As in past, many people today also do not have a consciousness about the need for a Redeemer from sin and guilt, and therefore they do not pose the question of how to solve their problem of sin and guilt. And when the notion of religion is mentioned to them, they have a need to justify themselves before their conscience with the words having, most usually, the next meaning:

"I live a decent life. I wish nothing bad to anyone, I do not want other people's possessions, and I will not give away mine. I did not kill anybody, I did not steal anything from anyone. I go to church regularly! Is not that enough?"

Their justification looks like a justification of the haughty and self-righteous Pharisee from Jesus' example:

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." (Luke 18:10-14)

Both the Pharisee and tax collector went to the same temple for religious service. Both of them, moved by strong religious needs, directed their prayers to God Who had the same name. Likewise, they went away from their religious service convinced in their justification before God, and both of them were very satisfied and thankful to God for that reason. But, there was still a difference between them.

Both of them went away satisfied, but while the Pharisee went satisfied with his own character, the tax collector went satisfied with character of God Who had forgiven him and accepted him.

Why did Jesus say that only the tax collector was justified before God, and not the Pharisee too, when the latter was very satisfied with his own righteousness and, in his opinion, far above the righteousness of the tax collector.

Those who seek a spiritual perfection in an attempt to become satisfied with themselves, are trying the impossible. With correct criteria of perfection such an attempt can only traumatize us. Our nature is not sinless so that we could be satisfied with it.

What is revealed by the fact that someone is nevertheless satisfied with himself? In which case a man can be satisfied with himself?

It is only when his criteria of perfection are degraded from the sinless to a level of the sinful, from the divine to a level of the human.

If we have a good opinion about ourselves and our nature, it speaks just that we have not met Christ; that we have not yet comprehended the real beauty of God's character, and that our criteria of goodness are very low and distorted.

Many make efforts to suppress every ray of divine light, they try to defy every demand of the sublime divine righteousness, proclaiming them to be fanatical demands just because they are hindered by those demands in the attempt to become satisfied finally with themselves and their own righteousness.

An attempt of a man to feel satisfied with himself and his righteousness is a root of every spiritual and psychic pathology. The very need for such a feeling is not a spiritual need, but a psychic one.

It is not a deed of the Holy Spirit, but of a man's sinful nature and his unclean conscience. Differently from a spiritual need, its aim is a change of feeling, not a change of the character and a realization of an unity with God.

A fanatical adherence represents always an answer to our psychological needs, whose aim is a feeling of satisfaction with ourselves, while a sound religious faith rightly liberates us of that burden and induces us to be satisfied with the One who has promised to liberate us from sin and guilt.

Now the questions are:

What is it which enabled the Pharisee to become satisfied with himself and his character, differently from the tax collector who found his only alternative in being satisfied with God?

What is it which saved the tax collector from burdening himself with psychological needs and opened his heart for the action of the Holy Spirit, Who made him aware of his spiritual needs?

Let us see who of the two had in his mind more sublime idea about God's character. Who of them had an idea about God based on the demands of God's moral law? Of course, only he who showed, by his repentance, his recognition of God's law, could have that idea.

Who of them repented for violating the law?

The Pharisee had such a degraded and superficial idea about God's law that he did not understand at all his guilt in front of it. In essence he did not know God through the law, but through legalism.

Differently from legalism which satisfies itself with a certain religious form of behavior, God's law looks at the heart and ask for its motives to be correct. (Legalism is just one of many ways whereby a sinner hides himself from the real face of the law.)

Differently from the Pharisee, the tax collector knew God through the law, and therefore the Holy Spirit had the freedom through such an idea of God's character to lead him up to a sincere repentance.

Many Christian have so distorted idea of God's character that through such an idea Holy Spirit cannot contact them and to make them aware of their spiritual needs. "Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'" (Romans 7,7) Because of neglecting knowledge of the law, many Christians never repent for a sin itself, but just for undesired consequences of sin in their emotions and behavior.

Who keeps in his mind a correct idea about God's character in the light of His law will never be tempted to justify himself by the deeds of his own righteousness, for the law discourages him permanently from such an attempt. He understands that he will never be able to be satisfied with himself, but that does not hinder him at all when he is satisfied completely with God, His character and His plan of salvation.

On one occasion The Israelites became very disappointed with themselves. They wept bitterly hearing the demands of the law they violated. Then the priests "said to all the people, 'This day is holy to the Lord your God; Do not mourn or weep.' For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, 'Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength'." (Nehemiah 8:9-10)

The Israelites could proceed to weep over themselves continually because of their sins, but if God had forgiven them and accepted them with joy, how would they have underestimated and despise so great a mercy. Having understood the joyful message of the priest, then "all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.". (Nehemiah 8:12)

Let us remember of the story about lost son. The lost rebel could not certainly be satisfied with himself, but by making the efforts to become satisfied with the character of his father he opened the door of his own salvation. His hope was not founded in a confidence in his own repentance, but in the confidence in the character of his father, full of mercy and forgiving. And the confidence in such a character could not fail to result in his sincere and deep repentance.

Everyone willing to acquaint God's character could exclaim:

"To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!" (Psalm 123:1)

"O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:1-8)

Somebody could ask:

"What if I become satisfied with God, but continue to sin by my life? What will save me from an imagined correctness of my life?"

If we decide to become satisfied with our life, nothing will save us from an imagined correctness, but if we decide to become satisfied with God, God Himself will save us. The purity of His character, revealed by his law, will reprimand us for any attempt to abuse His name. God will not give us a confidence in His forgiving our sins and guilt, unless we rely on Him truly and accept by faith His gift of repentance. We will not be satisfied with a simple confidence in the character of Who we have not chosen to be our God. As with Pharisees, so with us psychological need will appear inducing us to additional action whereby we will attempt to calm our unclean conscience. While the Pharisee watched the tax collector in order to elevate his own character, the latter had an opportunity to watch the sacrifice being offered daily in the temple, elevating his hopes to God and revealing the divine plan of salvation.

Righteous God could not forgive a sinner in any other way, but to take his place Himself. The sword of condemnation fell on the Sinless One, in order that the sinner be justified. The tax collector had his consolation in the promised Saviour, prophesied by David the psalmist thousand year ago:

"May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more. May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. ...

May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service. For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight. Long may he live! ...

May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun. May all nations be blessed in him; may they pronounce him happy. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen." (Psalm 72:4-19)

Differently from the tax collector, the Pharisee believed more in his than in God's plan of salvation. He considered that God would accept him on the basis of his own deeds of justice, on the basis of the values of his own character. Thus the Pharisee showed that he believed more in his than in God's character.

If our confidence in God is conditioned by our confidence in our own character, by our belief that we have first to clean ourselves to become an object of God's mercy, then we can be sure that that is not a faith in God, but a faith in ourselves and in our own character.

Therefore our question should be:

"Do I have a confidence in God's accepting me on the basis of my own character and my own plan of salvation? Do I know God's character so well that a feeling of the weakness of my own nature becomes an irrelevant factor in my spirituality?"

Many persons, having recognized themselves as the tax collector, who, poor in spirit, stand before righteous God, cannot reconciliate themselves with their role. They have not decided to become satisfied with God to such an extent that they could remain discontent with themselves. Since they have not a confidence in God's accepting them such as they are, they make all the efforts of their will to take a role of the pride and self-righteous Pharisee.

Differently from the Pharisee saying in his prayer "Thank you, God, for I am not like... this tax collector!", they as if say in the prayer "God! Help me to be like this Pharisee!... help me to feel that I am perfect in my goodness!".

Instead of seeing the axis of their relationship with God in understanding of His character, they put their consecration to the fore. Instead of dealing with God, they deal with themselves, trying to build up a feeling of their own righteousness by their religiosity. In that way they just suppress the acquired testimony that they are poor in spirit. Instead of in God, they find a peace on the garment of their own justice.

Since they have not confidence in God, they look within themselves and their positive feelings and strivings for a proof of God's approval. Dealing with themselves, in an attempt to realize spiritual perfection, they prevent Jesus from dealing with them and from giving them, as a present, a real victory over the sin.

Maurice Wenden, in his work "Behold, I am coming..." says:

"If we constantly look at ourselves and wonder how do we do and how much have we achieved, we have nor a least possibility to be saved. But if we look at Jesus, if our eyes are always directed toward Him, we have no a least possibility to be lost."

Looking at oneself is a temptation for man's sinful soul. It is lethal spiritually for it provokes his selfishness and self-righteousness. Our will receives the strength from what we are looking at.

A girl tried seven days without success to get rid of the sin of tobacco, until she gave up and uttered: "I can't do it any more! God, I tried all! Take me in your hands, I am utterly lost!" She continued, as before, to pray regularly and study the Gospel, but now without the burdening covenants not to light a cigarette any more. Five days later her mother "shocked" her with the words: "How nice you have not lit a cigarette for five days!" Not before that had the girl become aware of her being free of the unhealthy vice five days already.

How is it possible that she was not aware of her victory over the sin five days already?

Because she retained the feeling of her weakness even after the victory. She walked in the light of God's face and therefore she was still aware of being a sinner in her nature. As she did not deal with herself, her sins and her covenants of non-sinning any more, she did not rely on herself any more. She still had a will not to sin, but by dealing with Jesus she forgot about herself and her own (un)righteousness lost its power faced with God's righteousness.

We do not need to wait for a feeling of change of our heart, but we should start living according to the God's law, believing in His promised salvation.

Our confidence in God's approval and salvation must not be based in our confidence in ourselves and our righteousness (Matthew 6:3), but in our confidence in God and His promises. Let us look at Him and we will live.

By looking at God and getting acquainted with His character, we acquire a confidence in Him. We believe that God is love because we know Him. And when we have confidence in Him, then we believe that He is good enough to be willing to save us, and powerful enough to do it. His call has a saving power and therefore His salvation is complete, not partial. God invites us to realize a spiritual perfection: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5.48)

Perfection would be impossible should it depend on a sinlessness of human nature, but it is possible because God - the object of human choice - is sinless. Consequently, to be perfect does not mean to be of a sinless nature, but to be independent and free from the sinful nature by a complete confidence in God and relying on Him.

With a confidence in God our very nature will begin to change, but we must never become satisfied with it, because then the process of consecration will cease.

Perfect is a baby that at its age recognizes its parents and rejoices at them, although it still does not know to speak, but should it remain such all its life it would certainly not be perfect any more. It must not become satisfied with itself, for its development will stop.

Perfect is what corresponds completely to a certain level of development.

Perfect is the sinner who answers completely to the message. God sends to him in the present time, regardless of his previous sinful heritage (and experience). Perfect was the lost son in the moment when in the pigsty turned a look of faith toward his father and decided to return to him. Perfect is the tax collector who obeyed completely the testimony about his own sinfulness and about God's mercy and His accepting. The tax collector showed a confidence in God and in righteousness He offers mercifully to every sinner who repents, the sinfulness of his human nature having become therefore quite invalidated and neglected.

Did the tax collector continue to sin?

Watching the sublime demands of the law he had violated, and the service of the offering the innocent sacrifice, that had replaced him, the tax collector's heart was led to a sincere and deep repentance.

The tax collector was forgiven much. And who was forgiven much, has a great love (Luke 7:47). And who has a great love will observe God's law (Romans 13:10).