Sinner

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

SINNER

Luke 18:9-14

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13 "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.' 14 "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." 

NIV

The fact is we have absolutely no righteousness at all. Jesus is speaking directly to those who think they have some form of righteousness, some form of being a “Good Christian”. Whenever we think we have attained any resemblance of righteousness we have become like that Pharisees in the parable. It is not so much that we would stand up in church and pray about how much we do correctly or anything, but it is surely about how we think about ourselves, especially in relationship to those who are not saved. If we start thinking we are better in any way we have indeed become like that Pharisee. In all reality whether that is the reality of earth or heaven we are nothing but a sinner saved by the grace of God. We are justified and sanctified solely by God and there is nothing we can do to earn or enhance that justification or sanctification. It is God who justifies or makes us right before himself. It is his action, Jesus’s death on the cross which makes us holy, or in right standing with God. Yes we have to accept that act of justification in our lives, but that is all we can ever do, all the rest of all God. It is God who sanctifies us or sets us apart for his use. We cannot set ourselves apart nor can we increase our set apartness, for it, once again, is an act of God and not of human ability. Our prayer should always be with the awareness of our sinful nature, rather than our righteous behavior. Jesus makes that abundantly clear in this parable. We also need to make sure we are not falsely humble in order to be exalted. When we pray, and especially with other believers we need not try to either look good or bad, but merely be truthful in our prayer. If we are not careful we could fall into the trap of that Pharisee type pray, using that time to either preach or teach others which in essence is exalting ourselves, making us appear to be so righteous. No, we need to admit our weak estate and relieve forgiveness, grace and mercy from our Lord. Yes, we can ask for anything, we can ask for forgiveness, for his grace and mercy, for his compassion upon us, but he has already done all that, and done it abundantly. We can ask for things to be done on behalf of others, but he has already done that also. The point Jesus is making is we need to see who we really are, and who God really is. When we see ourselves in the light of God, we are but puny sinners, who need his work in our lives. Which one of us dare think we are anything like God, like Jesus by anything we do or say? It is the Spirit who is transforming us into the likeness of Jesus. But even that can be misunderstood, thinking we are actually going to be without any sin at all when we are fully transformed. That complete transformation will not occur until we step into eternity. While we are still in the flesh we are in the process of being transformed. The image of Jesus which we can somewhat become as a result of the indwelling of the Spirit is the image of being able to submit to the will of the Father. Simply put, without God we are lost because we have been, are and will always be a sinner who is saved by the grace of God.