IN nothing more than in man's approach to God does the immense difference between God's and man's thoughts evidence itself. Invariably man's first thought about himself in his approach to God is, Let me improve myself, Let me make myself worthy ; unchangeably God's first principle for man in his would-be approach to Himself is, Let man own his sinfulness, Let man confess his guilt.
This principle is to be seen in the Old Testament, as well as the New. The leper that had but one spot of leprosy upon him was unclean, while he who had not one spot of sound flesh left was pronounced clean (Lev. 13:12, 1312And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; 13Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean. (Leviticus 13:12‑13)), and in such Psalms as the thirty-second and the fifty-first the experiences of the contrite heart plainly express the principle. The deep sense of sinfulness in the presence of God, and the open confession to God of transgression, are there, and the result is a gracious sense of God's pardoning mercy.
When our Lord was on earth He laid bare the error of religious man's thoughts as to drawing near to God, and the consequence was, that such as felt their sins came to Him, while such as trusted in their good works conspired to destroy Him. Publicans and sinners loved Him, and rejoiced in the gracious words which fell from His lips; Pharisees and Scribes were filled with enmity against Him, and against God who sent Him, as He announced pardon to the contrite.
There is perhaps no instance more solemn in exposing the lengths of man's religious self-satisfaction than that of the Pharisee who went up to the temple to pray. He made quite a little speech to Jehovah about his own superiority, as with unabashed ignorance of himself he lifted up his eyes to the throne of God in heaven. Yet that man could boast in the knowledge of the Scriptures—that is to say, in their letter, for he had not learned through them of God who wrote them.
The publican, on the other hand, who also went up in the temple to pray, was awed with the sense of God's holiness, and ashamed in the sight of his own sinfulness. He would not so much as lift his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, “God be merciful to me, the sinner”! He felt himself like the leper whose leprosy had covered him, he had not one good word to say for himself.
Over and over again the sweet word mercy is breathed in the Scriptures, and the sin-convicted man needed mercy for himself, yes, he singled out himself in his prayer, as if he alone were a sinner—God be merciful to me, the sinner! He recognized in God the Bestower of mercy, and looked to Him for the mercy He was willing to bestow.
Such was believing-prayer-such was true coming to God, and he went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee. The Publican's practical religion arose by faith to God; the Pharisee's was no greater than himself, and rose up no higher than his own level.