"I have not come to call those who think they are righteous, but , THOSE WHO KNOW they are sinners."
Do healthy people think that they need a doctor? Do people who believe they are righteous think they need a Saviour? Do you believe you are a righteous person, a good person? If you do, what do you think about the scripture that tells us that no one is good, no not one. What do you think about the Word that everyone has come short of the Glory of God. Do you remember the Lord's reaction to the prayer in the temple of the man who said, " God have mercy on me for I am a sinner?" That man was justified by the Lord as he left the temple. Are you one of THOSE WHO KNOW that you are a sinner? Do you know that you need mercy and the Salvation of God?
A lot of people , just like the pharisee in Luke 18:13, think that they are righteous. Worse than that they hold others in contempt that do not meet there standards. It was the priests life that needed a spiritual doctor, not the humble publican. The tax collector assumed a position humility and even beat his chest as a sign of contrition. He asked for the mercy of God and recognized that he was a sinner. He did not think he was righteous, he was one of THOSE WHO KNOW that they are sinners. Jesus did not come to call those who think they are righteous. Jesus Christ came to save sinners!
Our prayer should be that the Lord helps us to know that we are sinners and unrighteous. If not we can not obtain the mercy and righteousness of the Lord. Help us to know and understand that we are always in the process of becoming more righteous and more like you until the end. Help us to not think or assume that we are better than others or more righteous than others. Thank the Lord that His mercies are new every morning and He forgives us of our sins. Thank you that if we are faithful to confess our sins, you are faithful to forget them. Thank you Lord that I am one of THOSE WHO KNOW they are sinners. Do you know?
