Luke Chapter 18. We have here
a parable that the Lord gives about two men who went to the
temple and two men went there to pray. I'm entitling the message
from this parable the Lord gives the story of two men. The story
of two men. One justified himself before
God and was condemned The Pharisee justified himself and was condemned. The other, the publican, condemned
himself before God and was justified. Look at verse 14, Luke 18 verse
14. I tell you, I tell you, this
man, this mercy beggar that cried out unto the Lord God be merciful
to me, thee sinner, Verse 13, this man went down to his house,
he went home from the temple justified, cleared of all guilt,
rather than the other. Everybody here is one of these
two men. Everybody here is one of these
two men. You see, these two men are representative
men. They're only sinners saved by
God's sovereign grace through the merits of the Lord Jesus
Christ, as we read a moment ago in Romans 3, being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that is in the Lord
Jesus Christ. They're only sinners saved by
God's sovereign grace through the merits of Christ's redeeming
blood and sinners who are going about to establish their own
righteousness, doing their own thing, trying to whittle out
a righteousness of their own before God. Isaiah calls that
a refuge of lies. There's just two. Every one of
us here are one of those two. Either resting in Christ or going
about to establish a refuge of our own. Now the all-knowing
Lord, Jesus Christ, and our sovereign Lord declares this parable to
us to show us how he saves sinners by his grace alone through faith
alone. Creature merit does not enter
into the picture of salvation in any way whatsoever. It's not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. You mean my works, my obedience,
my faithfulness counts for nothing? Nothing. Not in the accomplishment
of salvation. It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
God's own purpose and grace. Creature merit has nothing to
do with the accomplishment of salvation. God saves sinners
alone by His grace. Grace. What could you contribute
anyway? If righteousness comes by, Paul
said, I do not frustrate the grace of God. If righteousness
comes by the law, then Christ is dead and vain. What could
you really contribute anyway? Everything you have, everything
you could bring is sinful, polluted with sin, full of corruption.
What could you bring that satisfies Christ's holy God? You just mess
it up. Nothing. Aren't you glad that
salvation is the free gift of God? That gives this sinner hope. Hope before God. Now notice carefully
in verse 9, notice carefully who the Lord gave this parable
unto. He spake this parable unto certain
which trusted in themselves. Now if you look across the page
in Luke 17 verse 20, and when he was demanded of the Pharisees,
so he's addressing this religious crowd that hunted him, hated
him, haunted him, and cried away with him, crucify him, we have
no king but Caesar. These Pharisees, the sharpest
rebukes the Lord pronounced was upon these scribes and Pharisees. He called them over there in
Matthew 23, He called them a bunch of snakes, vipers, wicked men. Look over here at one page, Luke
16 verse 13. Generation of vipers He called
them. Make clean the outside, but within
you are full of dead men's bones. Luke 16 verse 13, No servant
can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God with a divided heart. You cannot serve God in
mammon. And the Pharisees also, who were
covetous, heard all these things and they derided him, they scoffed
at him. And he said unto them, you are
they which justify yourselves before men. But God knows your
heart. That which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination in the sight of God. These Pharisees
did everything they did to be seen of men. That's what it was
all about. Their religion was a religion
of outward adorning while their heart was full of corruption. Who were these Pharisees? They
were the strictest order of the Jews, always going about to establish
an outward righteousness by their own deed, by the deeds of the
law. They were legalists and they
separated themselves from everyone else. Remember what we read a
moment ago? In Romans chapter 3, let every
mouth be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God.
By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified, and yet
these Pharisees went about to establish a righteousness of
their own. Those, you remember hearing this
statement, those who are holier than thou? You've all heard that
statement, haven't you? You know that comes from Isaiah
65? And God says about those Pharisees who say, Come not near
to me, for I am holier than thou. Do you know what the Lord says?
It's smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all the day long. You see, these Pharisees, they
were ignorant of God's provided righteousness in Christ. Turn
to Romans 10 for just a moment. You remember Saul of Tarsus? Before he was converted and made
a new creature in Christ? Before he was made the Apostle
Paul by God's grace? Saul of Tarsus, do you remember
who he was? A Pharisee. He hated God. He hated the Lord
Jesus Christ. Breathing out threatening and
slaughter against the Lord's people. But after he was converted,
notice what he says now in Romans 10 verse 1. Brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God for Israel, that they might be saved,
those Jewish people, for I bear them record they have a zeal
of God, but not according to knowledge, they being ignorant
of God's righteousness, His holy character, therefore they are
going about to establish a righteousness of their own, and have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. the righteousness provided
of God in Christ. He's our righteousness. For Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth, believeth
the gospel. Saul of Tarsus was one of these
Pharisees until God unhorsed him, put him in the dust, and
taught him the gospel of God's grace. He was always going about
to establish the righteousness of his own. As a matter of fact,
his testimony was in Philippians chapter 3. He said, concerning
and touching the law, he said, I was blameless. Saul, the Pharisee,
thought he was blameless before God. But after God saved him,
you know what he said? Oh, wretched man that I am. who
shall deliver me from this body of death. I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord." You see, self-righteousness is the most
deadly sin of all. Now let that sink in a minute. Self-righteousness is the most
deadly sin of all because your sin will never keep you from
Christ Your supposed goodness, your supposed self-righteousness
will. Your sin will never keep you
from Christ, but you go about to establish a righteousness
of your own, that'll keep you from seeking mercy where it's
found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me show you another scripture.
Turn over here to Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7. Those who went about to establish
a righteousness of their own, who said this before the Lord
in Matthew 7.21, Not everyone that saith unto
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he
that doeth the will of my Father. How do we do the will of the
Father? Believe Christ. Rest in Christ. For many will
say to me that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? And in thy name cast out devils? And in thy name we've
done many wonderful works? Boy, that sounds pretty good,
doesn't it? Then I'll profess unto them, I never knew you.
I never loved you. Depart from me, you that work
iniquity, self-righteousness, is nothing but iniquity before
God. Would you trust that which God
curses? Would you trust that which God
says is nothing but iniquity? Aren't you glad that the Lord
Jesus Christ came to save sinners? What do the Pharisees like to
do? Two things that are mentioned here. He spake this parable unto
certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and
they despise others. What do the Pharisees like to
do? They trust themselves that they were righteous before God
and men. Cursed is everyone that trusteth in the flesh, Jeremiah
17. What a dangerous thing to do,
to trust yourself for salvation. It's a dangerous thing to do
because we can never be righteous by our deeds, certainly not before
God. He said, all of our righteousnesses
before him are as filthy rags. They trusted in themselves that
they were righteous, which led to this. Here's the other thing
they did. They always despised others.
Self-righteousness always causes someone to love self and hate
others, to justify yourself and condemn others. Always breeds
contention, not kindness, is always harsh, never forgiving.
This was exactly the ministry of Saul of Tarsus, wasn't it? It was all about persecuting
those who didn't agree with him, persecuting believers. In case
you haven't noticed, the religion of the Pharisees is alive and
well today. Work's religion prospers today
like no other day. as it does in our day right now. You see, there's just two religions
in this world. One of grace, the other of works. One of faith, and one of sight. One of truth, one of lies. One of merit, one of mercy. One of light, one of darkness. One of life, one of death. There's just one way of salvation
that's in Christ. Now look at verse 10 back in
our text, Luke 18 verse 10. The two men went to a good place, went to
a proper place to pray, to worship. The two men went up to the temple
to pray. The one a Pharisee, the other
a notable sinner. Two men, One was moral and self-righteous,
the Pharisee. The other, a notorious sinner. The contrast is great. If you would ask a Jew who's
the most moral man in his day, he would say, well, the Pharisees.
Pharisee. Ask him who was the most immoral
and sinful man, he would say, without hesitation, a publican.
Turn back to Luke chapter 5. When the Lord called Matthew,
Luke chapter 5, who was a publican, you know who complained the loudest?
Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5 verse 27. After
these things he went forth, that is the Lord Jesus, and saw a
publican named Levi. Now we know this man by the name
of Matthew as well. He was a publican sitting at
the receipt of customs and he said unto him, that is the Lord
said, follow me. And he left all, rose up and
followed the Lord. And Levi made him a great feast
in his own house. And there was a great company
of publicans and others that sat down with him. Verse 30,
But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples,
saying, Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And
the Lord answered, saying unto them, They that are whole need
not a physician, but they who are sick. I am not come to call
the righteous, but sinners to repent it. Now who complained
the loudest of the Lord Jesus Christ meeting in the house with
a bunch of publicans? Pharisees. You see they despised
others. Both men went to the temple, the proper place of prayer and
worship. Both men were in the same need
of mercy. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. Both men were fallen guilty sons
of Adam. But these two men had different
desires, different attitudes, and different motives. One went
seeking the Lord, the other went justifying himself. One went
to be seen of men, the other went to meet God. One went to
brag on himself and impress God, the other went to worship God
in spirit and in truth. One went to condemn others, the
other went to the temple to condemn himself. One went as a bragger,
the other went as a mercy beggar. Have you ever noticed all those
who are truly wicked think themselves to be righteous? Have you ever
noticed that? Just ask them. You see, there's
not many sinners around today. And all those who are truly righteous
and justified in Christ know themselves to be the Chief of
sinners. They do. They do indeed. We say with the Apostle Paul,
O wretched man that I am. Now all of us here are one of
these two men. All of us here are one of these
two men. Why did we come here today? Why did we come here this
morning? To be seen of men or to worship
God? I trust we gather here in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ to worship Him, to hear His word,
to receive His truth, and seek salvation where it's found. Oh,
that I might win Christ and be found in Him, salvation in Him,
in Him. Now, look at verse 11 and verse
12 back in our text, Luke 18. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God I thank thee, I'm not as other men are."
Really? Really? He's saying he's not
a sinner. I'm not as other men are. An
extortioner, unjust, adulterer, even as this publican, I fast
twice in a week, I give tithes of all that I possess. Now, what
do you see in this Pharisee's prayer? First of all, there's no confession
of personal sin against God. He doesn't come before God as
a sinner. You remember how David prayed,
Lord have mercy upon me, according to thy loving kindness, according
to thy tender mercy, blot out all my iniquity. This Pharisee
here has no confession of guilt. You see, if we say we have no
sin, We deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. There's
no confession of personal sin and guilt against God. I'm just
not like other men are. I'm a little bit better. There's
no begging for mercy, is there? There's no asking for forgiveness.
You remember how the Lord taught us to pray? Turn back to Luke
11. Luke 11. There's no confession of guilt. There's no begging for mercy.
Luke chapter 11, our Lord taught us to pray. Verse 1, And it came
to pass, that as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased,
one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray,
as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, when you
pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, holy, hallowed be
thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, in heaven
as it is in earth. Give us this day our daily bread,
forgive us our sins. who we also forgive everyone
that's indebted to us. Lead us not into temptation.
Deliver us from evil. Lord, forgive me for my sin. You see, there was no asking
for forgiveness. There was no seeking mercy before
God in this Pharisee's prayer. It's really not prayer at all,
is it? He was just bagging on himself.
He really didn't pray at all. He only commended himself before
God. It was all about, I did, I did, or I didn't. And I'm certainly
not like that old bum over there. This man was totally ignorant
of his own sinful nature and totally ignorant of the character
of God who is holy. Now look at verse 13. Notice
the difference in the publican's prayer. And I believe this is the true
sinner's prayer. This is a good way to approach
God. The publican standing back in
the crowd. He wouldn't elbow his way up
to the front. He just stood afar off. would
not even lift up so much his eyes unto heaven, knowing that
God is in the heavens, knowing that God is holy. But he smote
upon his breast, he thumped his chest, indicating that he had
a heart problem, saying, God be merciful to me, the sinner."
Now this is the true sinner's prayer. This prayer is the complete
opposite of the Pharisee. His prayer, the prayer of the
Pharisee was full of arrogance and pride. This prayer is full
of humility and repentance. This is seen in what he did and
what he said. What he did, he stood afar off,
would not lift up so much his eyes before God. He knew he was
too sinful to approach the Christ Holy God. God dwells in a light
to which no man can approach. He smote upon his breast, acknowledging
the fountain and source of his sin. Our Lord said, Out of the
abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. You see, God must give
us a new heart. He must make us new creatures
in Christ, that we might worship Him. Ezekiel 36, the Lord said,
A new heart will I also give you, a new spirit will I put
within you. I'll take away that stony heart
out of your flesh, and I'll give you a true heart, a true heart
that loves God. that seeks God's will, a heart
of flesh made new in Christ, a heart that loves God, a heart
that believes God, a heart that bows in submission, praying,
Thy will be done. The Lord is nigh them of a broken
heart, save us such as be of a contrite spirit. That's what
he did, and look what he said. Look what he said. God Be my sacrifice for sin. Be my sacrifice. I'm a sinner. Does that describe you? Oh, I used to be a sinner. No,
I'm still a sinner. Paul said, a wretched man that
I am. When the Lord called Simon Peter. Peter, John, and James were out
fishing. They had fished all night and
had caught nothing. And the Lord came on their boat
and said, ìLaunch out into the deep and cast your net on the
other side.î And Peter said, ìWait a minute. Weíve fished
all night. We know what weíre doing. Nevertheless,
at your word, weíll cast out the net.î Do you remember what
happened? There was such a catch of fish
As they started to draw the fish in, it was just running over
with fish. You remember what Peter said? Let's turn and read
it. Luke chapter 5. Luke chapter
5. With Simon Peter verse 8. Luke chapter 5. They'd caught
so many fish that the ships began to sink.
When Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart
from me, For I am a sinful man, O Lord." Does that describe you? A sinful
man, full of sin. That describes every sinner,
doesn't it? It does me. It describes me.
This sinner, back to the text, begs for mercy based upon the
blood atonement of Christ. You see that in the text? He
begs for mercy, not upon his faith, not upon his repentance,
not upon his own personal obedience or his own personal faith. He
asks for forgiveness. Lord, I'm going to turn over
a new leaf. This is a new year. I'm going to turn over a new
year, a new leaf. I'm going to reform my life.
Will you be merciful to me if I reform my life? Will you show
me mercy? Well, that's nothing but driving
a bargain with God. That's trying to merit His mercy.
You see, He only asks for mercy based upon the blood atonement
of Christ. God be merciful to me, the sinner. Now this phrase here, be merciful,
is the exact same word turned to Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews
chapter 2. And it's the same word that's
rendered Be my propitiation. God set forth, foreordained the
Lord Jesus Christ to be my propitiation, to be my mercy seat. Hebrews
2 verse 17, Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be
made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make a
mercy seat. To make reconciliation, be merciful
for the sins of the people. You see, Christ is the only reason
for forgiveness of our sins. Turn to 1 John chapter 4. The only way God can show mercy
to any sinner is that the Lord Jesus Christ is our reconciliation,
He is our atonement, He is our propitiation, our mercy seat,
our atonement for sin. 1 John chapter 4. Herein is love. Not that we love God, but that
He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation. the mercy
seat, the atonement, the covering over of my sin, the putting away
of my sin. We are told to pray for one another,
to love one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven
us. I'm going to beg for mercy. I'm
going to take my place before the throne of God as a mercy
beggar, but I'm not going to beg for mercy based upon my merit. That doesn't even make good sense.
I would have begged for mercy based upon the blood atonement
of Christ, redeeming blood, His redeeming blood. God made peace
for us with His own blood. Because God dealt with our sin
in Christ according to His strict and holy justice, now He can
freely forgive us and show mercy, not at the expense of His holy
justice. That He might be just, as we
read in Romans 3, 26, that He might be just and the justifier
of those who trust Christ, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. God,
do you ever pray this way? I pray this way every day, all
the time. God, show mercy to me, a sinner. I pray for my children,
my grandchildren. I pray for this community. God,
be merciful for Christ's sake. The only foundation of mercy
is Christ. Now, here's the summation. Look at verse 14. Here's the
Lord's powerful, eternal statement of unbending truth. I tell you,
this man, this mercy beggar, who begged for mercy based upon
the blood atonement of Christ, I tell you, this man went home
justified. What does it mean to be justified?
Cleared of all guilt before God. Justified freely by His grace,
rather than the other. The other went home condemned. For everyone that exalted himself
shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. The sinner is justified, cleared
of all guilt, and made righteous in Christ by his faithfulness,
by his obedience, by his doing, while the Pharisee, the self-righteous,
is justly condemned, trusting his own merit. One left the temple
that day justly condemned in his sin. One left the temple
that day justified by God's grace. cleared of all guilt. He that
spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things? Who can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather
is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
makes intercession for us. Those that exalt themselves before
God, shall be condemned. Those that condemn themselves
before God shall be exalted." Have you ever condemned yourself
before God? I'm a sinner. Lord, have mercy
on me for Christ's sake. You see, God resisted the proud
but gives grace to those humbled in the dust. Humble yourselves
in the sight of God, of the Lord, and He shall lift you up. What
is it to be humbled before God? What is it to be humbled before
God? Pretty good question. It's to seek salvation where
it's found. That's to be humbled before God.
It's to seek salvation based upon the blood and righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's to seek salvation in Christ
alone. It's to be stripped and laid
in the dust before God, begging to be clothed with the righteousness
of Christ. Every one of us here today is
one of these two men. Every one of us here. We are
one of these two men. Either you're going about to
establish a righteousness of your own, or you're seeking salvation
in Christ, who is the Lord our righteousness. May God give us
grace as we start this new year. To always look to the Lord Jesus
Christ crucified as all of our salvation. Christ alone is all
of our salvation. Christ crucified alone is all
of our justification before God. We're justified by His blood.
The Lord Jesus Christ alone is all of our pardon. He's all of
our cleansing. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanses us from all our sin. I'm going to take my place before
God just as this publican, this sinner, and beg God for mercy. And you know what the good news
is about that? Turn to Luke 18 verse 35. I've never read one
time in Scripture, Luke 18 verse 35, I've never read one time
in Scripture where the Lord Jesus Christ ever turned a mercy beggar
away. Everybody who came to the Lord
Jesus Christ seeking mercy, seeking help, seeking healing, they went
away made whole. That ought to encourage every
one of us to seek salvation in Christ. You remember the story
of blind Bartimaeus? Luke 18.35, it came to pass that
as he was come nigh to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the
wayside begging, begging. And hearing the multitude pass
by, he asked what it meant. And they told him that Jesus
of Nazareth passed by. And he cried, saying, Jesus,
Savior, thou Son of David, the promised Messiah, have mercy
on me. Have mercy on me. You see, he
took his place, just like that publican, before the throne of
God's grace, before the throne of mercy. Have mercy on me. And
they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his
peace. But he cried so much the more,
Thou son of David, have mercy on me." Verse 40, and another
place it says, O remark that Jesus stood still, stopped him. The cry of mercy stopped the
Lord. and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he was
come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I should
do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I might
receive my sight. And the Lord said unto him, Receive
thy sight, thy faith hath saved thee. Faith in who? Thou son
of David, have mercy upon me. And immediately he received his
sight, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when
they saw it, gave praise unto God. God, be merciful to me, thee
sinner. And the Lord said, I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified. Justified. Justified by his grace.