Luke 18:9-14 – Only Justified Through Christ

Some years ago, I came across an evangelism ministry called The Way of the Master. I had seen videos online of their people doing street evangelism, which was one aspect of their ministry. I noticed that one of the questions they would frequently ask a person to try and get them engaged in conversation was, “Suppose you were to die tonight and stand before God, and God looked at you and said, ‘Why should I let you into My heaven? What would your answer be?’”

Maybe you have heard that question or a similar type question before. In my experience, that is one of the most commonly used “approach” questions when trying to initiate a gospel conversation with a stranger. It is actually a pretty good diagnostic question. One very interesting thing I discovered as I watched those interviews is how often people who professed to be Christians answered in a similar way to those who did not claim faith at all.

The way you answer that question reveals much about your understanding of justification and what role your good deeds and obedience to God's law plays in your justification.
So, I want to put that question to you this morning, but I'll phrase it a little differently. On what grounds or basis are you justified? If your life ended today and you stood before God, and God said, “Tell me why I should let you into my heaven,” what would you say to Him?

As you think about that question, would your answer be something along the lines of, “I tried to live a good life. I went to church every Sunday. I tithed my income. I did this and that. I did this good work and performed that good work?” If so, then you believe that your justification and acceptance by God depends upon what you do. Or more specifically, it depends upon how well you keep the law of God. That is trusting in yourself. It is trusting in your righteousness rather than the righteousness of Christ.

In this parable in Luke 18, Jesus teaches about the correct understanding of justification. On what grounds are we saved and made right before God? Jesus presents a vivid contrast between self-righteous religion and the opposite, proper response to the gospel. On the one hand we have a self-confident person whose outward life is apparently without fault. On the other we have a man who would be considered a sinner. But Jesus shows clearly the difference between these two men: God loves and accepts the person who humbly looks for mercy, while he rejects the one who exalts himself. Therefore, we must count on and trust in the righteousness of Christ to justify us. However, because of our self-centered nature, we naturally want to hold up our good deeds as grounds for our justification. Or to put it another way, we put our hope and trust for our justification in ourselves. But Scripture teaches us that the basis of our justification is not our righteous deeds but is only the righteousness of Christ that is imputed to us through the mercy and grace of God. And since it is only through the righteousness of Christ that we are justified, we must fight against the tendency and temptation to trust in ourselves. But how do we do this? How do we combat this natural disposition to trust in ourselves?

You can see three ways to fight against this self-righteous bent we have on page three of the WG. To fight against our self-righteous bent: we must recognize our tendency to trust in ourselves, we must recognize our sin and our need for God’s mercy, and we must recognize that we are only justified (exalted) through Christ.

So let’s look at this parable together. We see that two men go to the temple to pray. Right at the beginning, in verse 9, Luke explains Jesus’ purpose in telling the parable. He had been teaching the crowds that gathered around him and evidently there were some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt. From other descriptions in Scripture, we can conclude that He is speaking about the Pharisees. We know that the Pharisees followed Jesus, primarily to try and find a way to discredit Him or accuse Him of wrongdoing because they were threatened by Him. We also know from Scripture that the Pharisees were meticulous law keepers, and they generally considered themselves spiritually superior to others. So, the context would suggest that Pharisees were the ones who Jesus was addressing. It was the Pharisees who typically trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt.  So, Jesus quickly establishes the issue. He tells the parable for the purpose of correcting those who trust in themselves, and He is pointing out the difference between those who are justified and those who are not.

Jesus begins by describing the Pharisee. How do we know the Pharisee trusted in himself? It is revealed in his prayer. Look in verse 11, he compares himself to others, especially sinners.

He lists all the vices, or sins, that he refrains from. He wants God to know that he keeps himself pure. Why would he speak this list to God if not to boast about his religious purity and imply that he felt at least some degree of trust in the absence of sin, outward sin that is, in his life.

But he doesn’t stop there. He also boasts in his good deeds. In verse 12, he lists his moral credentials. It was a recital of the good things that he had done, hoping to commend himself to God. He says, ‘I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ He is the perfect example of what Paul mentioned in Romans 10:3 – “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”

We can conclude by the manner in which he presents his credentials, that he not only performed these acts of devotion, but he was proud of them; and not only that, but he was also trusting in them for redemption. He was a man who trusted in his own good deeds to get him into the kingdom of God. It seems he did not considered the possibility that any righteousness he might possess was a result of the grace of God.

Christian author and counselor, Jay Adams writes - Isn’t this reinforced in our world today? The whole self-esteem, self-image movement exalts self. Children are told to pat themselves on the back. People of every stripe are encouraged to think of themselves as “somebody,” God’s gift to mankind! This teaching is bound to produce a crop of little Pharisees who, in time, apart from God’s grace, will grow into very large ones.

Do we have any tendency to do this? How many times do we find ourselves listing, whether internally or out loud, the good things that we have done, the righteous things that we have done before God. And our thinking, though it may be deep down in our heart or the deep recesses of our mind, our thinking is God loves me more because of what I have done or not done. I am more acceptable to God because I don’t usually do bad things, and I usually do the right things.

We also might have a comparison problem when it comes to other people. We can compare our deeds to the deeds of others and if our good deeds outweigh theirs, our pride swells. Or if we compare ourselves to sinners, our contempt for them grows.

Now, if it were true that our deeds justified us in any way, then we could boast that we are accepted by God because we are good. We could look down on others with contempt if our righteous deeds are greater than theirs. However, Scripture teaches us that when we measure our deeds against others, we are using the wrong measuring rod. We are using the wrong plumb line. Scripture teaches us that the plumb line we use to evaluate our deeds is Christ, the perfect righteousness and the perfect holiness of our Lord. Our most righteous deeds, our most glorious words, all that we think we do to earn God's favor, will always fall short when compared to the holiness of God. When we realize this, then our grounds for boasting and for comparing ourselves to others is eliminated. It is vital that we understand this about our nature. Our tendency is to turn away from the doctrine of justification by faith alone and base our justification on works.

Now let’s look at the prayer of the tax collector. In verse 13, we read “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”’

Notice the difference in attitude between the two men. The pharisee referred to others when he prayed, comparing his deeds to others. He listed his righteous deeds, even boasting in what he had accomplished. On the other hand, the tax collector only addressed himself. Rather than approaching God with a proud heart, it says he couldn’t even lift his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, overcome with a sense of conviction and contrition. He recognized his sin, confessed it to God and asked for His forgiveness. And he cried out, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’  He knew his only hope was God’s mercy.

Understanding our position before God, that without His mercy, we would be undone, is a sign of a repentant heart, a heart that is broken over sin and needs the healing balm of God’s grace in Christ.

Earlier in the book of Luke is the account of Jesus calling the first disciples. Jesus was teaching the crowds by the lake, and they were pressing in on him so he asked one of the fishermen if he could let out his boat a little bit so that Jesus could stand in it and teach and not be suppressed by the crowds. The fisherman's name was Peter. When Jesus was finished teaching, he told Peter and the other fishermen to put out their nets for fish. Peter told Jesus they had fished all night and caught nothing. But Peter and the others did as they were told, and the nets filled with fish to the point where they could hardly haul them in. It then says, “But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’” Peter had just heard Jesus' sermon which likely talked about the Kingdom of God and the need of repentance. As Jesus's miracles were designed to do, they demonstrated His power and reinforced the truth of what he was saying. You know how we grew up doing show and tell in school? We would show the audience something and then tell them about it. Jesus often did it the other way, tell and show. He told about the Kingdom of God and who he was and showed that truth through his miracles. And in response, Peter recognized his sin and his need for the Lord's mercy.

The same with the prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah 6:5 it says, “And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the king, the lord of hosts! Isaiah recognized his sin and the need for God's mercy. Why? Because he had beheld the king, the Lord of hosts.

What about you? What is your attitude toward God, your sin, and your righteous deeds? Are you ever so struck by the extent of your sin and the magnificence of God’s grace and mercy toward you that all you can do is cry out God to be merciful to you? If you are in Christ, it is a prayer that God always answers. As Pastor Stacey often quotes, “Our sin may abound, but God’s grace super abounds.” Do you recognize that grace and mercy? We must pray that our recognition of God’s mercy grows, and it impacts our hearts. As we do, our awareness and conviction over our sin will grow and we will be moved to repentance. In Matthew 4:17 we read these words - 17From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We must recognize our sin and need for God’s mercy. As we do we will repent of our sin and humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.

So we must recognize our tendency to trust in ourselves and we must also recognize our sin and need of God’s mercy. Finally, we must recognize that we are only justified through Christ. Look at verse 14. Jesus brings the parable to its point. We see Jesus’ response to the two men’s prayers and subsequently their hearts. He says, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Of course, we know that Jesus is telling the parable and therefore Jesus makes the call as to who is justified. He declares the tax collector as the one who goes away justified. Why? Because of what the prayer of the tax collector revealed about his understanding of justification. He knew his only hope was outside of himself. That is why he pleaded with God for mercy. He knew only God had the ability to justify him and though the tax collector did not say it specifically in this verse, Jesus’ declaration affirms where that justification comes from. It comes from Jesus himself.

No-one enters the kingdom of God on the basis of his own righteousness, because apart from Jesus no human being has ever acquired enough righteousness to fulfill the absolute and perfect demands of the holy law of God. It is by grace and grace alone that we can ever have access into his presence. All of us stand guilty before the righteousness of God, Pharisee and tax-collector alike.

The difference, however, between these two men was not that one was righteous and the other a sinner. They were both sinners. The difference was that the tax-collector knew that he was a sinner, and he repented of his sin. This is the essence of true humility. Admitting our sin and not boasting in our righteous deeds. We must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, confessing we are sinners and receiving His forgiveness through Christ. That is why Jesus says at the end of verse 14, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Now many people in this world are willing to acknowledge that they are sinners. It is commonplace to hear people say, ‘Well, no-one’s perfect and that includes me.’ But so often that is the end of our confession. But it is not enough to admit that one is a sinner. It must be accompanied by repentance. This tax-collector here not only recognized that he was a sinner, he also confessed it before God and begged God for mercy. He came into the presence of God in humility and repented. And Jesus said he went home justified. In contrast, although the Pharisee was a religious man, he was not a justified man.

Psalm 20:7 states - Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Do you trust in the name of the Lord your God or are you trusting in yourself? When you see yourself standing before the holy Judge, and you know that to escape condemnation you must be found righteous, what are you going to look to and trust in?

Let us abandon the hope of gaining access to God on the basis of our own righteousness and cling instead to the righteousness of Christ. Our only hope is the righteousness of Christ. Our only hope is admitting we are sinners and calling out to God to have mercy on us. It is to repent of our sin and to understand and trust in only the righteousness of Christ. This alone will result in justification.

So, when we come into the presence of God, let us come not with an attitude of self-justification, but with an attitude of dependence upon his mercy. The Pharisee relies on his own merits, not having discovered that no human righteousness is sufficient before a God who demands perfection. The tax collector relies on God’s mercy and finds it. In humility, we must understand that only by trusting in Christ and not in our ourselves or our good works are we saved. The kingdom of God is not inherited by the self-righteous but by the Christ-righteous.

If you were to die tonight and stand before God, and God said to you, “Why should I let you into my heaven,” what would you say? I hope you would say something like: “Because of Jesus, because He’s my only hope. I am only justified through Christ. I put my trust in Him.”

Let us pray.