In the sermon 'Two Decisive Case Studies for Justification by Faith Alone,' Jason Dohm explores Paul's argument in Romans 3:27-4:8, which emphasizes justification by faith apart from the law. Using Abraham and David as case studies, Paul demonstrates that justification by faith is not a New Testament invention but is deeply rooted in the Old Testament. Abraham's faith, rather than his works, was counted as righteousness, illustrating that salvation has always been through faith alone. Similarly, David speaks of the blessedness of those whose sins are forgiven and not counted against them. The sermon underscores the relationship between faith and works, highlighting that salvation is a gift from God, not wages earned. It calls believers to rely on faith in God, as He justifies the ungodly, and to recognize the continuity of this truth throughout the Bible.

Good morning everyone. The sermon text for today will be Romans 3, 27 through 4, 8. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law?

Of works? No. But by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or is he the God of the Jews only?

Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith, do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not. On the contrary, we establish the law.

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believes God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now to him who works the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

But to him who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousness. Justice David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin." The title of the sermon this morning is two decisive case studies for justification by faith alone. Paul began his letter to the Romans with these words.

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, which he promised before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning his son Jesus Christ. So the very first words of his letter to the Romans was a claim that the glad tidings about the anointed Savior Jesus Christ is good news that's actually grounded in the Old Testament scriptures. Then we saw this in last week's text. Listen to chapter 3 verses 21 and 22. Paul writes, But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe.

So we started the letter that way but he repeats it again in the chapter that we just finished. Paul has made it crystal clear. This is not new. The glad tidings about an anointed Savior who would be set apart and commissioned to save sinners is not a New Testament invention that came apart once a man who was on the scene named Jesus came and said certain things and did certain things. He came and said those things and did those things in fulfillment of all the promises made in the Old Testament, of which there are many, many, many.

Now Paul offers two decisive case studies for justification by faith alone, proving that this is grounded in the Old Testament. So you might take those claims of Paul, the glad tidings are actually found in the Old Testament, and say, Paul, prove it. He's happy to prove it. He's here to prove it. He offers us these two decisive case studies.

What are they? Abraham as a case study, David as a case study. These two giants of the people of God. In fact, if you go to the very first verse of the whole New Testament, Matthew chapter 1 verse 1, you'll see that the introduction to the genealogy of Jesus is traced through two men, Abraham and David. These are the two great fathers, Abraham the father of the whole Jewish nation, but David the father of the line through which the anointed Savior, Jesus Christ, would come.

So these are Paul's two case studies. In doing so, he answers a really important question. Was it simply that the Old Testament predicted salvation by grace alone through faith alone, or have people always and only been saved that way? So are you tracking with me? Paul has said the gospel is a responsive fulfillment of the Old Testament.

Now that could just mean that the Old Testament predicted that salvation, once the Savior had come, would be done that way. It could mean that. Or it could mean that there's only one way that anyone has ever been saved through this Savior that God would send, which is it? And Paul answers actually very decisively in this text. It's not just Old Testament prediction, but that anyone who has ever been saved has been saved through the same way, by grace alone, through faith alone.

So that is the text or the teachings that we're facing today. So ask God to help us. God, these are the truths that our life with you depend upon. So they're important to us but they also ought to be sweet to our taste. So sweet to see these glad tidings grounded in such clear promises, firm promises.

Grounded in your faithfulness to keep those promises. I pray that you fill our hearts to rejoicing today in Jesus name. Amen. Well let's subdivide. I'd like to start by taking the first three verses.

Hopefully you're in Romans chapter 4. Follow along as I reread Romans 4 verses 1 through 3. What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say?

Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. In this section, Paul asks and answers the question, what does scripture say about Abraham? So if you're filling in blanks, taking notes by filling in blanks, Abraham fills in the blank. What does scripture say about Abraham? Verse 1, what then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?

Father Abraham found out something. He discovered something, quote unquote, according to the flesh. Now what does that mean? I suggest we can look at another place. Paul used that same language that makes it clear what Paul is referring to when he says that Abraham discovered something or found out something according to the flesh.

And that place is Philippians 3 verses 3 and 4. Just listen. Listen to Paul in Philippians 3 verses 3 and 4. There Paul writes, For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I also might have confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so circumcise the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. Concerning the law, a Pharisee. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church. Concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. So, the flesh, according to the flesh, would be the part of you that you should have no confidence in.

Paul renounces confidence in the flesh in Philippians chapter 3. He says, we who are the circumcision have no confidence in the flesh. It is what you are in and of yourself. It represents What you are and what you can accomplish so what has Abraham found? In what he is and what he can accomplish in and of himself By the way Philippians 3 it is a passage about salvation by grace alone through faith alone.

So when Paul says, if you think you can have reasons to have confidence in your flesh, I have better reasons, and he's just listed them. I read them and Then he says I've renounced all of those I count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ by faith In that text so these passages really do belong belong together now our text Look at the beginning of verse 2. For if, first two words of verse 2, for if Paul introduces a theoretical to consider. It is a thought experiment. It is a what if.

What if Abraham was justified by works? So that's the thought experiment that Paul hands to us. Think about this. What if Abraham was justified by works? Then if he's justified by works, he has grounds for boasting.

He can boast before me because I'm a sinner justly condemned by God. But if he's justified by works, he's not a sinner justly condemned before God. If Abraham was justified by works, he can boast before you, Because you're a sinner justly condemned by God. He can boast before anyone and everyone who has ever sinned. But even then, Even if Abraham could boast of a spotless record to me, who has such a spotted record, even then Abraham would have no grounds for boasting before God.

Isn't that amazing? Why not? I know why he could boast before me, because if he was justified by works, it would mean he had a spotless record, and I know about my record. It's a very spotted record. So Abraham, boast away if you're justified by works.

But why wouldn't he be able to boast before God? Consider Job 35 verses 6 and 7. Just listen. Job 35 verses 6 and 7. Quoting the book of Job can be tricky because he has these three friends who are giving him bad advice all throughout.

And so sometimes you can actually not know it and be quoting the bad advice. But I but I think here I'm on safe ground, even though it is one of his bad advice friends who is speaking here. I think he is speaking the truth and you could prove it from other texts. In fact, I will. This is Job 35 verses 6 and 7.

This is what Elihu says. If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? What do you accomplish against God if you sin? Or if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? What do you do to God if your transgressions are multiplied?

If you are righteous, what do you give Him? What's Elihu saying? He's saying, even though he's the bad advice friend, a bad advice friend, he's saying something that's very true, which is this. Our obedience adds nothing to God. And our disobedience takes nothing from God.

God is not more glorious, more God if you obey, or less glorious, less God if you disobey. He's not harmed by your disobedience, He's not helped by your obedience. You do nothing that He couldn't do if you hadn't done it. Now consider what Jesus says in Luke 17 verses 7 through 10. It's right down this same track.

Jesus says this in Luke 17, 7 through 10, and which of you having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, come at once and sit down to eat? So Jesus is giving you a thought experiment. You're a master, you have a servant, he's been tending the sheep, he comes in. Do you say, sit down while I serve you and you eat? Jesus continues, will he not rather say to him, prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me, till I have eaten and drunk, and afterwards you will eat and drink." Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?

I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you were commanded, say, we are unprofitable servants. We have done what What was our duty to do? Let me ask you a question. If Adam and Eve hadn't eaten the forbidden fruit, would they have grounds for boasting before God.

So Adam and Eve, the perfect example of the covenant of works, the law of works, obey and live, disobey and die, if they had continued under the law of works, not having transgressed against it, not eating the forbidden fruit, would they be able to boast before God. The Bible says no. God is God. There is no one like Him. He has no peers.

We don't harm him with our disobedience or help him with our obedience. And we wouldn't somehow become his peer even if we obeyed perfectly. That's what Paul is saying. In our thought experiment, If Abraham obeyed perfectly, he could boast to you, but even then he couldn't boast before God. He is God.

Perfect obedience, even perfect obedience, wouldn't make us his peer. So, how do we sort this out? Paul has handed us a thought experiment. So, how do we come to a conclusion? How do we sort out his thought experiment?

We go to Scripture. What does scripture say? Look at verse 3. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

He says, let's go to scripture, and he quotes a scripture. It's Genesis 15 verse 6. So let's all turn to Genesis 15. We're going to spend a few minutes here. So since I was going to the other places so quickly, I just said, let me read it and you listen, but let's all go to Genesis 15 because we're going to spend a few minutes here.

And we're going to set it in context, look at it more than just what he quotes in verse 6. So I'd like to start in Genesis chapter 1 and read Genesis 1, Genesis 15, 1 through 6. So hopefully I've given you time to get to Genesis 15. Follow along as I read Genesis 15, 1-6. After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying, Do not be afraid Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.

But Abram said, Lord God, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Look, you have given me no offspring, indeed one born in my house is my heir. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir. Then he brought him outside and said, Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to number them. And he said to him, So shall your descendants be.

And he believed in the Lord, and he accounted it to him for righteousness. Abraham believed in the Lord, and the Lord accounted it to him for righteousness. The word of the Lord came to Abraham. Will you believe it or not believe it? God came, God spoke to Abraham.

God made a promise, A great promise to Abraham. By the way, Abraham is old. He's older than 80 years old. Sarah is old, way past childbearing years. God is promising something that is impossible in the flesh.

According to what you are and what you can do, God promises the impossible in the flesh. And the fulfillment of that promise in Genesis 15 is unseen. It is for the future. By the way, it's going to be another 20 years. Abraham's not young and he's not getting any younger.

He's passed fatherhood years and it's going to be 20 more years. Sarah's already out of childbearing years and it's only going to get 20 years worse before God comes and fulfills the promise. Look at verse 6. He believed in the Lord. Abraham believed in God, so he believed God.

He believed in God. This God is a faithful God who can only tell the truth and so even though he's promising me things that are impossible in the flesh if he says it he'll do it. God accounted it to Abraham for righteousness. Righteousness by faith alone. We have the text, Abraham didn't do a thing, not one single work, but he's accounted to be righteous.

His faith is accounted to him. He believed in God. And God accounted it to him for righteousness. Now, what does it mean to account for righteousness? I think Dr.

Martin Lloyd-Jones put it in a really helpful way. He takes us to a New Testament book that we don't normally get to, to Philemon. When's the last time you read Philemon? Don't lie. It's been a long time, unless your Bible reading plan has just taken you there.

It's not much there. We don't get there. What happens in Philemon? Paul writes a letter to Philemon and he sends the letter with an interesting person. Paul is in chains and in chains he encounters the runaway slave of someone he knows, Philemon.

And Under Paul's ministry, this runaway slave, Onesimus, becomes born again, is saved, and Paul sends him back to the master that he ran away from. So that brings us to Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones' commentary on this. Here's what Lloyd-Jones says. You remember what Paul says in writing to Philemon about Onesimus.

He says, if he has defrauded you and if he owes you anything, put that down to my account. I will repay it. The apostle did not owe Philemon anything, but he tells Philemon to put it down to his account as if he did owe something. That is imputing. That is accounting or reckoning.

It's someone undertaking your debt for you. Putting into your account something that you don't have. By the way, Jesus spoke about Abraham's faith. That's helpful commentary, didn't you say? The Jews said this to Jesus in John 8.53.

John 8.53, the Jews say, Are you greater than our father Abraham who is dead and the prophets are dead? Who do you make yourself out to be? This is a portion of Jesus' reply in verse 56. So, John 8.56, Jesus says, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. We have to be honest, we don't know exactly what Abraham knew.

We don't know exactly when Abraham knew it. But we see from what Jesus says that he knew enough to see forward to the day of the anointed Savior and to rejoice. He saw it by faith and he was happy that God would send someone he had set apart for the saving of sinners. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. He was not justified by works.

The scripture settles it. Abraham was justified by grace alone, as a gift to him through faith alone. The theoretical case has been debunked. For if Abraham was justified by works, he wasn't. Scripture settles it.

The thought experiment is brought to an end by Genesis 15 verse 6. So now even Father Abraham is stripped of all grounds of boasting. He can't even boast of me or you. He was saved the same way I am, the same way you are. Finally, we should note that we have an extended history of Abraham in Genesis.

We know a lot about Abraham. If The law of works, this system of righteousness by where you work to be declared righteousness, requires perfect, ongoing, unbroken obedience. Then Abraham fails over and over again. We have the history. Joshua 24 verse 2 says that Abraham's father, Abraham's brother, and Abraham himself served other gods.

The history of Abraham in Genesis starts with Abraham as a pagan idolater worshiping false gods. Twice, he exposed Sarah, his wife, to danger by telling her to identify as his sister and not his wife. Even Abraham's faith was subject to faltering. God said he would give him an offspring. It wasn't happening.

It wasn't happening. It wasn't happening. Sarah says, take my maid. Have children through my maid and they'll count. By the way, this tells us that saving faith doesn't have to be perfect, never faltering faith.

Abraham's wasn't. It just has to be real. It can actually be as small as a mustard seed. It just has to be real. It can actually be as small as a mustard seed.

It just has to be real. Let's apply. First, if you're saved, if you're justified, declared righteous, you have been saved in exactly the same way as anyone else in all of history has been saved. There's only one way. Abraham was saved by grace alone, through faith alone.

I am saved by grace alone through faith alone. Second, to settle any matter of faith, simply ask, What does Scripture say? That's what Paul does. What does Scripture say? That is the question we should ask over and over and over and over and over.

It is the one source that never disappoints, never lets you down. It is full of truth and only truth from Genesis chapter 1 through Revelation chapter 22. What does the scripture say? Back to Romans 4. The next two verses, verses 4 and 5.

So follow along as I reread Romans 4 verses 4 and 5. Paul says, now to him who works the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. In these verses, Paul asks and answers the question, what is the relationship between works and wages, faith and grace. So if you're filling in blanks, wages fills in the first blank, grace fills in the second blank.

What is the relationship between works and wages? Faith and grace. If you have a job with pay, you work for pay, you don't want the boss considering your pay a favor. Here, I'm doing you a favor. Let's talk about that.

Why don't you want the boss considering your pay a favor? Because you worked for that pay. It was simply an exchange. I give something and you give back to me in another form. We have a deal.

We got a deal. You'd want to set your boss straight if he acted like your paycheck was a gift. Happy birthday. No, no, no. It's not my birthday and you owe me that.

Paul is teaching us to put our view of God saving people through the same grid. Put our view of God saving people through the same filter. Which is it? When a person is granted eternal life, is God giving that person what he or she deserves and has earned? Is he paying wages?

Or is it an unearned, undeserved gift? Paul wants us to get it set straight in our mind. When a person is granted eternal life, is God giving that person what he or she deserves and has earned? Is he paying out the wages or is it an unearned, undeserved gift? Answering that question gives us great clarity about how we should think and act.

Don't you think and act differently depending on which it is? We have a deal. You pay me my wages or this is an undeserved unearned gift. Depending on which it is you think and act completely differently. So Paul wants us to get it fixed in our minds.

Paul couldn't be clearer. It is not earned wages. It is a gift freely given and only a gift freely given. Not any part of it is wages being paid. It is all and only a gift freely given.

Now look at verse 5. Look again at verse 5. But to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. A few things should be said. First, notice that verse 3 and the second half of verse 5 are essentially identical.

Verse 3, for what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. The end of verse 5, his faith is accounted for righteousness. So again we're seeing that just what is said in Genesis 15, 6 of Abraham is said of the one who doesn't work but believes his faith is accounted for righteousness. Believed and faith, believed in verse 3 and faith in verse 5 are synonyms.

You could switch them and the meaning wouldn't change at all. It's fine to switch them. They mean The same. Again, the way Abraham was justified is the way New Testament believers are justified. Don't you ever believe anyone if they tell you that salvation was by law keeping in the Old Testament, but now we're free from all that?

No. Salvation was never by law keeping. Abraham wasn't saved that way. We're about to see that David wasn't saved that way. No Old Testament was saved that way.

It was always by grace alone through faith alone. Second, notice who God justifies. Look in verse 5, who does God justify? But to him who does not work but believes on him who justifies thee, ungodly. If you will not own that you are ungodly, then the gospel has no offer for you.

God only justifies the ungodly. Jesus said, those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. And I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. That's Luke 5, 31 and 32. He's not teaching that there are those who don't need healing and those that are righteous.

He's teaching that He came to heal the sick, those who feel their great need for healing and so they come to Him. He came to save sinners who come turning away from that and trusting in Him, not those who feel no need, who already feel as if they were righteous. Paul summarizes it best two chapters later in Romans 6.23. I have tried my hardest not to pre-preach sermons. Some of the best cross references for the text that we're preaching are just a chapter or two away.

I think I've shown great self-discipline to not use those and to try to find other places to explain because we're going to get there. But I'm going to break out of my self-discipline on this point. I have to use Romans 6.23. Listen to what he says. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Paul has one story to tell.

It's in all of his letters. That according to the law of works, the system of righteousness, by where you work to be declared righteous, we're all condemned under that system. It is the law of faith. It is God undertaking to put into your account what you don't have for yourself. His own righteousness to you through faith.

Listen to the Expositors Bible commentary. God justifies the wicked. Not only does God justify men and women apart from works, but he does so contrary to what they deserve. Understand what he's saying there. It's a really helpful way to think from a different angle about how God justifies the ungodly.

It's one thing to say, God justifies apart from works. It's another step or two farther to say, it's actually contrary to what you would get paid for those works. God does justify men and women apart from works, but He does so contrary to what they deserve. If God paid you your wages, it would be death. Not just physical death, but eternal death in separation from God.

You want to get paid wages? That's your wages. If you want a gift, that is through faith. The last section, verses 6-8. Romans 4, verses 6-8.

Just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. Quote, blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin. Paul here asks and answers the question, what does David say under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? So that fills in the blank.

Inspiration. What does David say under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David describes a position of favor, of enjoying Blessing. Blessed are those. Dot, dot, dot.

Three things are said. By the way, this is a Psalm of David. It is Psalm 32, verses 1 and into verse 2. It's not all of verse 2, but it's into verse 2. And these three things that are said are all very closely related.

Number one, this person's lawless deeds are forgiven. This is not a person who can be justified by works. This person has lawless deeds, law breaking deeds. But instead of being condemned, this person who is under favor, this person who is enjoying a blessing is forgiven. Number two, this person's sins are covered.

Instead of being exposed in judgment and endlessly shamed by and for his or her sins. The sins are covered. They are put out of sight. Number three, this is a person to whom the Lord shall not impute sin. Instead of this person's sins being accounted for sin, the sins going into the account and stored up for reckoning.

Somehow the sins don't go into his or her account. Friends, this is a Blessed person indeed. This is a person in position of favor indeed. This is a person enjoying blessing indeed. Let me make three quick comments about David's teaching in Psalm 32.

First, David was Israel's greatest king. David was the father of the messianic line. Jesus is often in the gospels called the son of David. That's because they were expecting the Messiah to come through David's line because of what the prophets had said. The prophets had said he would.

David was also an adulterer and a murderer. He knew what it was to have his lawless deeds forgiven, his sins covered, for the Lord not to impute his sin. Second, Paul introduces David's testimony under this banner. Look in verse 6. This is the banner over David's testimony.

The blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. This means that justification by grace alone through faith alone includes the accounting of righteousness, not my righteousness, but Jesus' righteousness put into my account as He undertakes to pay my debts, and The non-accounting of sin because of faith. The accounting of righteousness because of faith, and the non-accounting of sin because of faith. The hymn Rock of Ages has this great line, Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath and make me pure. Because of what Jesus does as the great substitute of sinners who trust in Him and the changing of places it is both the accounting of righteousness His righteousness put into my account and the non accounting of sin My sins never going into my account, but going to Him.

He is the double cure. He saves from wrath because my sins aren't in my account. He makes me pure. I get a righteousness that doesn't depend on me. It is not mine.

It is his. But he undertakes to pay my debts and puts his righteousness into my account. It would be good for the rapture to happen right now, just thinking about that. Third, listen to Psalm 32 verse 10. So David doesn't quote this, I mean, excuse me, Paul doesn't quote this from the Psalm of David, but I'm going to quote it.

Psalm 32 verse 10. By the way, it's right at the end of that chapter. There's only 11 verses in that chapter and this is verse 10. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. There it is.

There's the roots of the blessedness. That's why this person's lawless deeds are forgiven. That's why this person's sins are covered and put out of sight. That's why this is a person to whom the Lord shall not impute sin, because he who trusts in the Lord mercy shall surround him. The roots of the blessedness.

As far as application goes, this is either a call to action or a call to thanksgiving. Are you a person whose lawless deeds are not forgiven? Are you a person whose sins lie uncovered in full view? Are you a person whose sins are going into your account, going into your account, going into your account for a reckoning. Take action.

Tell me what to do. Believe. Simply believe in Jesus. Simply believe in God and believe God and it will be accounted to you for righteousness. Or it's a call to thanksgiving.

Just to hear these things is so sweet to the believer to think. That righteousness has gone into my account because Jesus has undertaken to pay all the debts that I couldn't pay and my sins which are many and great not a one of them is going into my account for a future reckoning. Shouldn't our hearts be filled with such thanksgiving. Let's conclude with Luke 18 verses 9 through 14. You can just listen, you're welcome to go there.

I can't stop you. Or you can listen. Luke 18 verses 9 through 14, such familiar words. Also Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that They were righteous and despised others. Two men went up to the temple to pray.

One a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God I thank you that I'm not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess. And the tax collector standing afar off would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Notice this. The Pharisee believes in faith plus works. He goes to the temple and he's praying. Can you say that he does not believe in God?

But he's added his works to it. He thinks he has grounds for boasting. The tax collector has simple faith. And that is saving faith. For Abraham, for me, for you.

God. Strip us of all pride. Make us ashamed of our pride. Lay us low because of our pride. Let us rejoice in a simple faith that saves sinners.

I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.