Now let's turn back in our Bibles
to Luke chapter 18. And let me say unto you, my dullness
this morning is not from lack of enthusiasm about my message. I just plain feel bad. I just didn't feel like teaching
my class this morning. I'm glad Brother Ken Wymer was
already scheduled to do that. And I watched the television
program this morning before I came to church. I know some of you
do that also. One thought that went through
my mind while I was watching me preach on television is, I
sure wish I felt that good today. But I'm encouraged about that
program. I think I said some things this
morning that, one, are not being said, two, need to be said, and
three, if they are said, God will in His own good time bless
them. Now in Luke 18, verse 9, If words mean anything at all,
there is no reason to misunderstand this parable of the Master. Our Lord Jesus Christ is speaking
here, and this parable has a definite target. The error is aimed at certain
people. It says in verse 9, He spake
this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they
were righteous. In other words, the Master is
speaking to a people. He's speaking to people who,
first of all, justify themselves in their own minds. They say, I'm not as other men. I'm different. I'm better, I'm
more holy, I'm more righteous. Those are the ones to whom he's
speaking. They justify themselves to themselves. I'm not like you. They not only justify themselves
in their own minds, but they justify themselves even before
God. They say, I thank God I'm not
like other men. I thank God I'm not like other
men. I call God to witness that I'm not like other men. And I'm
thankful to God that what He sees in others,
He doesn't see in me. And then another thing they do,
they not only justify themselves in their own minds and justify
themselves before God, But they compare themselves with others.
They say, I'm not even as this man. I'm not even as this publican. I'm not like this man. Our Lord
said, you are they which justify yourselves before men. But God
knows your heart. And that which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination to God. And here's a scripture that
I would like for you to turn to, because I think it's important
that you know it. 2 Corinthians chapter 10. 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse
12. These people justify themselves
in their own minds. They justify themselves before
God. And they compare themselves with
others. In 2 Corinthians 10, 12, Paul
said, For we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves
with some that commend themselves. But they measuring themselves
by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. That's not wise. You may be a far better person
than someone else. morally and in many ways. But it's not wise to compare
yourselves with people of this earth. We've got to be justified
in God's sight. The rule of men is not the rule,
it's the rule of God. It's God's measure, you see,
by which I'm judged. And then another thing about
these people They despised others. Look at verse 9 again. He spake
this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they
were righteous, and they despised others. You never met a self-righteous
person who was not critical. Critical. They're critical of
the lifestyle of other people. They're critical of the conduct
of other people. They're critical of the conversation.
They're critical of the way they live, they're critical of the
way they dress, they're critical of the way they talk, they're
critical of how they raise their children. They're just very critical. They enjoy pointing out the weaknesses
of others. And they delight in finding fault
with others. And they rejoice in the fall
of others. They really rejoice in it. It
gives them something to talk about. No man is quick to judge
another or to condemn another or to criticize another unless
he has a very high opinion of himself. Now that's just so. They justify themselves in their
own minds. I'm not like other men. And they
even call God into this conspiracy. I say, I thank God I'm not like
other men. It's a blessing from heaven that
I'm so different. And then they compare themselves
with others. They say, I'm not like this man or this man or
this man. I'm not like them. And they always
despise others and are quick to judge and condemn and criticize. One writer said, oh God, oh God,
save me from pride. That awful sin. that swells the
hearts of sinful men, pride that lifts up the tongue, the hands,
the eyes, and oh God, it takes me by surprise. Now I wouldn't be guilty of cataloging
sin. I don't think that's wise at
all. I don't think it's wise to rate one sin over another
as being more wicked or more sinful. It's like I said on the
television this morning, sin is a nature, sin is a principle
within. What we do outwardly is because
of what we are inwardly. Our Lord said it's not what a
man takes in his mouth that defiles him, it's what comes out of his
heart. A person does not become a thief because he steals. He
steals because he's a thief. A man doesn't tell a lie and
become a liar. He tells a lie because he's already
a liar. That's the nature of sin. That's
the evil of sin. And sin is a principle which
is contrary to God's holiness and God's righteousness and God's
truth in every area. In every area. To be guilty of
To offend in one point of the law is to be guilty of the whole
law. I wouldn't catalog sin. I wouldn't say that one sin is
greater than another sin. I wouldn't say that one sin is
to be avoided any more than any other sin. That would be dangerous,
dangerous theology. But I will say this, number one,
I will say that of all the snares and traps of Satan, of all the
subtle traps of Satan to oppose the Lord Jesus Christ, of all the snares and traps of
Satan to keep men from true salvation, true redemption, of all the snares
and traps of Satan to defeat the true gospel of God and to
give men false hope and false comfort and a false refuge. and
assurance of a salvation which they do not have, self-righteousness
is the most successful. I will say that. I will say that self-righteousness
is the most deadly. It's the most deadly and widespread
sin of this day. Paul said, I'm not ignorant of
the devices of Satan. And he said in Romans 10 concerning
his religious Jewish brethren, he said, I bear them witness.
I bear them witness. They have a zeal for God. They
are religious, but not according to knowledge. They go about to
establish their own righteousness and will not, will not submit
to the righteousness of God. They are ignorant of the righteousness
of God. And I do know this, secondly,
of all the sins encountered by our Lord Jesus Christ during
His days on earth in the flesh. Now you think about this. Our
Lord encountered lying, false witnesses. He encountered thievery
among the publicans. He encountered adultery. among
the people, he encountered ambition, pride, and all these things among
the Pharisees. Of all the sins that he encountered
while he was here on this earth in the flesh, that sin which
brought the sharpest rebuke from his lips, his harshest words,
was the sin of self-righteousness. Now I want you to turn to Matthew
23. I want you to listen to this. of all the sins that our Lord
encountered while he was here on the earth in the flesh. Self-righteousness
brought the harshest, sharpest rebuke. Did you know that? He said to the woman found in
adultery, doth no man condemn thee, neither do I. Go and sin
no more. Our Lord touched the naked a
crazy fella in the tombs and cut himself and all kind of blasphemies
came out of his mouth filled with demons and made him whole.
But when he spoke to these religious people, in Matthew chapter 23
verse 13, listen, he says, Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! You shut up the kingdom of heaven
against men. Look at verse 14. Warn of your
scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites. You devour widows' housings,
and for a pretence you make long prayers. Verse 15. Warn of your scribes, Pharisees,
hypocrites. You encompass sea and land to
make one proselyte for religion. And when he's made, you've made
him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Verse 23.
Woe unto you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay tithe of
mint and anise, dill, and cumin, and have omitted the weighty
matters of the law. Verse 25, Woe unto you, scribes,
Pharisees, hypocrites! You may clean the outside of
the cup and the platter, but within you are full of extortion
and excess. Verse 33, Ye serpents, A generation of snakes, how can
you escape the damnation of hell? Now, I said I wouldn't catalog
sin. I wouldn't rate one sin over
another as being more evil, because sin is a nature and a principle.
But I know this, of all the snares and traps of Satan, and the false
refuges that he leads men to build, this is the deadliest
self-righteousness. And I do know when our Lord Jesus
Christ was walking on this earth in the flesh, that his harshest
words were for the religious people wrapped in their robes
of self-righteousness. And I know this, now listen to
me, I won't come down home now. This self-righteousness right
here, this man went to the house of God, as was his custom, and
he prayed. I'm not like other men. I thank
God I'm not like other men. I tithe, I fast, I give alms
to the poor. I was raised in a Christian home.
I don't drink, I don't curse, I don't gamble, I don't go to
the dens of iniquity. I'm not an extortioner, I'm not
unjust, I'm not an adulterer. But thank God, I'm not like those
people out there in the world. I'm not like those folks that
live next door to me and behind me. This is the deadly sin, refuge,
and really the religious hope of your relatives and friends
right now. I'm telling you the truth. This
is their sin, this is their deadly refuge right here. How good they
are. They're good people. They'll
tell you they're good people. They'll tell you they're moral
people. And I'm not saying that they're not moral people as you consider
immorality. I'm not saying that they're not
clean people in their daily lives as far as minding their business
and paying their bills and raising their children and keeping a
neat house and so forth and so forth. What I'm saying is before
God there's none good, no not one. I'm saying compared to the
holiness, the righteousness of God, these people do not love
perfectly. Their love is a self-love, it's
motivated. Our love is a self-love, and
it's motivated by selfishness. They don't love God with all
their heart, mind, soul, and strength, nor their neighbors
themselves. They're not good people in the sight of God. They're
not moral people in the sight of God, but they think that because
they're good compared with men, that they're good before God.
They regard the Bible, they say the Bible is God's Word, They
go to church on Sunday. They live a decent moral life.
What this man here in Luke 18 said about himself was true. He did tithe. He did fast. He did give alms
and outwardly he was not unjust. Outwardly he was not an adulterer.
Outwardly he was not an extortioner. And these people give alms, and
they serve their family and their friends, and when they die, you
hear them, they are going to be with the Lord. And the preachers of today, like
the false prophets of old, give them encouragement in this refuge
of lives. The average preacher is not preaching
what I'm trying to say to you this morning. The average preacher
brags on the flesh and commends the flesh and lifts up the flesh
and gives assurance to these self-righteous people. And they
cry, peace, peace, when there is no peace. How long has it
been since you've been to a funeral? And the preacher got up and said,
well, I regret to inform you, but according to the The attitude
of this man before us, his body, and according to his own evidence
and proof, he didn't know Jesus Christ, so he's in hell today.
You say, well, you wouldn't say that. That's what I'm saying.
You wouldn't dare say anything like that. Men are built up who've never
been brought down. Men are healed who've never been
wounded. Men are pronounced saved who have never been lost. Men
are assured of grace who have never been guilty. Men are raised to life who have
never died. They've never been sinners. They've
never come to God as a sinner. There's never been any conviction
or conversion or repentance or seeking the Lord or suing for
peace or crying for mercy as the publican of old, thief on
the cross, as the woman with the issue of blood, as the leper. Lord, if you will, you can make
me whole. You see, according to the scriptures, salvation
is for sinners. Sinners. Not folks like this. Lord, I thank you I'm not like
other men. I tithe, I fast, I give alms. I'm not this, that, and the other.
Salvation is not for those people. Salvation for the fellow says,
I am an extortioner, I am unjust, I am an adulterer. My outward
deeds and good works are filthy rags in God's sight. I need mercy,
grace, and forgiveness. Paul said, this is a fateful
saying that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Sinners of whom I am cheap. Our Lord said the Son of Man
has come to seek and to save the lost. Where are these sinners? I don't encounter them. Who are
these sinners? Everybody I know is a good person. I don't know any sinners in Ashland,
Kentucky. Turn to Romans 8. Hold Luke 18
there and turn to Romans 8 for a moment. Do you know any sinners?
There in your family, y'all got together Christmas and all different
denominations represented. You were there and your Nazarene
friends and your Methodist friends and your Baptist family and Catholic
family, all these people. Did you run into a sinner while
you were meeting with your kinfolks over Christmas? I'd like to know.
I didn't. You run into any sinners? Any lost people? Anybody need
mercy? They're all good people, weren't
they? Everybody in your family good people? Everybody in mine
good people? They don't know God, but they're good people.
They don't worship God, but they're good people. Fine folks, moral,
upstanding people in the community. Good people, but salvation is
for sinners. Look at Romans 5, listen to this,
verse 6. For when we were yet without
strength in due time, Christ died for whom? The ungodly. Now you know anybody
that's ungodly? I mean right here in this fair
town of ours. You don't know anybody that's
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die. That is a self-righteous, proud,
arrogant fellow. A man wouldn't die for him. Yet
for adventure for a good man, for a man who's kind and gracious
and lovable, some would even dare to die. But God commended
his love toward us in the while we were what? Sinners Christ
died for. Much more, then, being now justified
by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies...
Now this is the way God describes those for whom Christ died. Sinners,
ungodly, and enemies. Sinners, ungodly, and enemies. And what I'm trying to say to
you... It's like, let me tell you a
little story. One of the ladies in this church was witnessing
to an older person. And you older people here this
morning who know something about the gospel, you ought to thank
God. Thank God that He taught you
early what sin is and who God is and who Christ is. Because
as you get older, you get dull to these things. You get to where,
remember now thy creator and the days of thy youth, while
the evil days come not, and the days draw not. And I, when you
say, I just, I can't comprehend it. I can't put it together.
And this lady in our church is witnessing to this older lady,
and she's moral and good, but she doesn't know God. Doesn't
have any hope in Christ, any love for Christ, any interest
in Christ, any understanding of sin. And this young lady was
trying to tell her, she said, well, she called her by name,
she said, I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner before God. The
things I would do, I do them not. The things I would not do,
I do. I'm a sinner before God. I'm guilty of every sin. Condemned
by all the Lord. Went on talking about how she
felt of sins and guilt and needed mercy. And the old lady looked
at her and said, well, honey, why don't you change your ways? We had one young lady in this
church who applied for a job. And on the questionnaire that
she filled out for the company, it said, have you ever taken
drugs? She put, no. Have you ever wanted
to? She put, no. It said, secondly,
have you ever stolen anything? She said, no. Have you ever wanted
to? She said, yes. Have you? Why, sure. There's no sin you hadn't committed
in your heart and in your thoughts. Well, a guy that was hiring her,
or didn't hire her, he called her in and said, we wanted you
to run the cash register with your tendency to steal. disqualifies
you from the position. She said, I don't steal. He said,
you said you wanted to. The world doesn't understand
this. Old Jimmy Carter almost lost
the election back when he was running for president. You remember?
And they always inquire and ask him if he ever committed adultery.
He said, no. They said, have you ever wanted to? He said,
yes. And they almost defeated him over that. You see, the world doesn't understand
this thing of sin. God does not look on the outward
man, He looks on the heart. Our Lord said this, He said, You've heard them say, Thou shalt
not kill. I say unto you, to hate in your hearts, to be guilty
of any murder. We're all murderers. And anybody
here is not a murderer. Oh brother me, I've never killed
anybody. Have you ever wanted to? Let me ask you this. Have you
ever ignored someone? I mean, didn't speak to them?
Walk by them, not speak to them. You know what you're doing? You're
killing them. You wish they were dead. That's
exactly right. Because when you ignore a person,
you say, as far as I'm concerned, you don't exist. If I had the
power, you wouldn't exist. Now come on, folks. Our Lord
said, I shall not commit adultery, they say, but he said to look
with intent or with lust or with desires to be guilty already.
Anything more than yes is sin. Anything more than no is sin. I don't know how to tell folks
that. Salvation is for sinners. Grace is for the guilty. The
blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. But I tell you,
a sinner is hard to find. I don't seem to encounter sinners.
I can't find them. Turn to Matthew 9. Listen to
this. Matthew chapter 9. You see, the people of today,
they're good folks. They're moral people. They're
outstanding folks in the community. They're not like the drunks and
the abortionists and the homosexuals and the blasphemers and murderers
and the adulterers and the extortioners and the thieves. We are not like
those people. No, we are not outwardly. But oh, who would like for his
heart to be exhibited here before everybody this morning? Ah, come
on now. How would you like me to just
pull this screen down up here? I'm going to show somebody's
heart. I won't tell you who, but we are just going to show
somebody's heart just this past week. this past day. How about
this past morning?" And I started opening the drapes, and when
I turned to pull the screen down, it would be an empty auditorium. Nobody would want that. But God
sees it, and God, being holy, cannot have any relationship
with you and your unholiness. That's right, He can't do it.
So we are as other men, aren't we? Matthew 9, it said in verse 10,
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold,
many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his
disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said, Why does your
master eat with publicans and sinners? Why? And they really were sincere
in this. Why does he associate? We don't
associate folks like that, because we're not like other men. But
when Jesus heard that, He said to them, they that be whole need
not a doctor, but they that are sick. Go ye and learn what that
means. I will have mercy and not sacrifice. I have not come to call the righteous,
the self-righteous, the religious, the holier than thou, the people
without sin. I have come to call sinners to
repentance. Now let's look at our text again
and see what our Lord says here in this parable. He addresses
it to those who justify themselves. And then he said, two men went
up to the temple to pray. Here are two men who went to
church from all outward appearances, no difference in them. They both
were sons of Adam. They both believed in one God.
They both walked the same road. They both went to the house of
God. And they both engaged in a form of prayer and worship.
Outwardly no different. But these two men inwardly were
quite different. Quite different. First of all,
the Pharisee approached God in this way. It says, the Pharisee
stood and prayed thus with himself. In other words, he made his way
to the altar. He was very familiar with the
temple. He was familiar with the things of God. And he felt
like that he belonged there. The publican, notice down here
in verse 13, it says, he stood afar off. So evidently he didn't
feel he was worthy of the presence of God. He didn't come right
down in the front to the altar. He stood back somewhere else.
Somebody said that he stood back like Israel in Exodus 20, leaving
room for a mediator between him and God. I don't know, but he
stood afar off. And the Pharisee evidently raised
his hands toward heaven. That was the custom in those
days because it says the publican standing afar would not so much
as lift his eyes. He didn't even look up. The Pharisee
had his hands raised. And his eyes, like they do today
in religion, kind of roll back in your head, you know, looking
up. And the Pharisee prayed with
himself about trivial matters. I fast. He said, you shouldn't
call that a trivial matter. Isaiah called it filthy rags. I tithe, I give alms. You shouldn't
call that trivial matters. Paul called it dumb. But the Pharisee prayed about
these trivial matters, what he had done. The Republican had
nothing to do with second-rate matters like that. He talked
about the two most important matters to you and to God. You
know what they are? Sin and mercy. Sin and mercy. God, be merciful. Let thy blood
be propitiation on the mercy seat, the mercy seat, the mercy
seat. Be merciful. David said, according
to thy lovingkindness, O Lord, according to thy tender mercies,
blot out my transgressions. My sin is ever before me. God, be merciful to me, a sinner. You see the difference? Outwardly, and this is reenacted
every Sunday, all over this town, all over this state, all over
this nation, People are getting up and getting their Bibles and
putting on their Sunday clothes, you know, and getting in the
car and getting the family together and headed for church, and they
all park out here and all walk the same road, all come in, all
sit down, all engage in some form of worship. But there's
a difference. The grace of God has made a difference,
not out here, but in here. In here. And this man, this publican,
this publican went straight to God. He wasn't worshiping the
pastor. He wasn't worshiping the old
Puritans. He went straight to God. I'm sure there were other
people in that temple. This was a day of worship. I
know the Pharisee was there and the publican was there, but this
man was unconscious of anybody else being there. He went, God,
oh God, oh God. He cried for mercy. He acknowledged
his sin. Be merciful. And down here carrying
on, and he was way back in the corner somewhere, and down here
carrying on all of his farm and ritual and raising his hands
and walling back his eyes and, oh God, I just thank you I'm
not like other people. I just thank you that I'm not
an extortioner. I just thank you that I'm not
an adulterer. I'm not unjust. I just thank
you, Lord. I'm not like that guy back there.
So glad I'm saved. Can you see today's religion
in these two people? Am I the only one who can see
that? Can you see the attitude of the
religionist? Well, let me ask you this. Can
you identify with either one of them? Can you identify with either
one of them? You see, the importance of this is Christ is speaking. Christ is speaking, and our Lord
is speaking to these people who were in a dangerous refuge, they're
trusting in themselves. And he gives this illustration. I believe I can identify with
one of them. I believe I can. I can say, could my tears forever
flow? Could my zeal no longer? No.
These for sin could never atone. Christ must save and Christ alone.
In my hands no price I bring, simply the cross of Christ I
cling." There was a young preacher told me recently that when he
came to this church years ago and God was pleased to reveal
the gospel to his heart, he said, one of the things that I noticed
that I had never heard anywhere else is the preacher admitted
he was a sinner who needed a Savior. And he said, that shocked me,
but it got my attention. But that's the only kind of people
God saves, is sinners. I'm going to be perfect someday. Really and truly, I'm perfect
legally now in Christ. I'm perfect positionally now
in Christ. I'm perfect now in the sight
of God, robed in Christ's righteousness, but considered in myself, in
my thoughts, motives, imaginations, and so forth. I am the most imperfect
person here. How about you? Well, let me close with this.
Two men went to church. Two men prayed. And then our
Lord said in verse 14, two men departed. The Pharisee came in rich, confident,
self-assured, full of self-esteem, and bragged on his righteousness.
And he departed poor, empty, and rejected of God. The publican
came in poor, empty, and guilty. And he departed full of grace,
and mercy, and rich, and justified before God. That's what the Lord
says here, listen. I tell you, this man, the sinner,
the guilty one, The one who in Christ and through the blood
of Christ and through the propitiation of Christ on the mercy seat sought
mercy. I tell you he went home justified. Justified before God. The other
man justified himself and God didn't. The other man cleared
himself, God didn't. This man justified God. and cleared God, like David in
Psalm 51. And Christ justified him for
everyone that exalted himself. And I tell you, we got so much
of that in us. We like to see our name in the
bulletins. We like to see how much we gave.
We like to see what we've done. We like to see our degrees at
the end of our names. We like to hear folks brag on
us. We like to hear folks tell the good things about us, this
flesh just craves recognition, honor, esteem. It does now. It's like somebody say he's a
good man, he's a man you can believe, he's a man you can trust,
he's a man you can have confidence in. You can't have confidence
in any flesh, yours or anybody else's, but we love it. We love
it. We love the praise of men. Christ
said how can you? who seek honor one from another
ever find the honor of God. He that exalteth himself shall
be abased. That's in God's wrath and God's
judgment. And whoso humbleth himself humbleth
himself before God shall be exalted. I want you to turn to one scripture
and I'll let you go. This is important here. Job 33. And I hope you can hear what
I've been trying to say this morning. I've said it weakly
and alteringly, but you know, sometimes I think when God makes
us sick, we do better than when we're well. I know when I'm weak,
then I'm strong in Christ. But I've tried to deal with something
that is just a black plague that's sweeping this nation. It's the
plague of self-righteousness, and human morality, and self-esteem,
and I deserve this from God. And everybody's going to heaven.
They took a poll in West Virginia, and 86% of the people who were
questioned said they're going to heaven when they die. 86%
of them. And 10%, these 86% said they were certain of it. And of the other 14, 10% said
they were pretty sure. I'd sure like to meet those four
sinners. I'd like to meet those four sinners. Those four publicans. You know what I'd tell them?
I'd say, boy, Christ died for you. You got a good shot if you'll
come to Christ as a sinner. I'm telling you the truth. Honestly, I'm telling you the
truth. Listen to Job 33, 23. If there be a messenger, if there
be a messenger with God, an interpreter, that's Christ. He's the counselor,
He's the interpreter, He's the one who reveals the Father. Word
among a thousand, fast among ten thousand, to show unto man,
not man's uprightness, but God's uprightness, God's righteousness.
And Christ is speaking through His servant if I'm His servant.
I'm showing you God's righteousness. That's what I've labored to show
you is God's holiness. God's holiness. Quit comparing
yourself to Fred Peabody and start looking at God. God's holiness. To declare His holiness. Read
on. Then, He's gracious unto him and He said, deliver him
from going down to the pit. I've found an atonement. I found
an atonement. Have you found an atonement?
I don't need an atonement. You don't? I do. Have you found
a blood atonement? Have you found a ransom? Have
you found a redeemer? I tell you, sinners, condemned
sinners need an atonement. They need a ransom. They need
a redeemer. They need to be delivered from
captivity, from darkness, from blindness, from sin. He said,
let him go, because I found an atonement, I found a redeemer.
And his flesh shall be fresher than a child's. Oh, my, wouldn't
that be something. Our flesh is so defiled and full
of leprosy and corruption, all this flesh, flesh, flesh. He
shall return to the days of his youth. He shall pray unto God
and he will be favorable unto us. Oh, what about that? What
about that? God's going to hear him. God's
going to hear him. You think God hears this generation
of phonies? You turn your television on and
listen to that bird. Behind his prayer is a sneaking
motive of getting something out of you. I can listen to it. I can tell you. But this man
is going to pray and God's going to hear him because he's coming
in Christ's name. in Christ's stead, in Christ's
blood. God's going to hear him. And
he shall see his face with joy, and he shall render unto man
his righteousness. He's going to give me his righteousness. And he looketh upon men, and
if any say, come on now, I wish I could hear somebody saying,
oh, I have sinned. That just chokes some of us to
death to say that. I have sinned. I have tithed. I have lived a good life, that's
what my grandma said. I have done the best I could. I have not done, I have, one
man said, liquors never touched my lips. If anybody can say, if anybody
can gag it out of his mouth, I have sinned. And I have perverted. There's something about that
word that we just don't like to connect with us, isn't there?
But that's right. I've taken that which is true
and holy and righteous, and I've fooled with it over here. The
opposite. But if you can say it, I've sinned
and I've perverted that which is right, and it profits me not. It hasn't done one thing for
me. It hasn't done anything but damn me. Then he'll deliver his
soul from going into the pit. His life shall see the light. Have I got to you? I got to me. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and His righteousness. And I can say it this morning.
I can say I've sinned to God. I've sinned. And I've perverted
that which is right. From the sole of my feet to the
top of my head, there's no soundness, not in me. But I sure need an
atonement. I sure need a ransom. I need
a Redeemer desperately.