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!’ Luke 18:13
Righteousness
By Michael Herbert
The fourth step in AA is the grueling task of self examination. Taking inventory of yourself can only be accomplished through humility. The prideful and arrogant person neither knows themselves or the blinded plight they are living on. Much of the fourth step cannot be accomplished without first embracing the first step which is finding the higher power as God himself. Any other higher power robs you of the ability to find deliverance.
Jesus teaches us in this parable not to rely on our self righteousness, but to humbly turn into his loving arms
How arrogant is the prideful Pharisee thinking that his righteousness is in anyway compared to the just payment for sin which only Jesus could pay. The standard, the bar set for “justice served” could be supernaturally supplied. Did the Pharisee think he was equal with God? Isaiah 64:6 compares our best day of rightness without Christ as a menstrual cloth. The Pharisee states he fasts twice a week, which was not required by the Jewish law if it wasn’t Yon Kapur. What good did it do him to fast if it wasn’t for the purpose of cleansing himself of the flesh? If he had fasted for all the right reasons he would have seen that he fell short of the glory.
Self examination was never meant as a time of condemning, but, quite the contrary really. I was meant for you to know the truth and the truth to make you free. Confession is good when done in a godly way. Our shortcomings are actually opportunities for God to work out in us. Prayer and confession go hand and hand with humility. I have no self righteousness outside the finish work of the cross. Because I know that I press on in the imputed righteousness of Christ in my life. I continue to seek in me areas to give to God in order to find deliverance. God is always faithful to move in my life when I am humbly before him. This also is true when I counsel others. If I come like the Pharisee believing I’ve done no wrong and I believe I have self righteousness, then how can I possibly help anyone else? The Pharisee pointed out and stated he was glad he wasn’t like the tax collector. A true Christian would come into a counseling session and realize, they too have many faults. They too have many things to work on. They too know that the reason they may not have the other persons issues is because God’s grace has saved you from it. Nevertheless, we cry with those who cry. We laugh and rejoice when others rejoice, why? Because we know we are nothing more than mere sinners all saved by Jesus’ work on the cross. We trust in Jesus, not in ourselves. We can have victory over self-rightfulness if we continue to look to the cross and not ourselves. There is a degree of Pharisee in all of us. Let’s bring it to God and have him remove that from our lives.