Why is there more hope for a thief than a pharisee?  One knows they are a broken, sinner.

Mark 2:17 – “And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  

When you meet God in His Word, and you see the holiness of God, you can respond in a few different ways.  One is to ignore Him, and continue on about your life.  (These are non-believers)  Another is to acknowledge that God is holy, you are not, and call Him savior, but continue on with your life largely unaffected.  (These are non-believing Cultural Christians)  Another is to work with all your might to try to make yourself holy like God is holy.  (These are non-believing pharisees)   Finally, the last way one can respond is to see their sinful depravity (hopelessness) before a holy God, and call on the name of the Lord to save them.  These then pursue God’s holiness not in their own strength, but in the strength provided by their savior, through faith in His finished work on the cross.  (These are Christians)

Luke 18:10-14 – “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  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.’  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!’  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.”

You must be broken to be healed.  Put another way, you have to feel the weight of sin, before Christ can remove it.  If you do not feel the weight of your own sin, what is Christ saving you from?  Until you lose all hope, you cannot find hope in Christ.  You must be broken.  This is why Jesus began His beatitudes with “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)  If you read Paul’s letter to the Church at Rome, the first 3 chapters are intended to accomplish 1 goal – to establish that all men are sinners from birth, and without any hope in themselves to be spared the wrath of God.

Do you mourn your sin?  Are you broken over it?  I fear that the primary reason many people are “broken” over their sin is primary due to the consequences it brings.  If that is the extent of brokenness over your sin, something is very wrong.  Either you need to be reminded of the gospel, that your sins were not forgiven, they were placed on Christ on the cross, or you have to ask yourself a hard question about whether you love your sin more than God.  My hope and prayer is that your love for God, from His Word, is greater than that.

For those whose hope is found in Christ, know that your entire life will be a cycle of sin and repentance (you will never be sinless, but you should sin less).  They more you see and understand of the holiness of God, the more of your own failings will be exposed.  Know that Christ is only a hope for those who reckognize their need to be forgiven, and even that is a gift from God.  Pray for conviction, pray to be broken that God might heal you.  Be encouraged by the prophet Hosea 6:1-3 – “Come, let us return to the LORD For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.  “He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him.  “So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”  

Grace and Peace,
Adam