Luke 18:10-12

Ever thought about talking “BIG” before our Holy God – giving Him an explanation of our greatness, exclaiming that we are far better than other men? Not really a good idea (to say the least)! The Pharisee in today’s parable certainly had an elevated idea of himself. Comparing oneself with other creatures rather than God will inevitably give one a distorted view of one’s own righteousness. We need a good dose of Job’s final analysis of himself after coming face to face with Jehovah God:

6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:6 (NIV)

You might be thinking how someone whom God called “blameless” could have such a view of self abhorrence as this. We all need a deep sense of humility and an awareness of our own vileness before a Holy God apart from Christ. If we have an elevated opinion of our own righteousness, God is quite capable of stroke by proverbial stroke taking us to the dunghill.

“Humility chooses to receive what is provided rather than take what is demanded. Humility never pulls rank, never gloats in victory, never demands its rights. Humility accepts responsibility for wrongdoing.” Chuck Swindoll

We must never assume that we can stand in our own right before our Holy God. Jesus is our only access to His Throne. We are told in Scripture from the lips of our Savior:

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NIV)

It is not the blood of animals that gives us entry into His presence:

3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Heb 10:3-4 (NIV)

It is not our acts of “righteousness” and “good works” which save us for Scripture tell us they are as filthy rags:

6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)

Rather, it is Christ’s blood that cleanses us from all sin:

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NIV)

We are redeemed from the empty way of life through the precious blood of Christ. It was nothing that we did for Scripture states:

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Eph 2:8-9 (NIV)

Paul tells us that all such boasting is foolishness and sinful:

7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 1 Cor 4:7 (NIV)

God alone is worthy of praise – not man. We all fall short of God’s glory and righteousness. The correct attitude in prayer should be:

“‘God be merciful to me a sinner’, is a prayer easy to be said, but hard to be felt. One eye upon the perfection of God’s laws, and another upon your own heart, may bring you up to it. But the Spirit’s light is also needful, for which you must pray earnestly.” K.H. Von Bogatzky

“Our nature struggles fiercely against being saved without our works and tries to deceive us with a grand illusion of our own righteousness. So we may find ourselves attracted to a life that merely appears to be righteous. Or because we know we aren’t righteous, we may be frightened by death or sin. Therefore, we must learn that we should have nothing to do with any other way of becoming righteous, except through Christ alone.” Martin Luther