I love the line, what language
shall I borrow? I can't come up with the words.
What language shall I borrow? Would you turn to Luke chapter
18 once again? Verse 9. And he spake this parable unto
certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous. And what goes along with this
trust in yourself They despised others. Two men went up into the temple
to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other 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. I give tithes of all
that I possess. 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. In the original, the definite
article is used, the sinner. I tell you, Well, there's something so powerful
about the Lord Jesus saying, I tell you, it's not some preacher
telling you this. This is me. I tell you, this man went down
to his house. What's that word? Justified. rather than the other, for everyone
that exalts himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted." I've entitled this message a parable to the
self-righteous. A parable to the self-righteous. Question, are any of us exempt
from this? Is he speaking to someone else? A parable to the self-righteous. I may be a lot of things, but
I'm not self-righteous, really. This parable, there's not a parable that's
more definitive of the gospel, of the message of this book,
than this particular parable. Do you know that the biggest
problem that you and I have is self-righteousness? You may be even having a problem
with some kind of addiction, and I pray the Lord will deliver
you from that. What a horrible thing, but you
know, this is the biggest problem you have. Biggest problem I have. Self-righteousness. Somebody says, that's not me.
Yeah, it is. Yeah, it is. You see, self-righteousness is
the oldest sin. It is original sin. It is what Satan tempted Eve
with in the garden. If you eat this fruit, this is
what will make you like God. It'll put you on a higher plane.
What's the first thing they did after the fall? They made a fig leaf self-righteous
apron to cover their sin. What is the first thing they
said when they were confronted with their sin? Adam said, the
woman that you gave me, She gave me the fruit and I did eat. This
is your fault. It would not have taken place
had you not given me this woman." He was speaking from the place
of self-righteousness. I'm not that bad. This is your
fault that this took place. Self-righteousness not only is
the first sin, the original sin, it is the most deadly sin. It is not your sin or your sins
that will keep you from Jesus Christ. It is your self-righteousness. That's what will keep you from
coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. Self-righteousness is the most
difficult sin to stamp out. You put it down one place, it
pops back up somewhere else. Well, at least I know I'm a sinner. You can make a righteousness
out of that. At least I know. At least I know
I'm a serial killer. Does that make it okay? Same
difference. Self-righteousness. It's the most deceitful sin. If we say we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. It's the most disrespectful sin
to God. If we say we've not sinned, we
make him a liar. What disrespect? And his word
is not in us. Self-righteousness is behind
every objection to the gospel of grace. Self-righteousness, any righteousness
that is generated from self. He spake this parable and the
certain was trusted in themselves that they were righteous. It's self-righteousness that
prevents a man from saying he's a sinner. It's self-righteousness that
makes a man have no need of God's electing grace. Why? It's not
fair. If you have an objection to that, it's because of self-righteousness. That's the only reason. You wouldn't
object if it were not for self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is the enemy
of the gospel. Self-righteousness is behind
all of our sins against our fellow men. That man who trusts himself
that he's righteous, what does he do? He despises others. He looks down upon others. He
thinks he's better than they are. Therefore, he has the right
to mistreat them when it comes right down to it. What's yours
is mine. I deserve it. It's behind prejudice. It's behind jealousy. It's behind
envy. It's behind any type of mistreatment. We think we're better. Self-righteousness. Every problem
I have, somehow it's connected with self-righteousness. God hates it. Six things does
God hate, yea, seven are an abomination to him. What's the first thing
he mentions? A proud heart. God hates it. He who is holy hates it. Self-righteousness. God even said in Isaiah 65, 5,
he speaks of those who say, stand by thyself, come not near to
me. For I am holier than thou. That's where that term comes
from. You've heard the term holier than thou. It's the only time
the word holier is found in the scripture. If you understand
holiness, you understand holier is non-existent. You're either
holier or you're not. But these people say, stand away
from me. I'm holier than thou, God says
regarding these people, these are a smoke in my nostrils, a
bad smell, offensive. The greatest oxymoron, the greatest
contradiction in terms is self-righteous? Self-righteous? What a contradiction in terms.
Yet it's so much a part of me. It's what I breathe. Self-righteousness. That's you. That's me. Self-righteous. Every son of Adam is included
in this certain that the Lord speaks unto. Don't think he's
talking to somebody else. He spake unto certain which trusted
in themselves that they were righteous. This is the unbelievers
biggest problem. This is the believers biggest
problem. I hope you believe that. He spake
unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous. and despised others, the necessary
consequence of self-righteousness, despising others. Verse 10, two men, this is the parable,
two men went up into the temple to pray. The one, a Pharisee,
and the other, a publican. Two men. Now these two men are
the two representative men. This describes every son and
daughter of Adam. You and I are in one of these
two groups, two men. Kind of like Cain and Abel. Two
thieves on the cross. The Bible quite often makes it
so simple. There's only two kind of men.
There's not three. There's only two kind of men. And you are
described in this. I am described in this. Two men
went up into the temple to pray. A Pharisee and a publican. Now these two men encapsulate
Blaise Pascal's observation. This is my favorite statement
I've ever read that wasn't in the Bible. That's how much I
love this statement. You've heard me make it before.
There's only two kinds of people in this world, the righteous
and the wicked. Two. The righteous and the wicked. All of the righteous, without
exception, believe themselves to be wicked. The publican lets us know that. Remember what the Lord said about
this man? He went down to his house justified, altogether righteous,
sinless before God. But what was his confession of
himself? God be merciful to me, the sinner. He saw himself to
be the most evil man alive. He knew what was in his heart.
I mean, you can't see everything was there. He, he, he did. And
this Pharisee, all the wicked believe themselves
to be righteous, or at least have the potential to be righteous. We see this so clearly in this
Pharisee and his prayer. Now, I love what the Lord says
at the end of giving us these two men's prayer. Verse 14, he
said, I tell you, there's such authority in that. That's the
same phrase that's used in the Sermon on the Mount. You've heard
it said of them of old and the scripture would be quoted. He
said, but I say unto you. If I say it, that makes it so.
Divine authority speaking. I say unto you, this man, this
self condemned man went down to his house, justified, cleared of all guilt, altogether
righteous before God. And that's the Lord's testimony
concerning this man. And the Lord doesn't make any
comment as to how that could be. He just says it. And the rest of the Bible tells
us how this can be, how a man like this publican can be justified
before. Now, these two men are polarized. They were as polarized as they
could be, the Pharisee and the Publican. Pharisee means separated
one. That's all the word means. Separated
one. This was a religion actually
that began about 150 years before the time of Christ. You don't
read about these men in the pages of the Old Testament. But they
had even made themselves a new Bible called the Talmud, and
they had all these rules and regulation. It was the strictest,
most moral sect in the world, the Pharisees. They believed
themselves to be righteous, outwardly moral. And then we have the publican. He was employed by and protected
by the Roman government to collect taxes and he would overcharge
you and line his own pockets with the money. And he was kind
of a mafia-like figure. He had protection. If you didn't
come up with the money, he had somebody who could make sure
you get it to him. The most despised man in Israel. He was the Bernie Madoff of his
day. He robbed people's savings. He took widows' retirement. He did whatever he could to exhort
money, and everybody hated him. You had the most religious and
moral, and you had the publican. That's the lowest rung on society
in people's And mind you, it had despised him. Now in verses 11 and 12, we read
of the religion of the Pharisee. And in verse 13, we read of the
religion of the publican. Now let's look in verse 10. Two men went up into the temple
to pray, the one a Pharisee, the other a publican. The Pharisee
stood. Before we look at his wording,
let's look at his attitude. He stood. He stood. He felt quite confident to stand.
He stood and prayed. He acknowledged God,
but I think it's so interesting the way the Lord tells us with
regard to his prayer. The Pharisee stood and prayed,
how? Thus with himself. He thought
he's praying to God. He addressed God's name, but
the Lord says he prayed thus with himself. You see, God did
not hear this prayer by way of favor. He knew exactly what he's
saying. But as far as any efficacy with his prayer, he didn't get
any further than the ceiling. He prayed thus with himself. And the Lord points that out
to us. If you would have asked him who
he was praying to, he'd say, God, God, I thank thee that I'm
not as other men are. Because he was praying to himself,
he was worshiping himself, wasn't he? He wasn't worshiping God. He was worshiping himself. You know, I can hear the irreverence
in his tone. God, I just think of probably the way he said it.
The familiarity that actually is unclean. He prayed thus with
himself. Now look at. The words of his
prayer, God, I thank Thee. Now the first thing that I want
to point out is that this guy's theology was right. He didn't
give himself the credit. I thank Thee. This guy was no
freewheeler. He was no Arminian. He said,
God, I thank Thee. I wouldn't dare thank myself
for this glorious life I'm living. I thank thee. I give you all
the credit. But there's an unmistakably obvious
omission in what he thanked him for. He doesn't thank him for who
he is as far as the Lord. He doesn't thank him for the
forgiveness of sins. He doesn't thank him for the
freeness of his grace, he doesn't thank him for the greatness of
his mercy, no. He said, I thank thee that I
am not as other men are. The emphasis of false religion
is a changed life. Look at me. My life gives evidence
that I am saved. That is what I am resting in. Are you saying that character
and conduct do not matter? I'm saying that if you find assurance
of salvation because of anything in your life, you're missing
the gospel. You will notice five times this
man uses the word, I. Five times in this prayer, look
at it. 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. I give tithes
of all that I possess." Five I's in his prayer. Now, is there anything wrong with
not being an extortioner, not being unjust, not being an
adulterer, giving tithes of all you possess, fasting twice in the week. Is
there anything wrong with that? No. I would say it would be a good
practice for all of us. All of these things, extortion,
taking what doesn't belong to you, unjust, an adulterer. Look at the problems that's created
in our society. His generosity, his self-denial,
fasting twice in the week. Is there anything wrong with
that? No. Here's the problem. Everything
he said was a lie. Turn with me in Romans chapter
two. Let me just divide what I'm saying from the scripture. Verse one. He looked at these people, he
said, I'm not like they are. You know, religion of comparing
yourself with somebody else is never wise. You can always find
somebody that you think you're better than them, but in reality,
you're wrong. That kind of religion is wrong
altogether. But look what Paul says in verse
one. Now, this man was casting a judgment
on these people. I'm not like other men are. That
fellow's an extortioner. I'm not like that. That fella's
unjust, that's on me. That fella's an adulterer, I'm
not. That fella doesn't fast, I do. That fella is not generous, I
am. He was casting a judgment on
these people. I'm not like them. Romans chapter two, verse one,
therefore, Thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that
judgest. For wherein thou judgest another,
thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest, doest the
same things. That fellow that you're judging
for extortion, you're an extortioner. What hypocrisy. That fellow that
you're judging for being unjust, you're so unjust. No, I'm not. God says you are. God says you
are. That fellow you're judging for
his immorality, God says you do. Any judgment you make against
somebody else, for whatever it is, is pure, unadulterated, Hypocrisy. That man was a hypocrite. What he was saying that he didn't
do in God's sight. In fact, he did. We're talking
about what God sees, not what man sees. You know, what man
sees is really inconsequential. What does God see? This man was making a claim that
he had no right to make. He talked about what he didn't
do and he was wrong. Then he talked
about what he did do. I fast twice in the week. And
I'm sure on his fast days he disfigured his face so that everyone
could see he was fasting. And somebody would say, what's
wrong? I'm fasting. And if you fail to ask, he'd
tell you, I'm fasting. And I give. I give tithes of
all that I possess. You know, the Lord did say, don't
let your right hand know what your left hand's doing and give
him, but boy, this man let everybody know. I give tithes of all, everybody
knows. I'm the most generous man in
the church. And then he turned his eyes toward
that pathetic man he saw as he walked into the temple, praying
that pathetic prayer. And he said, Lord, I thank you.
I'm not like that. I'm not like that. Five eyes in this prayer. And
that's a dead giveaway, isn't it? I, I, I, I, I. Sin's a little word and the biggest
word is the biggest letter and it's the middle word, I. I. Self. Righteousness. Biggest oxymoron that we can
state. The biggest contradiction in
terms we can state. Biggest problem we have. The
root behind every other problem. Self-righteousness. I think it's interesting that
the word I is not found in the publicans prayer. Let's look
at the publicans prayer. Verse 13 and the publican standing afar off now. Before we look at this seven-word
prayer, consider his posture standing afar off. He felt so
isolated, so sinful, so inadequate, so unworthy. He stood afar off. And what was he doing? He would
not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven. I can almost see
the Pharisee when he's praying, putting his eyes up, his hands
up. Lord hears me. Not this man. He wouldn't even
so much as lift his eyes up toward heaven. Oh, he felt so alone. So there wasn't anybody like
him. He knew that he was the worst man alive. That's how he
saw himself. And he beat upon his breast.
You see, that's where he knew his problem was, his heart. The
heart is desperately wicked. That means incurably wicked,
deceitful above all things. He knew that's me. When he heard
the description God gives. God saw the wickedness of man
was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts
of his heart was only evil continually. He said, that's the truth with
regard to me. I don't know how anybody else feels, but I know
that's me. That's this man, so isolated, so alone, nobody like
me. I am the sinner, not a sinner
among many, the sinner. The definite article is used. And his prayer consists of seven
words. Pretty brief prayer. God, be
merciful to me, the sinner. I guarantee you the way he used
the Lord's name was different than the way the Pharisee used
the Lord's name. When the Pharisee used the Lord's
name, he used it with some familiarity. God, you know me. I think of that Him, I've heard saying, he walks
with me and he talks with me. He tells me I am his own. And
the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known. I'm sure he felt that way about
himself. If we say we have fellowship with him, that's what he may
claim to. I've got fellowship with God.
He hears me. But this man, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. God, be merciful to me. Please
don't give me what I richly deserve. We see what he thought about
his life. At Publican, he had a pretty high opinion of his
life. I think he really believed those things. Was he being sincere? Yeah, I believe he was. He was
sincerely wrong, but he was being sincere. But this man, we see
what he thinks of his life. God be merciful. Don't give me what I deserve.
God be merciful to me, the sinner. And the word merciful in the
original is propitious. God be propitious, what in the
world does that word mean? That's not a word that we hear
very often, propitious. A propitiation is a sin removing
sacrifice. And this man isn't telling the
Lord what he's going to do about his sin. Oh, if you, I'll be
better. Things are changing. If you'll
just do this for me, I'll start. Nothing like that. He says, I
cannot do anything about my sin. God be propitious, cause it to
be removed through the blood atonement of thy son. God. Be propitious, be a sin
removing sacrifice. I can't get it to leave. You
do something for Christ's sake about my sin. Notice he calls himself the,
the sinner. If you're a sinner, you know
that all you do is sin because you're the one doing it. That's
the problem. Even if it appeared good, you did it. There's the problem. You did
it. And you know you cannot keep from sin because it's you doing
it. You put that offering in the box back there, If you know
you're a sinner, you know there's no merit in that. No righteousness
in that, because you did it. You have so many bad motives,
you want to be the most generous person. You did it. Well, we might as well not do
anything then. No, no, don't do that. Don't do that, but just
realize. You and I, in reality, cannot
look down our nose in moral superiority or judgment over any son of Adam
alive. Do you believe that? You can't
judge anybody. I can't judge anybody. And you
know, my sin's all my fault. I can't blame anybody for it.
You know, it's only when it's all your fault, completely your
fault, that you need mercy. I don't have any claims on God.
I can't say God owes me anything. I'm a sinner. God be merciful
to me, the sinner. I love what Paul said, and here's
the only time we're allowed to use the word I. Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the chief. What a glorious thing that Christ
came into the world to save sinners. Now look what the Lord says in
verse 14. I tell you, I think there's such power in
that. This is the Lord's words. This is not some preacher's words
or some religion's words or some soul winner's words. These are
the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. authority of his speech. What
he says is so because he said it. I tell you, this is my judgment. This is what I say. This man went down to his house,
not forgiven, not shown mercy, not receiving
grace. Although all those words are
true but that's not the word the Lord chooses to use. He says,
this man went down to his house, this man who cried, God, be propitious
to me, the sinner, take away my sin, cause it to be washed
away through the blood atoning sacrifice of your son. I have
nothing else. Look at me through the cross
of your son. Let me be found in him. The Lord
says, with regard to this man, I tell you, this man went down
to his house, justified, cleared, of all guilt, sinless before
God, righteous before God, perfect before God. And the Lord said,
I'll tell you that. And interestingly enough, he
doesn't tell how that is in this parable, but he uses the rest
of the Bible to teach us that. How God can be just. and justify
somebody like this poor, pathetic publican. Turn with me in your
Bibles to Romans chapter three. Verse 19. Now we know that what thing soever the law
saith, it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth
may be stopped. No excuses and all the world
may become guilty before God. Has my mouth ever been stopped? And I stand guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, anything you do, there shall no flesh be justified in his
sight. For by the law is the knowledge
of sin. All the law's ever gonna tell
you and me is that we're sinners. You and I, I'm speaking of both
of us, we've not kept one of the Ten Commandments in ourselves
one time. Do you believe that? All the law does is expose sin. But verse 21, now, right now,
the righteousness of God without the law, without my attempts
at keeping it. is manifested, being witnessed
by the law and the prophets, it's what the Old Testament has
always taught, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of
Jesus Christ. Now notice that word of, not
by faith in Jesus Christ, by faith of Jesus Christ. The faithfulness of, the law-keeping
of, the obedience of, Jesus Christ. But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith
of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that, what? Believe. Believe. Believe what? That there's no
difference. You take the most, and listen,
I want to promote in every way morality, a moral upstanding
life in every respect. But in God's sight, you take
the most moral and the most degraded evil man alive. There's no difference. There's no difference. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. Now there's a definition of sin.
Coming short of the glory of God. Being justified. There's the word the Lord used.
Being justified freely That means you didn't do anything to get
it. Being justified freely by His
grace. This is an act of God's grace,
free grace, saving grace through the redemption, the redeeming
work of Christ on the cross whom God has set forth to be a propitiation. There's that word again. of propitiation,
a sin removing sacrifice. God, that word set forth means
foreordained. This has always been God's purpose.
He's the lamb slain from the foundation of the world whom
God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. Do you believe that the blood
of Jesus Christ is all that's needed to make you justified
before God, clean, perfect, sinless. Do you believe that? I do. Faith in his blood. to declare His righteousness
for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance
of God. To declare, I say at this time, His righteousness,
not just His mercy and not just His grace, not just the forgiveness
of sins, but His righteousness that He might be just and the
justifier of some A person like that publican crying, God be
merciful to me, the sinner, the very righteousness and justice
of God demands his salvation. And if you're a believer, the
very justice and law and righteousness of God demands your salvation. Why? Your sin's been removed.
It's been propitiated by the blood of Christ. His very righteousness
is given to you so that God has found a way to be just and justify
the ungodly. Verse 27, where is boasting then? It is excluded. It's shut out
by what law of works? Nay, but by the law of faith.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without
the deeds of the law. Now back to our text in closing. The Lord adds what could be called
the unalterable law of the kingdom of heaven. He says, I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified rather than the other,
for everyone that exalts himself shall be abased. Nebuchadnezzar said, Them that
walk in pride, he knoweth how to abase. He does. If I, like this Pharisee, exalt
myself, I'll be abased. And that Pharisee If he was a
real man, he's been in hell ever since. That's what that's talking
about. And he that humbleth himself takes the lowest seat like this
publican shall be exalted by his grace. Lord, save me from my sin. Lord,
save me from myself. Righteousness. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for your
word. How we thank you. For salvation, for sinners. Lord, we confess our self-righteousness. It's so hypocritical. We pray
that you would cleanse us from our sin, cleanse us from our
self-righteousness. Lord, deliver us from despising
others and looking down on others and cause us to always take the
lowest seat in the house. Give us the grace to humble ourselves
in your mighty presence. and save us by the propitiation
that Christ worked out on the cross. Lord, enable everybody
in this room to pray this prayer. God be propitious to me, the
sinner. And Lord, let us hear from you
that we are justified by what your son has done in our behalf.
In his name we pray, amen.