Humble Yourself To Obtain The Mercy Of God
Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14 NLT.
What a fantastic way for Jesus to address self-righteousness. He exposed the futility of it all. And the dangers therein.
The Pharisee thought he was righteous based on the good deeds he had done. Pride filled his heart, making him look down on the Tax collector.
Interestingly, Salvation cannot be earned through anything we can do for ourselves. Human efforts are all tainted by sin. Hence, cannot be acceptable to God. For all have sinned:
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Romans 3:23 NLT.
So, those that rely on their efforts have missed it already. For our righteousness is nothing but a filthy rag before God:
We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
Isaiah 64:6 NLT.
Have you asked this question: if our efforts and good deeds can give us Salvation, why did Jesus die to save us?
There won’t be any need at all if it’s what we can achieve by ourselves. To be clear, Salvation can only be purchased by the blood of Jesus:
and through him, God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
Colossians 1:20 NLT.
Furthermore, Salvation is a gift. And It’s by the grace of God that we can be saved. Therefore, there is no basis for us to boast:
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT.
In light of this, one has to humble himself to obtain mercy from God. For God loves the humble but rejects the proud:
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:6-7 NLT.
The Tax collector was recommended for acknowledging his inadequacy. It was obvious to him that he didn’t deserve anything from God. Hence, he resulted in pleading for mercy. And always the mercy of God triumphs over judgment:
For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
James 2:13 NKJV.
Now, I do not know the category you fit in. Are you among those counting on the things they do? Do you think God will accept you because of your endeavors? Are you looking down on those you assume you are better than?
I sincerely hope, through this write-up, you have seen the error thereof.
So, I implore you, to come to God today with all humility. Plead for his mercy, and forgiveness, and renounce your old proud ways. For He is ever disposed to receive those that seek him diligently.
I invite you to pray this prayer to receive the mercy of God:
Dear Lord, I come to you today with all humility. I acknowledged that I’m inadequate. And I do not deserve your mercy. But Lord, I plead for your mercy. Deliver me from pride and self-righteousness. I now understand that I can only be saved and made righteous through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Help me to always be conscious of the fact that it’s by your grace that I can do any good deeds. Thank you, dear Lord, for saving me in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pst. Mike