2/3/26

Luke 18:11-14 NASB95 “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Have you ever compared yourself to another person? We probably all have done this at some time or another. This is a tactic of Satan that he uses to give people pride. Of course, this pride is based on a false measurement. Because the standard you are comparing yourself to is broken. Scripture tells us that there is none righteous. Romans 3:10 NASB95 as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE.

Therefore if you compare yourself to the unrighteous. You can look good in your unrighteousness. This is Satan's goal. His desire is for you to take pride in your unrighteousness. A man who robs a bank compares himself to a man who steals from a widow and says, I am a good man because the bank is insured. Yet, he is a bad man because the poor widow has very little. They both are thieves and Satan hid the fact that the widow had stock in the insurance company that went broke because he robbed the bank.

There is none righteous. No matter how you look at it you must realize you are unrighteous and therefore deserving of hell. When you realize this, you will stop looking at your own false good, and instead look to Jesus, who is the only good! Then we realize that you and I don't deserve salvation. Therefore we are humbled by the gift of Christ's goodness. We thank God for what He offers to an undeserving creation.

I have heard many people say, " If God is so good, why does he allow an innocent child to suffer. The correct question is, since we are so bad, why would He give a child born in this fallen, sinful world a chance to receive His gift of Grace through the death of His righteous Son? It is a matter of perspective. When we see the true depth of our sin then we understand or get a glimpse of the true mercy of God. Scripture says that OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS is like a filthy rag that covers an even more soiled flesh. Isaiah 64:6 NASB95 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

If our righteousness (our best) is a filthy covering then our regular and our worst must be like human waste. Yet we, in the influence of pride, step before God and say I deserve you.

NO, NO, NO!

We don't deserve God, but He is so loving that He cleanses us with His Son's blood.

He is so merciful that His Son took our debt.

He is so Gracious that His Son imputed us with His righteousness.

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

We don't deserve to be exalted, but humbly we will be if our God-given faith is placed in Christ.

Is yours?

Love Bro. Scott