Tax Collector or Pharisee?

[Ezra]

27 minutes ago, Your closest friendnt said:

I have always been  wondering why did Jesus say this story, and at the end he said that this tax collector  went home justified to him self. More than the Pharisee .

Justification has always been by grace through faith.  The tax collector admitted that he was a sinner and asked for God's mercy.  His faith in God and his mercy, as well as his repentant attitude is what justified him.

[Behold]

On 11/30/2013 at 5:22 PM, missmuffet said:

We are all sinners like the tax collectors and the pharisee's.But that does not give us a license to sin on purpose and keep committing the same sin over.We repent of a particular sin and move on.If we continue to committ a particular sin and think that just because we are a Christian we are covered that is not going to work.That is mocking God.

Hebrew 8:12 and Roman 4:8 explain  that God no longer remembers your sins , nor does He count them against you ever again.

The (i can lose my salvation) nonsense  confusion about this, is that the Cross eliminates ETERNAL judgment for any of your sins, including future ones, BUT, the law of sowing of reaping, which is a spiritual law that is not remitted by the Cross, allows for earthly consequence of your "sinning" that you do after you are saved.

[Your closest friendnt]

4 minutes ago, Ezra said:

Justification has always been by grace through faith.  The tax collector admitted that he was a sinner and asked for God's mercy.  His faith in God and his mercy, as well as his repentant attitude is what justified him.

Hello Ezra, this happen before the new covenant, when we had at list two men before God.

The Gentiles and the children of Abraham ,( Isaak), and Jacob and his house , and we had the foreners. 

You know very well that all those people were not under grace, and faith. 

Faith and Grace came through Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament whether you had faith in God, maybe good for the one who had it, like the Syrian woman for healing her daughter, and she knew that did not meant that because of her faith she stop of been Gentile. 

Even if you were born to the High Priest family, and grow up to have a strong faith, in God, but you did not honor the holy things  you were cut off, you were dead because of your Adamic connection, and dead to the Lord. And sometimes dead all together, your punishment was to die.

The Lord worn Moses, because of his uncircumcised children, Moses believe , his children believe and his wife believe, but they could not stand  on their faith, and keep away the vengeance and the anger of the Lord God.

The people could not say by faith, death won't come to our first born, and our faith will sealed us from death without the blood on the post. 

Those who did not believe but follow the instruction were spare, and those who relied on their faith alone, they mourn their firstborn.

No it is not by faith in the old, actually many did not believe, or their heart was to the Idols, but they kept the ordinance of the Law, and inspite of that they were included , but those who just believe they were cut off, from the family of The Lord God.

Believe as much as possible, but disobedience to the Sabbath it was death to the Lord, and sometimes their lives too. 

In the old:

Eat leaven bread and you are dead to the Lord.

In the new: 

eat unleavened bread and you are alive to God, no matter who you are. 

Unleavened bread with the yeast of the Spirit of God. 

The bread with the life in it.

 

[Ezra]

2 hours ago, Your closest friendnt said:

Hello Ezra, this happen before the new covenant, when we had at list two men before God.

Actually you should read and study Hebrews 11. All were justified by grace through faith.

[woundeddog]

Abraham was counted righteous because of his faith-- not by the law-- its always been by faith-- back at the start in the garden when Adam and Eve accepted the robes of animal skin they where forgiven because of faith in the covering sacrifice from God -- not by their own works of the aprons they made from leaves (works) - always faith by grace

[KPaulG]

We should all examine ourselves.

[simplejeff]

Regardless what someone WAS,   what are they today ? (notice NO ONE in the NT who followed JESUS faithfully(saved) EVER stayed what they once were, at all.   They completely changed and started immediately doing what is right with continual joy, peace and righteousness

(declared by YHWH(GOD)) every day, day after day ongoing, not stopping doing what is right....

(if they again did 'revert' to what they once were, what we all once were, they were chastised to return to YHWH and again continue in fellowship with HIM doing what HE says, doing what is RIGHT and not willingly continuing to live in sin in darkness . )

Anyone Used to be tax servant:   Used to be pharisee:   Used to be landlord:  Used to be stock broker:  Used to be military:  Used to be pastor, bishop or priest or acolyte or any other job on earth, anywhere.

WHO TODAY is a NEW CREATION ?

As DEFINED by YHWH (God) IN HIS WORD -

Who will pass all the tests of NEW CREATION (described completely and thoroughly IN NEW TESTAMENT alone, as well as in the OLD TESTAMENT) ?

(positive expectations when tested, but few even ever test themselves, and few ever can pass the tests)

Where is this test?   In God's Word Only.  (i.e. no need to wonder about the 'tests'/description(s), if it's authentic or not - right from HIM, UN-changeable, without spot or wrinkle,  incorruptible , perfect and complete and completely right) 

[Absolem]

Were all sinners yes and a repentant heart is necessary. How abundent though the grace that's in Christ Jesus. Its like we never sinned. Praise God.

[Absolem]

On 8/2/2016 at 5:39 PM, Ezra said:

Justification has always been by grace through faith.  The tax collector admitted that he was a sinner and asked for God's mercy.  His faith in God and his mercy, as well as his repentant attitude is what justified him.

I agree. Also it says that men before Christ died were moved by the Holy Spirit. Prophets and such. This was done by grace through faith as always. The law shows sin and the futility of man. Grace is by God. You have to have faith which works by love. These men were justified by God through faith and repentance. And the fruit that comes from repentance. 

Edited May 16, 2017 by Absolem

[Annette]

On 10/2/2013 at 2:54 PM, Hippie333 said:

Are you the tax collector or the Pharisee?

Luk 18:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:
Luk 18:10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.'
Luk 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'
Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
....me lately I like to look at what Paul said about his sin -
1Ti 1:12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,
1Ti 1:13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
1Ti 1:14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
1Ti 1:15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
1Ti 1:16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.....
--
See Paul, even though a man filled with the love of Christ ....knew that his sins were the same as any other mans....in verse 15 he says : I am the foremost - meaning I am the chief of sinners....

He hoped that others would see that regardless of his past as a great sinner and persecutor of Christians that others would see that if God could forgive him....that he could YOU too! - Paul had hoped that people could see that even though the best of us sin still - that it does not change what Christ did for us, that it does not change the message given by a man ( for even the best will still sin) - Christ died on the cross to free us of our sins...not give a license to sin continually, but to know we are still of the flesh, we still sin at times when we know better, or may not even want to do what we do. Paul says in Romans -
--
Rom 7:15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Rom 7:16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
Rom 7:17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out

Paul says I AM A SINNER! - I am only saved through the MERCY of Christ - I cannot do what I desire for I cannot do it alone - I can only do things with the Lord giving me the strength to do so - Paul says in 2 Corinthians -
 

2Co 12:7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
2Co 12:8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
2Co 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
 

 

Folks, it comes down to this - we can't cast out the message because of the messenger - we are ALL sinners - none better than the other - none worse -
We are only free from these sins through the Grace, Love and Mercy of Jesus Christ.
--
 

 

Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Joh 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Joh 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
--
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

I realize you posted this a while ago, but wanted to thank you for sharing it Hippie. It is good to take time to stop and think about where we are at. Blessings:)