The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Parable

  • Righteousness

    “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:”

    Luke 18:9

    There is a very familiar parable that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a publican. “9. And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other menare,extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.12. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.13. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much ashiseyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14.I tell you, this man went down to his house justifiedratherthan the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14). The reason Jesus told this was to draw attention to the fact that some people “trusted in themselves that they were righteous”. This is a very dangerous thing and everyone needs to understand exactly what this means.

    The word righteous has a very long definition in the Greek. Righteous (Dikaios) means “that which is right, conformable to right … When this absolute justice is applied to man, it is stated that there is no man who in his behavior can fully meet the expectations of God in his life (see Romans 3:10: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one”)…” This very long definition helps one understand what the Bible means when it says righteous. The definition continues, for in Luke 18:9 it has a totally different meaning. Righteous (Dikaios) means “may also apply to the person who establishes his own rules of life. Such was a Pharisee whom the Lord exposed as righteous in himself (see Matthew 9:13: “But go ye and learn whatthatmeaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”; see Luke 18:9: “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:”). Having set up and kept, or pretended to keep, certain standards, the Pharisees called themselves righteous or just in the sight of God. Most of these rules and regulations, however, were not those of inner holiness and conformity to God, but mere performance of external ceremonial ordinances (see Romans 10:3: “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”) … The nonbelievers, referred to as heathen, call others righteous or just, as they compare them with their own standards… Christianity must continually combat such a view …” There is much more to this definition, but this section is very interesting in that it deals with man’s definition of righteous – not God’s. Much like the Pharisee in the parable Jesus told.

    Another time Jesus used this definition was when He was addressing the Pharisees as they challenged Jesus for eating with publicans and sinners whom Matthew had brought to meet Jesus. It would be important for us to remember that when people choose to follow Jesus (as Jesus’ disciples had), there is usually trouble stirring nearby. “10. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12. But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13. But go ye and learn whatthatmeaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:10-13). The scribes and Pharisees (the religious leaders) questioned Jesus – but they did not ask their questions directly to Jesus, instead asking Jesus’ disciples. However, Jesus knew what was happening. He immediately stepped in, and dealt with their challenge of Him eating with sinners. Jesus made it clear why He had come. Jesus had, “not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” If you ponder on that for a bit, understanding what the word righteous means according to what we just read, it might scare you a bit. Jesus told them to learn that they were sick (their self-righteousness would not uphold when they stood before God one day). Until they understood that they were sick (lost, apart from Christ and His righteousness), they would die in their sin and spend eternity in hell. They had to first acknowledge their sin, which leads to repentance. Only a sinner who is repentant before God can receive the righteousness of Christ which gives salvation. “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Philippians 3:9).

    Have you rejected self-righteousness of your own making and instead chosen to receive the righteousness of Christ?

    How to receive Christ.

  • What will He Find?

    “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

    Luke 18:8

    Jesus told a parable about a woman who persistently cried to a judge day and night to “Avenge me of mine adversary” (see Luke 18:1-5). The judge would not, but after time passed, the judge agreed to avenge her “lest by her continual coming she weary me.” Because the woman repeatedly asked this of the judge, he granted her request. Jesus said to hear what the unjust judge said. Jesus wanted the people to understand something important.

    Jesus had just been teaching His disciples of the end times, and His coming kingdom (see Luke 17:20-37). He wanted them to know what was expected of them. God hears His people, and He will avenge them of their adversaries – if only they will ask it of Him. Do Christians have adversaries? We all know Satan is our Adversary (1 Peter 5:8). We are instructed to cast all of our cares upon Him (Jesus) (see 1 Peter 5:7), and then we are able to recognize that our adversary, the devil, is trying to destroy us. We are able to cast our cares upon Jesus through prayers. “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?” (Luke 18:7). God desires that we take our requests to Him. Jesus is declaring that God’s people are to pray, with faith, that God will hear and answer, and Christians are to persevere in those prayers. We know that there are many adversaries – especially in the world today. Many Christians are persecuted and oppressed revealing a great need for prayer in these days “… but the prayer of the upright is his delight” (Proverbs 15:8b). Often times in Scripture, we are encouraged to ask for what we need. Remember what Jesus said, “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). God will hear our prayers. Yet often times, we fail to pray. However worse than that, we fail to pray correctly. There is something very important that Jesus is looking for in Christians. “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). Jesus spoke the same thought in Matthew and Luke. In John, Jesus prayed this prayer for his disciples: “14. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (John 17:14-15). In these words, Christians are to understand that in our spirit, we are ready to be the best Christian we can be. Yet temptation is ever before us to fail in that respect. Jesus prayed that Christians would be kept from the evil that is in this world.

    The end of the parable about the widow and the unrighteous judge ends with this though. “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). At the end of time, when Jesus returns, will He find anyone of faith on the earth? To better understand what this means, read what the word faith means. Faith means “appropriating what God in Christ has for man resulting in the transformation of man’s character and way of life; marking various predominant traits of Christian character as arising from and combined with Christian faith; meaning Christian knowledge.” Honestly, are there many “Christians” living this kind of faith in our world today? Have many Christians appropriated what God has for us, resulting in the transformation of our character and way of life?

    Remember what Paul wrote as an encouragement on what it is that a Christian is called to do: “12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you” (Philippians 3:12-15). We must forget the things behind and press forward to the “high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” We must live in faith, “appropriating what God in Christ has for man resulting in the transformation of man’s character and way of life.”

    Do not be discouraged.

    Be transformed, by faith, into what Christ wants you to be in Him.

    Have you appropriated what God in Christ has for you, resulting in the transformation of your character to be like Jesus?

    http://biblicalpath.com/index.php/how-to-be-saved/

  • Humbled Before God

    “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
    2 Timothy 3:5

    Jesus told a parable in the book of Luke. Read why He told this parable to the people. “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others” (Luke 19:9). We can understand that Jesus was dealing with people who thought they were righteous and others were not. Thinking one is righteous, when they really are not, would be a very scary place in which to be. Jesus wanted them to understand righteousness.

    Jesus told the parable of two men who went up into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee (a very religious person – a religious leader) and the other a publican (a tax collector). Read what Jesus said about the Pharisee: “11. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:11-12). Now read what Jesus said about the publican: “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

    Compare the two. The Pharisee was proud of all of his good deeds and thought he was fine in his religion. The publican on the other hand, humbled himself and asked God to forgive him – for he knew he was a sinner.

    What did Jesus say about the two men? He began by telling of the publican. “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

    Read what Jesus had previously said to the Pharisees: “14. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15. And he [Jesus] said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:14-15). They did not understand that God looks upon the heart.

    See the following verses:

    • Understand the wicked: “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4).
    • Understand the religious: “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain” (James 1:26).
    • How is one justified? “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16).
    • Can “good works” make anyone righteous? “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5).
    • What does this help us understand? “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work” (Romans 11:6).
    • How can one be righteous in God’s eyes? “8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
    • Understanding all of the above, what is a Christian to do when faced with one who thinks he is righteous? “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:5).

    The Pharisee (who had a “form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”) will one day be abased. The publican, who humbled his heart, will one day be exalted. 

    Have you exalted yourself, or have you humbled your heart before God?

    How to be Saved