Luke 18:9–14 Nothing in My Hands I Bring (Sola Fide/Gratia)

Intro

“What a man is alone on his knees before God, that he is –and no more.” – Robert Murray M’cheyne

While our good works, our religious attendance, may be a fruit of salvation, they are not what causes us to one day be able to stand before God and answer the question, “Why should I let you who have committed so many sins into my holy heaven and my holy presence?”

It will all come down to what we are trusting in…Are we trusting in our selves or are we trusting in a salvation outside of ourselves. This is demonstrated by what we pray from our hearts on our knees before the Lord in Prayer… Terry Johnson, remarks… “the content and manner of our prayers reveal our true convictions about God, life, and eternity...”

And Jesus illustrates this clearly and pointedly for us this morning…what are you trusting in? Is it yourself? What are you living for?

Read Luke 18:9–14

[9] He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: [10] “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ [13] But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (ESV)

Prayer of Illumination

The Way Luke tells this parable is like a teacher including the answer key on a test…V. 9 says he told it about those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt…Thus 3 questions and 1 Conclusion this morning:

How does the Pharisee view Himself and what does this say about Grace and Faith?

How does the Tax-Collector View Himself and what does this say about Grace and Faith?

What is Jesus’ final pronouncement of the Grace of Justification by faith alone?

Thinking Carefully about Faith and Grace

First Question, How does the Pharisee view Himself? And what does this say about Grace and Faith?

Luke answers, The Pharisee “trusted in himself that he was righteous.” This leads to self-righteous condemnation for others because he was not a sinner saved by grace, but supposed, he was a man who was personally righteous. Yes, maybe with some help from God and the help of the law.

This leads to a weak thankfulness. The prayer of thanksgiving in v. 11 is actually a prideful looking to himself and his characteristics and traits, Not a thankfulness for God’s sovereign gift of grace and God’s loving him while he was still a sinner.

In his view, the Pharisee is loved because he is good….NOT that he was first loved, forgiven, cleansed, and had Christ’s righteousness and the gift of the Spirit poured out in his heart…

He does not believe “blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.” He does not believe the church is a hospital for sinners. Nor does he believe that “nothing in my hand I bring simply to thy cross I cling.”

And as Terry Johnson remarks, an inflated view of self brings a deflated view of others.

Let us look more closely at this pharisee, What does it mean to be a pharisee? What does he highlight in his prayer

He is thankful, he believes, that he is Not like other men and their sins,

Are these other things sins in v. 11? Yes, certainly. – Though, he does seem careful to avoid sins of the heart like coveting and pride…he lists the EXTERNAL sins he avoids

And He lists his External good works: Fasting and Tithes.

Very particularly, he is trusting in religious good works and religious rituals.

Can we say these are good things? Certainly from a humble heart, and if actually obeying the law of God for his people who have been REDEEMED BY GRACE, then these are pleasing to the Lord.

...But not done by this man. This is a heart of legalism. Specifically, a legalism of going beyond the law of God, and a legalism of believing these works were the grounds of salvation not the gracious fruit of salvation.

Terry Johnson remarks, “In each case, the Pharisee goes beyond what the law of God required. The law required only an annual fast, on the day of atonement (Lev. 16:29). He fasts not weekly, but twice weekly. Tithing was required of only some income, not of all. Yet he tithed ‘all,’ as did many Pharisees (Deut. 14:22; Luke 11:42). This all sounds good, doesn’t it? (Terry Johnson, Parables,