Daily Devotional for Sunday, September 10

The Pharisee and 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.

In our nation, self-reliance is a way of life. From the time of the American Revolution to the pioneer trek to the wild west, rugged independence is as American as apple pie. To quote one of my children, “I do what I want.” In many ways, this self-reliance is a wonderful thing because it has contributed to our nation being one of the most prosperous and free in the world. Who can argue success like that? On the other hand, self-reliance in restoring our broken relationship with God is a huge problem.

We see this in our devotional passage. The Pharisee was very selfreliant and quite full of himself. In his own mind, he had clearly earned God’s favor because of the things he had done. On the other hand, the publican simply threw himself on the mercy of God, because he understood he had absolutely no standing before God for the things he had done. The publican left justified, and the Pharisee left condemned. That is what self-reliance does in regard to the state of our soul.

If you are saved, you may wonder what this has to do with you. After all, you probably understand this and have been saved by God’s grace. Now you are doing the right thing and working hard for the kingdom. This matters because how we present our message to the world makes the difference between saved souls and lost souls. Legalism kills. We must choose our words carefully, because if we attach anything to the gospel message outside of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, it becomes another gospel and damnable heresy. What a shame if we understand the message correctly, but present it to the world incorrectly. 

JUST A THOUGHT: Jesus equals salvation. Jesus plus anything equals damnation.

Wally Fry