't He wasn't the
right sort of person that they would think should be in a place
of spiritual leadership. And they had a problem with him,
but they felt that they There was something here that was difficult
for them to handle. You know how Nicodemus came to
Jesus by night. What are we going to do about
this guy? Let's try and find out what he's... Nicodemus, you
go and talk to him. You've got a way with people
like this. Go and get alongside him and
try and find out a bit about him. Let's see if we can tame
this because clearly he's having a massive influence on the people
and we need to do something about it. And I suspect Simon the Pharisee
thought something similar. He'd seen this going on And he's
thinking, there's something odd about this. Let's have him round
to dinner and let's see if we can get a bit closer to him.
So one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him.
And he went to the Pharisee's house. Jesus went, knowing exactly
what would happen. And he sat down for his meal. He ate and he drank and he socialized. He went to the Pharisee's house
and while he was there, a certain woman, this woman in the city,
which was a sinner. Now, look, the scripture isn't
singling her out as a sinner, for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God. It's putting it in the terms
of the society around, a notorious sinner. This woman was a notorious
This woman was a notorious sinner, and she'd heard that Jesus sat
at meat. She'd gone for a meal to the
Pharisee's house. No doubt it was warm, and they
were sitting outside, and it was easily accessible. And she
brought an alabaster box of ointment, precious ointment, and stood
at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with
her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed
his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. You may say, oh
no, I wouldn't fancy somebody doing that to me. But look, get
past the way we might think of these things today. This is an
act of overflowing love to the Lord Jesus Christ. And look what
Simon does. He looks and he says, hmm. I
can see what's going on here. If this man, if this Jesus really
were a prophet from God, he'd know all about, because prophets
know about these things, he'd know about this woman. He'd know
what a notorious sinner she is, and he'd have nothing to do with
her. He'd send her away because he's better than her, he's holier
than her, and he wouldn't let her touch him because she's a
sinner. You know, the Levitical law says you mustn't let sinful,
foul things touch you. Jesus told him this parable,
Simon, I've got something to say to you. There was a certain
creditor who'd lent money. He had two debtors. One owed
500 pence, the other owed 50. And neither of them could pay
him back. And so the creditor, frankly, forgave them both. Which
one would love him the most? And of course Simon says, well
the one that owed 500. Because he owed most. Yes, you've
rightly judged. That's right. This woman is a
great sinner, but I've frankly forgiven her all, and she loves,
she knows she's forgiven. And he turned to the woman, he
said to Simon, do you see her? Look what happened, I came into
your house, you didn't show me acts of love, but she did. And
he turns to her and says, your sins are forgiven. And the conclusion,
verse 47, wherefore I say unto thee, her sins which are many,
are forgiven. For she loved much, but to whom
little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said to
her, Thy sins are forgiven. Look at Simon the Pharisee. I'm
talking about this generation. He has a form of godliness. But
Paul says in writing to Timothy, he talks about those who have
a form of godliness, 2 Timothy 3 verse 5, but they deny the
power thereof. They're like the Jews as Paul
describes them in Romans 10. Is it the first two or three
verses? He says they have a zeal for God. I bear them witness.
They have a zeal for God. They're extremely religious thinking
they're doing God's work, but it's not according to knowledge. Not according to true knowledge.
This man Simon thought, let's put on a showy dinner, let's
put on a posh dinner, let's impress this influential but non-conventional
teacher, let's get to know a bit about him. But this Simon didn't
have any consciousness of any debt towards God. He was totally,
it would seem, oblivious to the fact that he was a sinner. that
he was a debtor towards God, that he was a debtor to the law
of God, he was proud of his position in the society of that day, he
was a member of this generation that Jesus had spoken about.
Do you know why it is in this country, around the Western world,
why it is that there are so few with a genuine interest in true
religion The answer is in Romans 1 verse 18, it's because there
is no fear of God before their eyes, that's what Paul says.
Why is there no fear of God before their eyes? Because there is
absolutely no consciousness, it would seem, of any debt to
a holy God who calls to account people. There is no sense that
it is appointed to man to die once and then comes the judgment.
You read the testimony of people in the past, you read the testimony
of those who came under conviction of sin. And they knew that they stood before the bar of
the justice of God absolutely justly condemned. And they could
do nothing other than plead mercy. God be merciful to me. You know
we have the account of the publican and the sinner going to pray.
The pharisee and the publican going to pray and the pharisee
stands and thanks God that he's not like other men because he's
so much better and he tithes and he fasts and he does all
of these things and oh how proud he is of himself. And Jesus says,
and the publican stood there and beat his breast, crying,
God be merciful to me, the sinner, as if there was no other sinner.
I'm the only one that matters. God be merciful. He said, I tell
you, which one went away justified? In the purposes and sovereignty
of God, the one who pleaded mercy went away justified, not the
one who was so proud of how good he was. No, this man, Simon,
had no consciousness of any debt towards God for his sin. He was
just proud of his position, like so much of this generation. He
was confident. He felt he had a pocket full
of currency that was good for eternity. His pharisaical Judaism
he thought was good for eternity. He thought he'd done what he
perceived to be God's requirements as written in the Torah. How
many today in religion look at themselves and their associations
rather than Christ and him alone? And he was judgmental. This man,
Simon, was judgmental of both the woman, a notorious sinner,
had nothing to do with her. Anybody that's got any sense
of right and wrong will have nothing to do with her. He should
have known, Jesus should have known about her and had nothing
to do with her. Where's Simon standing? He's
standing with those that God describes in Isaiah 65 and verse
5 who say this, don't come near me, don't stand near me for I
am holier than thou. This holier than thou attitude
was what he had. And what did he show? Any love
to Christ? No, he was just nosy. He was
just interested in trying to find out a bit more about him.
There was no love to Christ that he showed. Jesus said that quite
plainly, quite starkly. But this woman, this sinful woman,
this woman who knew what she was, behold, a woman in the city,
she knew Jesus was there. Now how did she know? The scripture
doesn't tell us. But in a sense it does. I know
how she knew. The only way anyone ever knows,
it's by Holy Spirit revelation that she knew. The Holy Spirit
showed her who he was. The Holy Spirit showed her that
this was the Messiah that was come to make effectual atonement. That this was the Messiah come
to save his people from their sins. And knowing her condition
as a notorious sinner, and owing an impossible debt, not just
50 pence or 500 pence, but an impossible debt, an impossible
debt, a debt that justly, under the law of God, condemns absolutely,
she comes to find him. Here is one of wisdom's children.
This woman, this sinful woman, is one of wisdom's children.
And she's justifying God for the truth of his gospel. She
knows what she is. She knows what Christ has done.
She justifies God as one of wisdom's children. She's motivated in
what she did by his love. She's constrained by his love.
Constrained by it. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verses
14 and 15. For the love of Christ constrains
us because we thus judge. that if one died for all, then
were all dead. This is unity with Christ. And
that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth
live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose
again. What's her motivation for abandoning
this material wealth that she had in this alabaster box of
precious ointment? It's love for him. That's what
constrains her. She's constrained not to live
anymore for herself, but to him which died for her, which she
knew he was coming to die for her. She's motivated by love
and gratitude and forgiveness. We love him, says John, because
he... Why? Why does any child of God
love God? Because he first loved us. Christ
first loved us. And as a result, she lavished
all that she had on him. She was coming to him saying
this, nothing in my hand I bring, nothing. I can't give anything.
I can't contribute anything at all. But all I can do is plead
for mercy. But I know this, it's been revealed
by God's Holy Spirit. that this man is the Messiah
who has come to fulfill all the pictures to make a perfect atonement
to pay the sin debt of his people and she knowing that she was
a great debtor knew that he had been to the bar of the justice
of God or would do on the cross go to the bar of the justice
of God with the full and perfect payment for the sins of all of
his people nothing in my hand I bring but she found full forgiveness
and the removal of her sin debt because he said it woman your
sins are forgiven you and they were amazed who can forgive sins
but God they were amazed your sins are forgiven you go in peace
oh the blessedness of knowing that we're no longer under the
enmity, under the condemnation, under the wrath of God, for the
Scripture says this. You know, you'll hear people
stand up and will preach as their gospel, God loves you and has
a wonderful plan for your life. I defy you to find that message
in this book. God says this to this generation,
God is angry with the wicked every day. He says, it is a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God, for our God
is a consuming fire, but in the Lord Jesus Christ, He is merciful
and gracious. merciful and gracious to sinners.
And she comes and she finds full and free forgiveness. Thy sins
are forgiven, your faith has saved you. What, her act of faith?
No, the faith in what was to be accomplished, in the atonement
that Christ would accomplish. For at the cross of Calvary,
We read, he bore the sins of his people on the tree, on the
wooden cross. He bore the sins of his people
in his own body. He paid the price. The price
of sin, the soul that sins, it shall die. It shall pour out
its life. The life is in the blood. Peter
says, you are not redeemed with corruptible things like silver
and gold and precious stones, but with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb. without blemish and without spot,
as a substitute, as a sacrifice for sins, to pay the price to
the justice of God for the sins of his people. What do we conclude
from this? There's this generation, it's
still there, it was there in Christ's day, it's there today.
This generation. It includes the many who will
say to Christ in that day of judgment, didn't we do all of
these things in your name? And Jesus said this, I will say
unto them, depart from me, I never knew you. All of your action,
all of your credentials, depart from me, I never knew you. Where
are you? Let's ask ourselves, where are
you in your perception of Christ? Do you stand with Simon the Pharisee,
falsely self-confident? I trust not. Or with this sinful
woman, identified with her? bankrupt of any righteousness
except that which Christ is able to bestow.