Three Different Characters: Or, Thoughts From Luke 18:9-14, and Phil. 3:1-11

From: God's Glad Tidings: Volume 8

• 5 min. read • grade level: 8

IN thinking over the Scriptures which I have before me, three very different characters rise before my mind’s eye. (1) The self-righteous, or self-justified man. (2) The self-emptied man. (3) The Christ- righteous, or God-justified man; and I seem to see each of them looking in a different direction. The first is looking around at others. The second is looking within at himself. The third is looking up at Christ in glory. I will glance at them in this order.

The first, or self-justified man, we are told in Luke 18:9⁹And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: (Luke 18:9), “trusted in himself that he was righteous and despised others.” That is, he compares himself with other professors of the same creed as himself, and he finds to his own intense satisfaction that he is much better than most of them. He looks around, it may be, at those attending the same “place of worship,” and sees “extortioners, unjust, and adulterers,” and he thanks God that he is not like them (nor even like that bad man in the next pew to him, (Luke 18:11¹¹The 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. (Luke 18:11)), nay more, he is actually religious— “I fast twice in the week,” and benevolent— “I give tithes of all that I possess,” Luke 18:12¹²I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. (Luke 18:12).

Now, unsaved reader, is not this something like what passes through your mind as time after time you enter your “place of worship,” and look around at others in the congregation?

Know, O vain man, that God now judges men not by a merely moral code, nor by his relations to his neighbor, but God is testing everything, by that blessed Man who was rejected and despised by the religious of the earth (see Matt. 27:20, 41, 43²⁰But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. (Matthew 27:20)
⁴¹Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, (Matthew 27:41)
⁴³He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. (Matthew 27:43); and 1 Cor. 2:8⁸Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:8)), and was hanged on a tree, but is now raised to God’s right hand by the glory of his power. Tell me, Can any righteousness of your own give you a link with that blessed God-man?

The next character before me is the self-emptied man. The man who, like the publican, has learned that the “extortion, knavery, and adultery” are not in others but in himself, in that breast of his which he beat again and again in agony. He cares not to look around on “others,” and he dares not “lift up his eyes to heaven.” There he stands afar off, for he knows he has no right to draw nigh to God—crying for mercy (or propitiation), for righteousness would condemn him to hell as a sinner.

This is real repentance. A man taking his right place before God. Surely a fit case for “the balm of Gilead,” as it is written in Luke 5:31³¹And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. (Luke 5:31), “They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” A worthy case for “justification freely by God’s grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (or mercy-seat, which the publican cried for) through faith in his blood” (Rom. 3:24-25²⁴Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ²⁵Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:24‑25)).

How blessed it is to see that it is our sins which fit us for the pardoning mercy of God.

But now I come to the third character. The Christ-righteous, or God-justified man of Phil. 3:7-11⁷But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. ⁸Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, ⁹And 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: ¹⁰That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; ¹¹If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (Philippians 3:7‑11). The man who has seen Christ in glory as the One who has been raised from the dead by the power and righteousness of God for his justification, and he has peace with God by faith in the God who raised Christ. Peace as certain and unalterable as Christ’s place at the right hand of God. And now he trusts in Christ and despises himself. This is the man who can look up, for he has found perfection in Christ risen and glorified, and nothing good in himself.

The God-justified man has despaired of himself. He has come to the same conclusion about himself that God did 1800 years ago, when He condemned sin in the person of Christ on the cross. And he has learned that there is nothing before God now, but Christ risen from the dead, and his whole ambition is to know more of that blessed One in whom he is “complete” (Col. 2:10¹⁰And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (Colossians 2:10)).

Oh! my reader, what a change is this from what he was before. Once he used to say, “If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more” (Phil. 3:4⁴Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: (Philippians 3:4)), but now he calls himself the chief of sinners.

What has brought about this great change in his soul? How is it that the most righteous man has become the chief of sinners? It is in this way—He has not only been born again, but revolutionized by a sight of Christ in glory (read carefully Acts 9:1-20¹And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, ²And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. ³And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: ⁴And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ⁵And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. ⁶And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. ⁷And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. ⁸And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. ⁹And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. ¹⁰And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. ¹¹And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, ¹²And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. ¹³Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: ¹⁴And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. ¹⁵But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: ¹⁶For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. ¹⁷And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. ¹⁸And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. ¹⁹And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. ²⁰And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. (Acts 9:1‑20)), and he has learned that that blessed One who has had no place at all in his heart or in his religion—because there was “no room” for Him (Luke 2:7⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7))—is the very One who is the center of all God’s affections, thoughts, and counsels.

But now let us listen to the inspired utterances of the Christ-righteous man.

“But what things were gain to me (self-righteousness) those I have counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may have Christ for my gain (or win Christ) 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. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection” (Phil. 3:7⁷But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. (Philippians 3:7)). He desires to have nothing but Christ for his present and eternal portion. Oh, my readers, may you know the blessedness of this, for His Name’s sake!

ANON.

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