How to elevate Yourself
Our righteousness before God is not determined by how good we are in comparison to unbelievers and frail believers.
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the world—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tithe of all I get. 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. “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.” — Luke 18:9-13
In this story, for example, the Pharisee was fixated on his ability to uphold religious codes and God's commands. His self-righteousness was so high that it kept him from admitting his flaws. Furthermore, the pharisee's haughty prayer contradicted the essence (forgiveness and redemption) of the Gospel before God. He believed that his works of righteousness made him right with God, but it didn’t (Titus3:5).
God doesn’t care if you are not like the world. God still loves the world which is why he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Therefore, why condemn the world when you should present to them the Gospel?
The pharisee was wrong. His sense of righteousness did exactly what Jesus spoke of: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the door of heaven in people’s faces and don’t allow those striving to enter to go in (Matthew 23:13). For example, if this Tax collector was weak in mind and didn’t know the Gospel, such behavior from the pharisee could have discouraged him from asking for forgiveness. He could have given up and left feeling condemned. Fortunately, the Tax collector knew the kind of God that he was under, and asked for mercy.
As Christians we should avoid arrogant prayers or thoughts that are rooted in self-exaltation. Nobody is perfect and has fallen short of the glory (Romans 3:23) no matter how loud one can preach the word or pray. Therefore, do not behave like the pharisee. Rather, tell the world how the death of Jesus brings hope, salvation, and transformation to us all.
“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. [There is hope!] — Titus 3:5.
With love, Jenn 🌸💕
