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You can turn with me in your 
Bibles to Luke's Gospel, Luke chapter 18. God willing, we'll 
return to John's Gospel next Sunday morning. But for this 
morning, we're going to look at Luke 18, verses 9 to 14, a 
familiar passage of Scripture concerning the Pharisee and the 
publican. But I do want to read beginning 
in verse 1 to verse 14. So Luke 18, 1. Then he spoke 
a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 
saying, There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear 
God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that 
city, and she came to him, saying, Get justice for me from my adversary. And he would not for a while. 
But afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear 
God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will 
avenge her, lest, by her continual coming, she weary me. Then the 
Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not 
avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though 
He beareth long with them? I tell you that He will avenge 
them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of 
Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? Also, he 
spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they 
were righteous and despised others. Two men went up to the temple 
to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee 
stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank you that I'm not 
like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as 
this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes 
of all that I possess. And the tax collector, standing 
afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but 
beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. 
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather 
than the other. For everyone who exalts himself 
will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, as we come to the issue 
of righteousness before God, I pray that you would give us 
eyes to see and ears to hear. I pray that you would cause us 
to reflect afresh upon the doctrine of justification by faith alone. And God, help us to respond with 
thanksgiving. Help us to respond with worship 
and praise to such a God who's dealt so mercifully with such 
sinners. And we do pray that you'd give 
ears to hear and hearts to receive that truth among those who are 
dead in their trespasses and sins. I pray you would make them 
alive, that you would give them the graces of faith and repentance, 
that they would hear of a full, free salvation in and through 
our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. And this to your glory, and this 
for the good of sinners in this place. Again, wash us now, purify 
us now, cleanse us from all sin and everything that darkens our 
understanding, and grant us the Holy Spirit to shine the light 
upon this passage of scripture. And we ask in the name of the 
Lord Jesus Christ, amen. Well, as we come to this particular 
parable, I think it's very instructive for us in what I said in terms 
of prayer, justification by faith alone. As we look at the parable, 
I want to observe three things. First, the occasion of the parable 
in verse 9. Secondly, the two men in the 
parable in verses 10 to 13. And then finally, the summary 
of the parable in verse 14. Notice with reference to the 
occasion of the parable, both of these parables have to do 
with prayer. So in verses 1 to 8, we see the 
context in verse 1. So what he's indicating there 
is that in terms of prayer, there must be perseverance, there must 
be constancy in prayer. We don't simply go to God once 
and say, well, there's my petition, I'm just going to leave it with 
you, and now I'm going to vacate. No, be like this woman. She has 
been traditionally called the importunate widow. She wouldn't 
take no for an answer. She continues to go to the judge. 
She continues to wear the judge down to the point where he says, 
so that she won't continue to weary me, I'll go ahead and render 
the verdict. And from that, the Lord Christ 
draws the principle, shall not God avenge his own elect who 
cry to him day and night? In other words, don't ever be 
put off of prayer because you don't get immediate answers. 
Don't ever conclude that I prayed and God just didn't answer. Brethren, 
prayer is to be engaged in with importunity. You want to be constant 
at the throne of grace. You want to be persevering at 
the throne of grace. You are to bring those petitions 
in the spirit and in the manner that this woman did with reference 
to this unjust judge. But then the second parable, 
again, reflects on prayer. Two men went to the temple to 
pray. But it's not just prayer that's 
in view, I think it's the attitude, the disposition, the mindset 
of humility that Jesus enjoins here. But he's also teaching 
us something about the way of salvation. How do sinners, how 
do us, or people like us, enter into the presence of a holy God? 
Well, certainly this sets forth a pattern or an example for us 
in that regard. So in terms of the context, we 
see the constancy necessary in prayer verse 1, and then we see 
the need for humility in prayer in verse 9. And then notice specifically 
in terms of the context in verse 9. Also he spoke this parable 
to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and 
despised others. Same sort of a mindset. Verse 1, he spoke 
a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. 
You know what the antidote is against not losing heart? It's to pray. But you know what 
the antidote is with reference to trusting in yourself and despising 
others? It is to get a fresh dose of 
the doctrine of justification by faith alone. It is to live 
in a manner consistent with that. not to be exalted, not to be 
proud, not to be arrogant, not to be puffed up, but rather to 
be humbled under the mighty hand of God Most High. So he spoke 
this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were 
righteous. What kind of righteousness is in view? I think it's the 
righteousness that we need to have in order to be accepted 
by God. These men trusted in themselves 
that they were righteous. You see it when we get to the 
Pharisee's prayer. He's pretty happy with his accomplishments. 
He's pretty happy with his performance. He's pretty happy in terms of 
what he does on a regular or daily basis. So as far as he's 
concerned, when it comes time for him to die, the gates of 
heaven are going to swing wide open and God's going to welcome 
him in with open arms because he's been a fantastic human being. So with reference to the context, 
understand the righteousness involved is the Job 9.2. How can a man be righteous before 
God? As well, with reference to this 
particular context, he spoke this parable to some who consistently 
and persistently trusted in themselves that they were righteous. In 
other words, this isn't theory. Jesus isn't just speaking to 
a possibility out there. The Pharisees were notorious 
for this. The Pharisees were notorious 
for a self-righteous attitude, a disposition of superiority. Again, it will come out in full 
detail as we survey this particular man's prayer. And then as well, 
we see with reference to this, that there's always a connection 
between self-righteousness and then the judging of others. It's 
inextricable. If you have a problem being a 
very judgmental person, then most likely you have not been 
humbled under the mighty hand of God. I'm not talking about 
the struggles with remaining corruption and this time and 
again where we might have it to rise up in us where we are 
judgmental of others. But if characteristically in 
your life you are a judgmental person to the point where you 
despise others, you're self-righteous. These things go hand in hand 
and this is the connection in view. He spoke this parable to 
some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and 
despised others. And this despising of others 
simply means to show by one's attitude or manner of treatment 
that an entity has no merit or worth. In other words, it is 
to disdain them. It is to look down upon them. 
And it's something that, again, always goes with this self-righteous 
approach in Scripture. Turn over to Romans 2 verse 1 
for just a moment to see this in action. Romans chapter 2, 
after Romans 1, Paul having dealt with the Gentiles apart from 
the grace of God, he then turns his attention to the Jews. And 
essentially what he says, it's not just the Gentiles who find 
themselves in a bad situation before thrice holy God, it's 
also you Jews. So that when he gets to chapter 
3 at verse 19, he concludes that all the world is guilty before 
God. He can conclude that all men are liable to the wrath and 
fury and judgment of God. Not just Gentiles, but Jews as 
well. And notice is taken in verse 
1 of chapter 2. Therefore you are inexcusable, 
O man, whoever you are who judge. For in whatever you judge another, 
you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the 
same things. In other words, you think just 
because you have the law, just because you are of the people 
of God, the old covenant people of God, that's okay for you to 
disdain and despise those Gentiles, those nasty, dirty dogs? No, 
you've got the same issues, the same problems, and you have the 
same need for redemption through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. So go back to Luke chapter 18. 
We've seen the occasion. of the parable. Now notice the 
two men in the parable in verses 10 to 13. Jesus introduces them 
by their identity. He says one is a Pharisee and 
one is a tax collector. The old King James calls them 
a publican. And basically the publican or 
the tax collector were looked at in a bad way by most of society 
for a variety of reasons. First, they collaborated with 
Gentiles, they handled currency with pagan inscriptions and iconography, 
they took money from fellow Jews, and were often greedy and corrupt. 
So you see why they wouldn't be the popular ones in society. 
You wouldn't typically say, oh, there's the tax collectors, let's 
go hang out with them. Usually in the New Testament, 
they are linked with sinners, Matthew 9, 10. They're linked 
with Gentiles or heathen in Matthew 18, 17. They're linked with harlots 
in Matthew 21, 31. And they're linked with extortioners, 
unjust and adulterers right here in Luke chapter 18. So when Jesus 
says that these two men went to the temple to pray, one was 
a Pharisee, everybody who would have heard Jesus would say, oh, 
that's the hero, that's the religious leader, that's the righteous 
man, that's the favored man. And then they'd hear tax collector 
and they say, oh, that's the reprehensible man, that's the 
man we all despise, that's the man we all disdain, that's the 
man we all detest. And so Jesus uses these two persons 
for his parable for ultimately shock value. When he gives the 
conclusion that the publican goes home justified, persons 
that were listening to him probably would have gasped in horror. 
What do you mean the heathen? Or what do you mean, rather, 
the tax collector goes home justified? What do you mean that the Pharisee 
was not justified? So Jesus is shocking them into 
understanding what's in view with reference to this particular 
situation. So we see their identification. 
a hero and a hated one, but then notice, secondly, there's similarities. 
There's similarities. There's something the same, at 
least in two aspects with these men. They both went to the temple. They both went to the temple. 
Now you may say, well, that's not that big of an observation, 
Butler. Well, here's what I conclude from that. Presence in the right 
place at the right time is no sure indicator of grace in the 
heart. In other words, persons can go 
to church. Persons can go to Christian fellowship. Persons can attend a Bible study. 
It's not osmosis that saves us. As old Keith Green said, going 
to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald's 
makes you a hamburger. It's not something you catch. 
It's not something that is contagious. but rather it must be predicated, 
all those in the last hour now know what that word means, it 
must be predicated upon the grace of God in the heart. So never 
think, well, I go to church, I listen at family worship, I 
carry a Bible, I listen to sermons. Again, all of those things are 
good pursuits, but they're not sure indicators that there's 
grace in the heart. So they had this similarity in 
common. They both went to the temple. But what's the second 
similarity? They both prayed. Again, as the 
original audience heard this, they were struck with the beauty 
of the Pharisee's prayer. They were probably no doubt saying, 
what a wonderful fellow he is. What a great guy he is. He's 
not unjust. He's not an extortioner. He's 
not an adulterer. And he's not even like that tax 
collector. And then we have this publican 
who can't even look up into heaven, but he beats his breast and says, 
God, be merciful to me, a sinner. You see, it is common among people 
to pray. In fact, sometimes people treat 
it as if it's some sort of a remedy for your ailing conditions. Well, 
go ahead and pray about it. That's great. As God's people, 
we should pray about it. as those who aren't God's people 
pray to God for salvation by grace through faith in our Lord 
Jesus Christ. So they both go to the temple 
and they both pray. But now we should observe their 
differences. In the first place, notice the 
Pharisee in verses 11 and 12. Jesus highlights his manner. 
Verse 11, the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. 
I don't think that's accidental language. He prayed thus with 
himself. Brethren, you know what it is 
to pray thus with yourself. Those are the most frustrating 
times of prayer there are, isn't it? We don't want ourself on 
the other end of our prayer. We want God on the other end 
of our prayer. You've probably had that experience. 
You've gone to pray and it feels as if your prayers bounce off 
the ceiling and come right back into your lap. And then there 
are those times, and there are few and far between, unfortunately, 
where it seems like heaven opens up and glory comes down and fills 
your soul. I don't think it's accidental 
that our Lord Jesus says that the Pharisee stood and prayed 
thus with himself. He is more in the position of 
self-congratulations. He's more in a position of pride 
and arrogance. He's more about his accomplishments 
than expressing his dependence upon God. At the throne of grace, 
brethren, that's not the place for us to submit our resume. 
The throne of grace is for us to show our dependence upon God 
Almighty. It is that place wherein we worship 
and we glorify and we praise, not ourselves, but God Almighty. Again, for most Christians in 
the 21st century, we get it. But in the first century context, 
when Jesus is speaking this, they didn't necessarily get it. 
Remember the Pharisee was the hero and the publican was the 
hated one. Notice with reference to the 
Pharisee, his prayer, or his manner, and then his content, 
or the content of his prayer. First of all, he thanked God 
for what he was not, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Thank 
you, God, that I'm not in prison. Thank you, God, that I'm not 
in hell. Thank you, God, that I'm not Chairman Mao. Thank you, 
God, that I'm not Joseph Stalin. That's a good thing. That's an 
okay thing to pray about. But that's not the disposition. 
That's not the spirit. This is a conveyance of his own 
righteousness. This is a rehearsal of his own 
accomplishment. This is a recognition that is 
for the intention to promote himself of all that he isn't 
in terms of the rabble that he finds around them. So notice 
verse 11, the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 
God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners. which again, it's good to not 
be an extortioner. It's a blessing. That I'm not 
unjust. Again, we should seek to be just. 
I'm not an adulterer or even as this tax collector. As any 
of you who've been a Christian for any amount of time knows, 
there's awkward things that happen in the Christian life. There's 
awkward things whenever you're in any society of people and 
Christians aren't immune to that. Awkward things happen in church. 
Awkward things happen in Bible study. Awkward things happen 
when you're mixing and chucking and jiving with the people of 
God. But one awkward thing I have never experienced is having somebody 
in my presence thanking God that he wasn't me. Now, I'm not suggesting 
that everybody loves me, that everybody respects me, that everybody 
is favorable toward me, but again, I don't ever remember somebody 
saying, thank you God that I'm not this and I'm not like him. Imagine the chutzpah of somebody 
actually engaged in this. Brethren, as he's teaching this 
parable, again, this isn't what would have shocked the first 
century hearers. What would have shocked the first 
century hearers is the report that the publican went home justified. This was pretty commonplace at 
the time. When Jesus gives the way that 
men should pray in Matthew chapter 6, he's not making things up. He says, don't be like the hypocrite 
who stands on the street corner and engages in long prayers so 
that he may be seen by men. This was actually happening in 
the religious culture in Israel in the first century. It actually 
happens today, though I think it's a bit more subtle. We can 
engage in the same sort of thing. Thank you, God, that I'm not 
an Arminian. Thank you, God, that I'm not a dispensationalist. 
Thank you, God, that I'm not like this rabble that fills the 
churches around us. We need to be on guard and we 
need to understand that at the throne of grace, above all places, 
we ought to manifest a spirit of humility. And that is contrary 
to what the Pharisee is engaged in here. So he doesn't judge 
his own sin rightly, rather he judges his sin in light of those 
around him. In other words, I'm not as bad 
as these guys. I'm not as bad as those guys, 
I'm certainly not as bad as this particular tax collector. So 
he thanks God for what he was not, but then notice he boasts 
in what he does. Verse 12, I fast twice a week, 
I give tithes of all that I possess. Again, just as a basic principle, 
brethren, as you go to the throne of grace, that's the last place 
you want to offer up your religious resume. That's the last place 
you want to say, God, I'm a great guy. God, I'm a great girl. I'm 
splendid. I'm wonderful. I'm awesome, I'm 
excellent. That's what this man is doing. 
This man has no regard whatsoever for sin, for sinners, for the 
law, for himself, for the holiness of God. It's evident by the fact 
that he thanks God for the reality that he's not this publican, 
but as well, he celebrates what he practices. Calvin says we 
must not swell with confidence as if we had satisfied God. And 
next, we must not look down with disdainful contempt upon our 
brethren. So you see how these two things 
go hand in hand. He is a proud man. He trusts 
in himself that he is righteous and that accompanies with it 
this disdain for others, unjust, extortioner, adulterer, and tax 
collector. This man is the embodiment of 
whom Jesus is speaking to relative to this particular parable. Self-righteousness 
in religion does not promote Ephesians 4. Self-righteousness 
in religion does not endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit 
and the bond of peace. Self-righteousness does not promote 
what Paul tells us the church is to be about in Ephesians chapter 
4. It is the imputed righteousness 
of Christ received by faith alone that puts us in our proper place. Again, not that we never color 
outside the lines, not that we never get uppity, not that we 
never get a bit judgmental, not that we never get to that point 
where we might be despising others, but as the overarching concern 
of our lives, if we're self-righteous, we're going to disdain others. 
If we have Christ's righteousness, we're going to be charitable. 
and kind and large-hearted and gracious to others. We're not 
going to say, or even as this tax collector. It is a horrific 
commentary on the sinfulness of man that at the throne of 
grace, instead of expressing his dependence on God and his 
worship of God, that he celebrates his own activity before God. 
Now notice the difference with reference to the publican, verse 
13. Verse 13 describes his manner. And the tax collector standing 
afar off would not so much as raise his eyes to have it, but 
beat his breast. So he stands afar off, which 
indicates something of his humility and his unworthiness. Remember, 
the Pharisee stands and he prays thus with himself. The Pharisee 
in Matthew's gospel in chapter six sort of blows the horn before 
he puts his money in the box. The Pharisee in Matthew chapter 
6 is the guy who stands on the street corner so that people 
can see him pray. That is absolute ludicrousness 
in terms of our approach to God Most High. That's not so with 
the publican. He stands afar off. He's not 
worthy to enter into the presence of God Almighty. It's not worthy 
to stand there as if he's the proud man and say, look God, 
how great and accomplished I am. He can't do that. He can't even 
look up into heaven. All he can do is beat his breast. 
You see the absolute opposite in terms of the publican and 
the Pharisee. The Pharisee is full of pride. 
He's full of arrogance. He's full of insolence. Not so 
with the publican. This man can't even look up into 
heaven. And then he beats his breast 
and notice what he says. Literally he says, God be merciful 
to me, the sinner. God be merciful to me, a sinner, 
is a right sort of translation, but the word is articular. That 
means it has the article. As far as this publican is concerned, 
there's nobody else on the face of the earth but him and God. 
And as far as God is concerned, he comes before him, not with 
his own righteousness, not with his despising of others, not 
with his self-trust, not with what he practiced, but all he 
can say is, God be merciful to me, the sinner. Notice what distinguishes 
the publican from the Pharisee. In the first place, he acknowledges 
what the Pharisee does not. The Pharisee doesn't have this 
time of contrition. The Pharisee doesn't say, Lord, 
forgive me. The Pharisee doesn't invoke the mercy of God, but 
that is precisely where the publican begins. He begins with his own 
sin. J.C. Ryle says, the publican 
did not speak for his neighbors, but himself. Vagueness and generality 
are the great defects of most men's religion. It doesn't speak 
about the sins of the nation or the sins of my family or the 
sins of whatever. No, God be merciful to me, the 
sinner. Have you ever found how easy 
it is to confess other people's sins? It's simple, isn't it? It's easy. It's great. It's wonderful. C.S. Lewis has an essay on that. 
The danger of national repentance. The danger of national repentance. 
What oftentimes happens is that the repenting one puts on people 
sins that they have never committed. It's easy to confess the sins 
of the people out there, the sins of the publicans, or the 
sins of the Pharisees. It's easy to confess everybody 
else's sin. That's not what this man does. He can't even look 
up into heaven, he beats his breast, he says, God be merciful 
to me, the sinner. John Gill says, this is his prayer, 
a short, but a very full one, and greatly different from that 
of the Pharisee, in which is a confession that he was a sinner, 
a sinner in Adam, who had derived a sinful nature from him, being 
conceived and born in sin, and a sinner by practice, having 
committed many actual transgressions, attended with aggravating circumstances, 
a guilty and filthy sinner, a notorious one, deserving of the wrath of 
God, and the lowest hell. He speaks of himself as if he 
was the only sinner in the world, at least as if there was none 
like him. If you're not a believer here this morning, may I encourage 
you to get something of what this man has? The idea that you're 
okay, the idea that you've never done anything really bad is absolutely 
folly. You have done bad things. You 
have sinned against the Holy God. You have done that which 
is deserving of God's wrath and curse, both in this life and 
that which is to come. Those persons, when they're met 
with the gospel of our salvation, they say, well, you know, tell 
it to the sinners around us. Tell us to the people who are 
really bad. I know I was brought up Roman Catholic. My default 
response to anybody who would ever give me the gospel, or at 
least a bit of it, was to say, well, I haven't been that bad. 
I've never committed murder. I've never committed adultery. 
Sort of the benchmark sins. Interestingly, David committed 
both and nevertheless enjoys the marriage supper of the lamb. 
It's not our works of righteousness, but it's the active and the passive 
obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you have not embraced the 
reality that you're a sinner, may I encourage you to do so? 
There is no salvation without first understanding the problem. That's why the catechism starts 
with guilt. That's why it emphasizes, how 
do you know your sin and misery? The law of God tells me so. That's 
why we preach the 10 commandments. That's why we extol the law of 
God. Yes, to tell people what we ought 
to be about as Christians, but as well to show non-Christians 
where they have sinned against a holy God and why they need 
Jesus Christ. You're not good. You're not polished. You're not righteous. You're 
not upright. Yeah, you may not be Joseph Stalin. You may not be Chairman Mao. 
But you are a sinner who is justly liable to the wrath and curse 
of God Most High right here and right now. As well, the Pharisee, 
or rather the publican, acknowledges what the Pharisee does not. Notice, 
God be merciful to me, the sinner. So as a sinner, he understands 
his need for mercy. As a sinner, he understands it's 
not time to congratulate myself for being a great guy. As a sinner, 
he understands that it's not his time to, you know, sort of 
bring his resume before a holy God. No, he acknowledges his 
need for mercy. See, if you are following and 
you understand the reality that you are a sinner, it's not moral 
reform that you need. It's not try a little bit harder, 
do a little bit better. No, it's cast yourself upon the 
mercy of God Almighty. So the publican acknowledges 
what the Pharisee does not. He stands in mercy, but as well, 
he acknowledges what the Pharisee does not also. Listen to this. God is merciful. See, we just 
thought about that or referred to that in Hebrews chapter 11, 
11, six. It says that those that believe 
that God is, and those who come to God must believe that God 
is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek 
him. You need to know that not only is there a God, but this 
God is full of mercy. This God is full of grace. This 
God is full of kindness. This God does save to the uttermost 
all who draw nigh unto him through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
So the publican acknowledges this reality. Not only do I need 
mercy, but God is in the business of giving mercy. It's a most 
blessed arrangement. We're wretched, we're undone, 
we're messed up, we're wrecked and ruined by sin, and God in 
the gospel comes to people just like us. It is most wondrous, 
it is most glorious, it is most awesome. And then he does again 
what the Pharisee doesn't do. He casts himself upon God's grace 
and goodness. Notice what he says, God be merciful 
to me, a sinner. In other words, he understands 
rightly the problem. He understands rightly the holiness 
of God. He understands rightly that apart 
from God, there is no acceptance. And so what does he do? He casts 
himself on mercy. He throws himself on the mercy 
of the court. He says, God, be merciful to 
me. I've heard this with the hearing 
of the ear. I've seen people that have actually 
been saved. I go to a church where these 
things are preached. I don't want to just leave them out there, 
but rather I want to try and test and show that God is true 
in terms of being merciful to sinners. It is a most glorious 
thing. Literally, he says, God be propitious 
to me. And this means to cause, to be 
favorably inclined or disposed, to propitiate or to conciliate. He understands the basics. God 
is holy. He is not, but God is in the 
business of saving wretched sinners just like he is. So before we 
move on to the summary, I ask you to consider that. I ask you 
to contemplate that. I ask you to think through that. 
Are you a believer here this morning? After the wedding, a 
fellow asked me at the reception the other night, you don't ask 
questions in your preaching. It kind of caught me a bit off 
guard. What do you mean? We should stop 
and have question time? I don't think that's what he 
meant. I think he meant that the rhetorical device that preachers 
sometimes, notice sometimes, not always, they sometimes employ 
where they ask questions of the hearer. Again, not for group 
participation, you don't need to stand up and raise your hand 
and give the actual answer, but ask yourself in your heart of 
hearts right now, if I were to die today, am I going to end 
up in heaven? If God says right now, your soul, 
I require of you, which is not outlandish, Luke 12. In fact, 
turn to Luke 12 for just a moment to see something of this possibility, 
this reality. Luke 12, 13, then one from the 
crowd said to him, teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance 
with me. But he said to him, man, who made me a judge or an 
arbitrator over you? And he said to him, take heed 
and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in 
the abundance of the things that he possesses. Then he spoke a 
parable to them saying, the ground of a certain rich man yielded 
plentifully. This guy's already introduced 
to us as being a success. I mean, he was on the magazine 
of Agriculture Inc. in his community. The ground 
of a certain rich man yielded plentifully, and he thought within 
himself, saying, What shall I do, since I have no room to store 
my crops? Imagine that problem, brethren. What shall I do? I 
don't have a place to put all my money. I don't have a place 
to put all my loot. I don't have a place to store 
all my goods. So he said, I will do this. I will pull down my 
barns and build greater. And there I will store all my 
crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, soul, 
you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, 
drink, and be merry. Great. Everything's wonderful. He's a success. He's a self-made 
man. He's a billionaire. His biggest 
problem is that he has a storage situation. So what does he do? 
He doesn't make more barns. He tears down the old ones, and 
he puts bigger ones in their place. And then in his soliloquy, 
he says to himself, you're doing great. Everything's fine. You've 
got many goods laid up for many years. Isn't this the way that 
we plan? Isn't this the way that we think? 
Isn't it the case that we think for sure we got another 20, 25, 
30 years? If you're younger, you can add, 
you know, a decade or two to that. We don't ever think we're 
going to die today. We just don't. We don't ever 
think we're going to die tomorrow. We just don't. It's not something 
that comports with us. It's outside of our frame of 
reference. We are oriented in such a way 
that we, like this rich man, will say, soul, you have many 
goods, laid up for many years, take your ease, eat, drink, and 
be merry. Verse 20. But God said to him, fool, this 
night your soul will be required of you. Then whose will those 
things be which you have provided? So back to Luke chapter 18, I'm 
not trying to scare anybody. I'm not trying to rain on anybody's 
parade. I'm not trying to trigger you 
or make you unhappy or make you sad, but to bring to you the 
reality of what James says in James 4, don't boast about tomorrow. We're just a vapor that appears 
for a time and then is gone. If you are living in rebellion 
against God Almighty, if you are a sinner against the majesty 
of the Most High, listen to the text, beat your breast. Actually, that's not requisite. 
It's not the case. Well, you didn't beat your breast, 
so therefore now cast yourself by grace upon the mercy of God 
in Christ Jesus our Lord. That's the point. That's the 
blessed message. That's the reality. And Jesus 
confirms that in the summary of the parable in verse 14. Notice, 
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified. That, my brothers and sisters, 
again, would have shocked the original audience. Him? The tax 
collector? The publican? The guy who couldn't 
even stand and pray thus with himself? The guy whose prayer 
was only that long? The guy who said, God be merciful 
to me, the sinner? That's the one who has mercy? 
That's the one who's justified? That's the one who's going to 
heaven? Absolutely. Isn't that what we have found, 
believing the gospel? For those of us who, by God's 
grace, are saved today, isn't it the truth? We didn't have 
to work. We didn't have to labor. We didn't 
have to resolve. We didn't have to say, God, I'll 
give you 10 years of hard service, and when that's all over, I expect 
that you'll receive me to yourself. No. Whether we said, God, be 
merciful to me, the sinner, or not, that's what happened. by 
God's grace, He showed us our sin, He showed us His Son, and 
He showed us the way of approach through the Lord Jesus Christ 
in faith. This man went to his house justified, 
he had acceptance with God. The word means just that, to 
justify, to declare righteous, the perfect looks at the completed 
state, the state of having been declared to be right. The passive 
indicates that it's God, who's the one doing the justifying. 
So this man, who was justified, had acceptance with God. And 
as we see in the context, and I don't want to go too far afield, 
but it was declarative rather than transformative. He wasn't 
automatically made a great guy. No, he received great mercy. 
He wasn't automatically changed into something that hopefully 
he would have become 10 or 15 or 20 years later. He's accepted, 
not on the basis of his own righteousness, not on the basis of his own works, 
he's accepted not on the basis of his own performance, but he's 
accepted on the basis of Christ, what Christ had done, what Christ 
does in his life and his death and resurrection. This man knew 
experientially what the divines at Westminster would include 
in their shorter catechism. Westminster shorter catechism 
number 33. What is justification? Justification 
is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardons all of our 
sins and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness 
of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. When you met 
this man walking home and you asked him, how is it that you're 
now justified? He wouldn't have said, because 
of what I practice, because of what I'm not. He would have said, 
because of what Christ has accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection. He found acceptance with God, 
not based on his own works, but based on what Christ does. So going back just a bit to when 
I asked a question, are you a believer in Jesus Christ the Lord? You 
have to understand that the way of salvation is very closely 
connected to that question. The answer isn't go out and do 
better, go try harder, go be more excellent, attend church 
more, be around. No, it's believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. This man would have surprised 
the original hearers, and I suspect that he surprises some today. 
Those who aren't in tune with the doctrine of justification 
by faith alone. They might say, wait a minute, 
how is he justified? He hasn't promoted his own faithfulness. He hasn't contributed his own 
works. Well, as Paul teaches us in Galatians, 
it's not about faith plus works, it's faith alone in Christ alone 
by God's grace alone. So that's the disposition of 
the summary statement concerning the publican, but notice the 
Pharisee. Verse 14, I tell you, this man went down to his house 
justified rather than the other. What does that indicate? He wasn't 
saved. Okay, so he wasn't unjust. He 
wasn't an extortioner. He wasn't an adulterer. He wasn't 
this tax collector, but he wasn't saved either. He tithed all that 
he possessed. He fasted a couple of times a 
week. He showed his rigor in terms 
of religious accomplishment, but he wasn't saved. See, there's 
this mindset out there that the more that I do, the more saved 
I'll be. No, it's about what Christ has 
done. Please get that today. If you 
don't get anything else, well, try to get everything else. But 
when you go home today and ponder the reality that God is holy 
and I am not, listen to the remedy. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. So rather than the other. So what does that mean with reference 
to the Pharisee? He's not justified. He's liable 
to the wrath, to the curse, and to the fury and judgment of God 
Almighty. So as our brother pointed out 
in the last hour, we focus upon the love of God in the evangel, 
in the presentation of the gospel. We tell sinners, God is full 
of love and he has a wonderful plan for your life. That's half 
the story. If you resist and you reject 
and you continue in your unbelief, you persist in your rebellion 
against God Most High. It's not the love of God that 
you're going to experience in the age to come. It's the wrath 
of God. It's the judgment of God. It 
is, in the language of the book of Revelation, it is the lake 
of fire. It is torment, it is suffering, 
it is heartache, it is no rest for the wicked. It is God's justice 
and righteousness and judgment vented on those who engaged in 
patterns of rebellion against Him. He was rejected and would 
receive the wrath of God due to his sin and rebellion. And 
he found what was true throughout the rest of scripture, that it's 
not faith plus works, it's not works alone, but it's faith in 
Jesus that avails us with God. In the marrow of modern divinity, 
not modern, 20th or 21st century, but 17th century. Edward Fisher 
writes, so that if you desire to be justified before God, you 
must either bring to him a perfect righteousness of your own and 
wholly renounce Christ, or else you must bring the perfect righteousness 
of Christ and wholly renounce your own. Christ Jesus will either 
be a whole savior or no savior. He will either save you alone 
or not save you at all. It's Christ alone. It's belief 
in Him. It's faith in the Redeemer that 
brings redemption, not moral reform, not trying a little harder, 
not fasting an additional time during the week. Turn to Galatians 
2. The apostle brings this in sharp 
relief. We'll bring this to a close in 
just a moment. But look at what Paul says in Galatians 2. He's 
discoursing on justification by faith alone. You see that 
in verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works 
of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed 
in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ 
and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law, 
no flesh shall be justified. And in context, he's talking 
about faith plus these works. It's not even talking about just 
works. It's not saying you're messed 
up if you try to approach God with your works. No, he says 
you're messed up if you try to approach God with your works 
and faith. See, get that down. Fisher's not joking. It's either 
we come to God with our righteousness or we come to God with the righteousness 
of another, even Jesus. That's how Paul concludes in 
a summary form in verse 21. He says, I do not set aside the 
grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ 
died in vain. It's either all Christ or all 
you. And if it's all you, it better 
be perfect. It better be exact. It better 
be entire. And it better be the case that 
you have perpetually obeyed God in every jot and diddle of the 
law. There's no curve. God doesn't 
give bonus points because you tried real hard. It's either 
obey the law perfectly and enter into heaven based on your righteousness, 
or look to Christ who obeyed the law perfectly and enter into 
heaven based on his righteousness. Listen to J. Gresham Machen commenting 
on verse 21 in Galatians 2. This verse is the key verse of 
the epistle to the Galatians. It expresses the central thought 
of the epistle. The Judaizers, those were people 
that were saying, believe in Jesus and get circumcised in 
order to be saved. They're not saying believe in 
Jesus and you can get circumcised, it doesn't really have any religious 
significance. No, believe in Jesus and get circumcised in 
order to be saved or accepted by God. The Judaizers attempted 
to supplement the saving work of Christ by the merit of their 
own obedience to the law. That, says Paul, is impossible. 
Christ will do everything or nothing. Earn your salvation 
if your obedience to the law is perfect, or else trust wholly 
to Christ's completed work. You cannot do both. You cannot 
combine merit and grace. If justification, even in the 
slightest measure, is through human merit, then Christ died 
in vain. That's the point of Galatians 
2.21. When you arrogantly assert that part of my conduct is the 
basis upon which God accepts me, then you're saying the cross 
was vanity. Why would he have to do that 
if we could conjure up an obedience? Calvin makes the same observation 
on Galatians 2.21. For if we do not renounce all 
other hopes and embrace Christ alone, we reject the grace of 
God. Luther, same thing, for whoever 
seeks righteousness apart from faith in Christ, whether it be 
through works of satisfactions or afflictions or the law of 
God, is nullifying the grace of God and despising the death 
of Christ, even though he may speak otherwise with his mouth. 
Typically, they don't say, well, I despise the work of Christ, 
but that's what they're conveying in light of Galatians 2.21. So 
in summary, God is a holy God. You're not, I'm not, no one in 
this room is. We have all sinned against God. 
The response to that isn't go try harder, go fast more, go 
tithe more, but rather it is to cast yourself by the grace 
of God upon the mercy of God in our Lord Jesus Christ. Believe 
in him and you'll be saved. Believe in him and you'll be 
forgiven of your sins and you will receive a righteousness 
by which you'll enter in to heaven. So Jesus summarizes everything 
at the end of verse 14 by saying, for everyone who exalts himself 
will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted. I want 
to close with two quick thoughts. First, the theological benefit 
of the parable. What does this parable teach 
us about God? The parable is helpful with reference 
to the law of God. It doesn't mention the law of 
God, but when we see this Pharisee think that somehow he's accomplished 
the law of God by these measly things that he has done, he has 
no consciousness of that law. The Pharisees were supposed to 
be the guys skilled in the law. If you're skilled in the law 
of God, you're not going to parade yourself as a model of obedience. If you're skilled in the knowledge 
of the law of God, you're going to be hopefully humbled by the 
power of that law. The parable is helpful with reference 
to the doctrine of justification. I'll tell you flat out, Roman 
Catholicism teaches that thing. You need faith plus this church 
in order to get to heaven. You need faith plus the seven 
sacraments of this church. I don't mean this, FGBC, I mean 
the Roman Catholic. You need faith plus the seven 
sacraments of the Holy Catholic Church in order to enter heaven. 
That's the Galatian heresy. That's adding faith and works 
together for our acceptance with God. But as well, the parable, 
in terms of theology proper, what it communicates to us about 
God is that God is merciful. God is merciful. I tell you, 
Jesus says, this man went to his house justified. What does 
that tell you? The worst people in society can 
go to heaven? Yeah, that's what it tells you. 
I know that's an offense to the world. I know that's an affront 
to the world. Well, that's not right. I've 
lived an upright life. I've cut my grass. I've washed 
my car. I've paid my taxes. I've worked 
hard and you tell me I'm gonna go to hell and this crack dealer 
over here is gonna go to heaven? That's an offense. Why? Because it underscores God's 
grace, amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved 
a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, 
was blind, but now I see. It's not an offense to the believer. The believer sees it as his blessed 
benefit. There is mercy to be had in God. Secondly, there is a practical 
benefit of the parable. Just backing up a distance, talking 
specifically to the blood-bought children of God, encouraging 
each of us in light of our responsibilities as God's people, not in order 
to become God's people, that's by grace through faith, but as 
God's people, we have responsibilities. We're to endeavor to keep the 
unity, the spirit, and the bond of peace. We're to do so with 
all lowliness and long-suffering and gentleness. We're to do so 
in a manner and disposition of what? Humility. He told this 
parable to some who trusted in themselves and despised others. These two things go hand in hand. 
The parable in the first place should aid the believer in their 
approach to others. Humility is the watchword for 
the people of God. Not pride, not arrogance. Thank 
you, God, that I'm not like this guy I'm sitting next to in the 
pew. Man, he's a mess. Thank you that I'm not him. Ryle 
says, we're all naturally self-righteous. It is the family disease of all 
the children of Adam. From the highest to the lowest, 
we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to do. We secretly 
flatter ourselves that we are not so bad as some, and that 
we have something to recommend us to the favor of God. Ryle's 
right, brethren. If you have not embraced that 
reality, call me, email me, I will send you that quote. Secondly, 
the parable should underscore the necessity of humility in 
the Christian life. Verse 14, B, for everyone who 
exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will 
be exalted. There is division in the church 
today. I don't know what the consequences 
going forward are going to be with the kinds of division that 
we've seen, not only in the church, but in society as a whole. Humility 
and loneliness will go a long way for all of us to facilitate 
a right going forward in the fear of God. This is requisite. The parable thirdly should remind 
believers of the close connection between self-righteousness and 
judgmentalism. If, as a manner of habit, you 
are judgmental to others, you may have a problem in terms of 
your salvation. Because when we're justified 
by grace through faith, when we understand who God is and 
who we are before him, God be merciful to me, the sinner. It 
is still doable, because we're that bad, but it's not as much 
of a proneness to look down upon others or disdain them or despise 
them. Fourthly, the parable should 
remind the believer of the foundation upon which he stands. It's a 
merciful God and justification by faith alone. And then the 
parable should remind the believer of the stark difference between 
justification by a mix of works and faith, and justification 
by faith alone. I want to close by quoting John 
Murray on Romans 3. He says, justification by works 
always finds its ground in that which the person is and does. Thank you, God, that I'm not 
like this guy. Thank you, God, that I fast. 
Thank you, God, that I tithe. Justification by works always 
finds its ground in that which the person is and does. It is 
always oriented to that consideration of virtue attaching to the person 
justified. I'm a great guy. I'm wonderful. Just ask me. The specific quality 
of faith is trust and commitment to another. It is essentially 
extra-spective. I think we all know the word 
introspection. That's when we focus on ourselves. I like Murray's use of extra-spective. Get your eyes off self, on to 
Jesus. So the specific quality of faith 
is trust and commitment to another. It is essentially extra-spective. And in that respect is the diametric 
opposite of works. Faith is self-renouncing. Works are self-congratulatory. Faith looks to what God does. Works have respect to what we 
are. It is this antithesis of principle 
that enables the apostle to base the complete exclusion of works 
upon the principle of faith. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. Let us pray. Our Father, thank 
you for your word. Thank you for the clarity in 
this parable concerning the two men. And God, help us to learn 
the theological richness of the parable concerning your mercy, 
concerning justification by faith. as well practically help us to 
be humble, help us to be lowly, help us to live in light of Holy 
Scripture and the reality of a great and glorious God and 
salvation by grace through faith in Christ. And help us to honor 
you and to praise and to worship and to serve you. And Lord God, 
for those who are not believers in Jesus, we pray that today 
would be the day of salvation. We pray that your Holy Spirit 
would do that work which is impossible with us. Bring conviction for 
sin and set forth Christ and all of his offices as savior 
to them. And may they by grace believe 
on him and receive that forgiveness and that righteousness that avails 
with God. And we ask in Jesus name, amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation.