The last two verses of Romans 8 end with a staggering statement about God’s love. Verses 38-39 crescendo to a final chord proclaiming that nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God.  Nothing!

The foundation for this biblical truth is briefly mentioned at the end of verse 37. Last week, we looked at what Paul implied when he called us “more than conquerors.” This week let’s consider the fact that we are more than conquerors “through him who loved us.”

There are three aspects of God’s love for us that directly contribute to the impossibility of being separated from that love. Those three aspects are well illustrated in Jesus’ parable about the Pharisee and the Tax-Collector.

In the parable in Luke 18, Jesus was addressing people who felt like they usually did the right thing. They were people who tried to be law-abiding citizens.  They didn’t get in trouble very often.  They tried to follow God’s commands most of the time.  While they might be quick to admit that they are “not perfect” and “only human,” they would also be eager to say that they are “better than most.”

In fact, most people who consider themselves “good people” are really bothered by the behavior of “bad people.” When a self-designated “good person” sees someone shooting up drugs, or losing control in a fit of rage, or looking at pornography, they often treat that person with an air of superiority.  They think of themselves as having a better status in society.  They assume they are approved by God because their behavior is better than others.

In fact, recent surveys show that most people in our country assume they are good enough to earn God’s favor and to secure a place in heaven. Those in our area often believe that their abundance of good karma and the absence of bad karma is winning God’s approval and is certainly adequate for keeping them out of hell.

This is a parable for all people who are trusting in themselves and their good behavior to get them to heaven instead of putting their trust in Jesus and his perfect, imputed righteousness. Jesus will be comparing two figures:  a Pharisee, who was considered the ultimate law-abiding citizen, and a tax-collector, who was considered the most wicked person imaginable.

Let’s read through the whole parable and then I’ll pick it apart a few lines at a time. Luke 18:9-14

“9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.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. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’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!’ 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.”

Here are two men who are different in every way imaginable.  Their differences are very significant.  This morning, we’ll be looking at their difference in position, in posture, in prayer and in approval.

#1 Position – Verse 10

Verse 10 says, “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.”

Pharisees were both social and religious insiders. They were the celebrities of their day.  If you had a gathering and a Pharisee showed up, they would be given the best seat and would be considered a guest of honor.

Only a limited number of people were allowed to be Pharisees. (The word “Pharisee” itself means “separatist.”) It was an exclusive group that made a big show out of their good deeds and religious observances.  They made sure that regular Jews knew they were really serious about Judaism.  They made a big display out of ceremonial washing, fasting, praying and giving to the poor.  Although they were obnoxiously self-righteous, they held a place of high-esteem in the Jewish culture.

At the absolute opposite end of the social scales were the tax collectors. Tax collectors were personally responsible for collecting funds from their own people that would finance the oppressive and violent Roman army.  They were, by far, the most despised people in their culture.  Many tax-collectors were thugs and criminals.  They were considered traitors to both the Jewish people and to God, Himself.  They were thought of as enemies of everything holy.

Tax collectors were considered to be in the same social category as harlots and drunks.

[1]  In fact, they usually hung out with harlots and drunkards.  They were “bad people.”  Jews thought of them as the very furthest thing from God.  Although some were quite wealthy, they were considered the lowest of the low.

Both of these men came to the Temple to pray. As they prayed, their posture tells us a lot about what is going on in their hearts.

#2 Posture – Verse 11-13

Verse 11: “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. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’”

The Pharisee stood off by himself to pray. Standing upright to pray is a normal position for prayer at the temple mount in Jerusalem.  It was common for Jewish men to pray with both their hands and their eyes lifted skyward.  It was a posture meant to signify both praise and compliance.

So the position itself was not the problem. The issues come with the Pharisees separatist attitude.  He positioned himself at the temple in such a way that his super-religiosity on display for everyone else to see.  He was making sure that he was noticed.

The Pharisees would commonly go to pray in a prominent place in the inner court. They would try to get as close to the holy of holies as possible.  In their minds, their good works made them more special to God; they deserved to be as close to the holy of holies as possible.

This self-promoting, self-righteous, and self-congratulatory attitude is what make their position in prayer so obnoxious. The religious demonstration during a prayer time was nothing less than a grandiose sign of religious pride.

The tax collector, on the other hand, positioned himself in a much different way. Verse 13 says, “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!’”

The tax-collector placed himself far away from the center of attention. He was not interested in being in the center of the foot traffic at the temple.  Instead, he stayed toward the edge of the temple grounds.  He was fully aware that he had not earned a right to be there.  He felt unworthy in the presence of other worshippers, let alone in the presence of God.  He was an outsider, an outcast, and an exile.  His awareness of his unworthiness was written all over his posture.

Overwhelmed with shame and disgrace, he humbly confessed his guilt before the Lord. He made no attempt to justify himself.  He was fully aware that nothing within him merited God’s favor.  Every part of his physical demeanor expressed his shame and remorse over his sins.

Praying with his eyes down and hands over his chest was a posture of humility. As he prayed, his hands became fists that pounded his chest, clearly a sign of extreme anguish.  This man was openly sorry over the evil he had treasured up in his heart.

Not only were their postures different, but their prayers were nothing alike.

#3 Prayer – verse 11-13

Luke 18 seems to indicate indicates that this Pharisee was praying loudly. I get the picture of this man praying so loudly and so obnoxiously that it was just short of yelling.  He was congratulating himself for all his good deeds.  He was taking great pleasure in reciting all his good virtues.  In essence, he was praying in order to stroke his own ego.  He had no interest in actually speaking to God.

In verse 11-12, with his hands and face raised up to the sky, the Pharisee offers this prayer to the Lord, “‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’”

Over these two verses, he referred to himself five times and the only time he refers to God is to thank Him that he is not like the other “bad people.” Notice that he does not ask God for mercy, grace, forgiveness, or even for help.

Here’s why: the Pharisee was “confessing” his own merit to God. He thought that when he showed God how “good” he was in comparison to the other “bad” people, God would be hugely impressed by his righteousness.  The Pharisee thought he would be able to win favor with God based on his merit alone – apart from God’s grace.

Just to make sure that everyone heard his message loud and clear, the Pharisee was very specific in his comparison. Keep in mind: Self-righteous people love to compare themselves with the worst-of-the-worst. In verse 11, he mentions “extortioners, unjust, and adulterers” and then wraps up with the worst of them all a “tax collector.” As he runs down the list of the worst sins he can think of, and he loudly lets God know that he’s glad that he doesn’t do those things.

Was this really a prayer at all? Not really – at least it’s not a very good prayer. All he’s telling God is that he doesn’t need grace.  He is communicating loud and clear that he is trying to win God’s favor, and the approval of everyone else around him, solely by his good deeds.

The tax collector offers an altogether different type of prayer. In verse 13 he prays like this, “‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” That prayer is short and to the point.  This man is fully aware of his great need for God’s grace.  He is not under any illusion that he might be able to work his way to heaven.  He knows that pleading for salvation and receiving it as a free gift from God is his only hope.  So, he offers a genuine plea for God’s mercy.

So which one actually received God’s grace and won God’s approval?

#4 Approval – verse 14

Verse 14 says, “14 I tell you, this man [the tax collector] 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.”

Jesus’ message is simple:

  • All who attempt to win God’s favor based on their own righteousness are going to fail and condemn themselves in the process.
  • All who seek God’s grace and clothe themselves with Christ’s righteousness are saved through their faith and by God’s grace alone

God alone is the one who justifies the person who puts their faith in Jesus. That’s why Paul says in Romans 8:33, “ 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”

This parable highlights three massive truth about God’s love for fallen sinners that are foundational for understanding the end of Romans 8. The first truth is that God deals with us personally.

Three foundational truths about God’s love

#1 God deals with us personally – 1 Samuel 16:7b, Luke 18:13

God’s love is a personal, intimate thing. AW Tozer said, “God does not love populations. He loves people. He loves not masses, but men.”[2]  As God dealt with the tax collector and the Pharisee, He didn’t lump them into general categories, but dealt with each one individually and personally.  He knew them well.

  • The Pharisee was not let off the hook for his self-righteousness simply because other religious people like him often have an authentic and sincere faith.
  • The tax collector was not automatically condemned simply because most other tax-collectors have no interest in God.

Each was dealt with by God as an individual case. This fact is a challenge for you and me:

  • On one hand, we can’t assume religious acting people are actually right with God. 1 Samuel 16:7b says, “…the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Nobody gets a pass just because they have the title “pastor”, “elder”, or “reverend” in front of their name.
  • On the other hand, no one is so far gone that God’s grace isn’t more than enough to save them. God is eager to hear the honest and sincere prayer of a drug dealer, child molester, or terrorist that says, “‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’”

God dealt with these two men very differently based on their attitude towards their sin. The Pharisee thought that he could get right with God based on his own religious performance.  The tax collector knew that he could never be right with God.  The tax collector was truly remorseful for his many sins, but the Pharisee had a hard time seeing his need for repentance at all.  It is the difference in our attitude toward sin that separates every person on our planet into two categories:

  1. Those who know they need God’s grace
  2. Those who don’t see why they need grace

One key lesson that we can learn about God’s love from this passage is that gospel-based ministry is committed to addressing sin and showing sinners their need for God’s grace. It is not enough to tell people that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life.  They also need to know that without Christ, they stand condemned by the law.

There are a lot of well-meaning, religious people who believe a lot of right things about the Bible.

  • Their theology might be very good.
  • They may have memorized scripture and understand in their heads that Jesus came and died for their sins.
  • Many will openly confess that they have sinned at some point.

However, many of these same people don’t understand the true weight of their sin. They think that if they do enough good works their actions will be adequate for nullifying their sins.  This is exactly what the Pharisees believed and they were wrong.  Dead wrong!

The tax collector got it right when he prayed, “‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” It is very important phrase.  He was speaking here in the language of atonement.  The Tax collector wasn’t just asking God to overlook or ignore his sin. The original language indicates that he was pleading with God to make whatever arrangements necessary in order to deliver him from the condemnation of sin.  It is what theologians often call “propitiation.”  When the righteousness of Christ covers our sins, God is not just temporarily appeased;  He is perfectly satisfied.

#2 God saves us perfectly – 1 John 4:18, Luke 18:14, Titus 3:5

The tax collector confessed that he was a hopeless sinner in need of God’s grace. Even his praying posture indicated that he felt unworthy to be around other worshippers in the holiness of the temple.  He felt unworthy to look up towards heaven as he prayed.  Fear gripped his heart as he realized his sin in light of the holiness of God.  Right into the midst of that painful realization, comes the perfect love of God.  When a man comes to God with a truly repentant heart, God pours out his love on that person like a flood.

God loves us perfectly and He desires to put His great love for us on display. If we were to pay for our own sin, it would take an eternity of God’s judgment poured out on us to pay that price.

However, God made another way, a painful way. God in his infinite love for us offered His own Son as the payment for our sins.  God willingly poured out His wrath on Jesus (instead of on us) on the cross so that all who call on Him as Lord and Savior might be released from the penalty of their sins and be free to worship and enjoy God for all of eternity.  Justice and mercy meet at the cross.  Jesus was the propitiation for our sins.

The tax collector was a man who fully understood the meaning of the second verse of All I have is Christ. The lyrics say:

But as I ran my hell-bound race Indifferent to the cost You looked upon my helpless state And led me to the cross And I beheld God’s love displayed You suffered in my place You bore the wrath reserved for me Now all I know is grace

The grace that is extended to repentant sinners stems from a love that casts out our fear to face God. 1 john 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

The moment we come under the protection of our good and loving Savior, fear is cast out and we’re left to revel in God’s grace. It is a grace we didn’t earn and didn’t deserve.  It is a grace that is freely extended to all who would freely receive it.

The tax collector lived a terrible life. He was completely undeserving of God’s love.  However, it says that it was he who, “went down to his house justified.” Titus 3:5 says, “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Since we did nothing to earn or deserve this huge measure of grace, it also means that there is nothing we can do to “undeserve” it either. Here is the pinnacle of today’s message and the foundational truth we need before we dive into the last two verses next week:

#3 God loves us permanently – 1 Corinthians 2:12, Luke 18:14

The love of God does not fluctuate like human love does. God chooses to love us freely.  He freely choses to send us his indwelling Holy Spirit.  1 Corinthians 2:12 says, “we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” God has given us eternal life as a free gift[3] and He not going to take that gift away from his chosen people.  What God gives is permanently and forever given.

When Jesus said to the crowd, “this man went down to his house justified,” it would have shocked those who were listening.  Jesus was saying to them that at that very moment, the tax-collector was completely, 100% justified.  Salvation and eternal life was his present possession.  The tax collector was now PERMANTENTLY right with God!

Jesus, as God in the flesh, was teaching that in one gracious moment in time, the most extreme sinner can be pronounced instantly righteous without performing any good work, without earning any merit, without following any ritual and without bringing any righteousness of his own to the table.

Application – Romans 8:37-39

Jesus’ point is crystal clear: Salvation is by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone. What God did personally and perfectly in the life of a person is also done permanently. God’s love was not earned and it does not end.  Therefore, nothing can separate us from that kind of love.

[1] Matt 21:31-32

[2] Tozer, AW “Knowledge of the Holy” pg. 102

[3] Romans 6:23