The Difference Between True and False Faith

August, 28. 2022 – Trinity 11

Text: Luke 18:9-14

INI

 

“One no longer asks themselves, “Am I in a state of grace?”.

But rather, they ask “Am I a good and well-meaning person?””

 

That’s a quote from the same article as the Welcome statement on your bulletin.

It describes the false faith many Christians have.

Because this false faith looks towards itself for validation.

Without the true recognition that being good and well-meaning can’t save you.

 

Rather, faith only looks toward the grace of Christ for validation.

Because faith recognizes no one is good but God alone,

And meaning well for others doesn’t actually serve their needs.

 

To say it another way, false faith sees faith as something I do.

It takes confidence in me.

Thus, it hates the Word of God.

 

True faith sees faith as an undeserved gift that’s put to use.

Its confidence is in Christ

It loves the Word of God and seeks to follow it.

 

As Christians, it’s important to understand and see the difference,

Lest we fall into a false faith that doesn’t justify.

The Gospel lesson today gives us a clear picture of both.

False faith justifies with one’s own work,

while true faith is humbled under God’s justifying work.

I.

The Pharisee teaches us that works done without faith earn nothing before God.

Luke writes about him, “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. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’”

From this prayer, it’s evident that this Pharisee trusted in his righteousness,

And he treated others with a cold-heart.

Ultimately, he didn’t have true faith.

He didn’t really believe in God’s Word.

Because He believed that he had special access to God because of the things he’s done.

Sure he did some good things – he tithed, fasted, and prayed.

Those are good things for us to do as well.

But the problem was that he cared about these things MORE THAN other weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

Jesus said something to the Pharisees about this in chapter 23.

He said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These you ought to have done without neglecting the others.”

 

Jesus judged them harshly for following one part of God’s Word,

but choosing to neglect other parts.

They picked what was easy for them to follow,

And then boasted before the Lord the good they’ve done.

 

But when the Lord looks at the Pharisees’ works,

He sees his righteous works as dirty rags.

 

So, his works get him nowhere before God.

Because his pride exulted himself even above God’s own word.

He thought if he fulfilled one part of God’s commandment,

Then he didn’t have to follow a different part of God’s command.

But ultimately, his pride led to him not being justified before God.

As Proverbs 16:18 says,

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Pride turns us inward towards ourselves, instead of toward God and His Word.

 

But certainly, that would never be us, right?

We’d never exult our works before God in heaven, right?

Because we know we’re sinners and we need His help.

 

But do we ever not trust God’s Word?

Or not trust His forgiving and sanctifying word to us/.

Where we use the words of the Tax Collector and say “I’m a sinner, I’m a sinner”

But have the attitude of the Pharisee?

That’s what’s known as false humility.

 

Being humble in such away is false because humility isn’t self-degradation.

Humility isn’t a lack of self-esteem or self-confidence.

Rather, humility is a gift that truly recognizes one’s status before God.

True humility recognizes that before God,

Our works are as dirty as rags.

So, we can’t boast of what we do before the Lord.

The tax collector knew that well.

 

But also, we can have false humility when, like the Pharisee, we ignore the word of God.

We believe some parts of Scripture but not others.

We live how God would have us to live in some ways – tithing, fasting, and praying.

While ignoring the other things that are a bit harder to do – being merciful to my neighbors. Being faithful to God. Or trying to be fair towards my neighbor.

 

Ignoring the word of God because of false humility looks like this.

We keep returning to the phrase,

“well, I can’t be perfect. I’m just a no good dirty rotten sinner”

Without believing what God’s Word does say about how forgiveness equips us to live the new Christian life.

 

In this way, we reveal ourselves for what we really think of trying to live as one of God’s saints.

That is, maybe we don’t really see the life of holiness as all that appealing.

We see it as too hard and difficult.

Or maybe we doubt God’s transformative and regenerative power.

And so we maintain a false humility that is comfortable in living in its sin.

 

But that’s not true faith.

Empty and vain words earn nothing before God.

II.

What does the Lord want?

The sacrifices the Lord wants isn’t things we do.

Psalm 51:17 says, “the sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart.”

That’s true faith.

That’s the faith of the tax collector.

True faith seeks justification by God’s atoning work.

 

It’s the tax collector who went home justified in the eyes of God,

Meaning, God declared him ‘not guilty’ of his sin.

Why? Because he was truly humble,

And recognized he needed God’s mercy.

 

Luke says “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!”

And a sinner he was.

He took people’s money.

He would collect more money from the Jewish citizens than what was required by the Roman government, and then pocket the difference.

He stole from God’s people, thus, he was stealing from God Himself.

 

He knew where stood before God.

He couldn’t justify Himself.

If he were to appear before God on the last day,

He knew his works wouldn’t measure up to God’s expectations.

He knew he deserved hell.

His actions warranted such punishment.

 

His humility before God was evident.

He went to the Temple to pray for God’s help.

He didn’t even lift his eyes into the heavens.

He beat his breasts in disgust of himself,

and desperation over what he deserved.

 

He knew he needed for God to justify him.

He cried out, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!”

From the Greek phrasing, he’s not simply asking for mercy.

He’s asking for God to make propitation for his sins.

The tax collector is asking God to provide the right sacrifice to appease God’s wrath over his sin,

Because the tax collector knows he’s not able to appease God’s wrath.

He knows he needs God to atone for his sin.

That’s true faith.

That’s true humility.

This faith, God exalts and justifies.

 

Like the example of the tax collector,

True faith recognizes our disposition before God,

And our need for God’s grace.

 

Many people fear answering to God in heaven for the immoral things they’ve done in their life.

But before that judgement throne, true faith doesn’t point to us.

True faith doesn’t point out the right or wrong sacrifices we’ve made.

True faith lays itself at the feet of God’s mercy with true humility.

True faith recognizes the need for God to atone for us.

True faith points to the cross of Christ –

For this is the sacrifice where atonement for all sin happens.

This is the sacrifice where God covered my sin.

This is what the tax collector asked for,

And so this is what true faith asks for.

 

That propitiatory blood is even given for you here.

When we truly confess our sins with a true humility,

And receive the Lord’s Supper,

Not only are we like the tax collector in saying “God be merciful to me, the sinner.”

But God gives the thing for which we ask in the sacrifice of His own Son’s atoning body and blood given here in bread and wine.

Through this – a broken and contrite spirit, which humbles itself to receive God’s atoning sacrifice – our sin is appeased before God.

Faith believes this.

By this, you are justified.

INI