Justified by Christ

Introduction

Imagine feeling so far from God—rejected, unworthy, with no way back. Then, God Himself walks up and offers you a new start.

Context: Today, we’ll contrast Levi (Matthew), a despised tax collector who embraced Jesus’ grace, with the Pharisees, who clung to their own righteousness.

Big Idea: You Can Either Justify Yourself, or Jesus Will.

His grace fully transforms sinners who repent, no matter how far they’ve fallen.

Key Texts: Luke 5:27-32

Luke 5:27–32 ESV

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Levi: A Sinner Transformed by Grace

A. Levi’s Life as a Tax Collector

Levi, also called Matthew, was a tax collector, collecting Roman taxes from his fellow Jews (Matthew 9:9).

Tax collectors were despised for:

Being seen as thieves, as some, like Zacchaeus, overcharged due to Rome’s exploitative system (Luke 19:8).

Betraying their people by serving the Roman oppressors.

They were shunned by their communities, often cut off from family and religious life.

Some believed they shouldn’t enter the temple, viewing their work with Gentiles and imperial coins as unclean. This would have cut them off from forgiveness.

B. Levi’s Spiritual Desperation

Levi likely felt isolated, rejected, and far from God’s love.

As a “spiritual outcast,” he saw no path to God’s blessing.

C. Jesus’ Call to Levi

Jesus, God in the flesh, approached Levi and called him to follow (Matthew 9:9).

God doesn’t reject sinners; He rescues them.

He doesn’t push them away; He welcomes them.

He doesn’t block the sick; He heals them.”

Levi, aware of his brokenness, eagerly accepted Jesus’ forgiveness and followed Him (Matthew 9:9-13).

The Pharisees: Blinded by Self-Righteousness

A. The Pharisees’ Pride in the Law

The Pharisees prided themselves on knowing and keeping the Law, believing they were righteous in God’s eyes.

They focused on outward acts—tithing, rituals, traditions—while ignoring their hearts.

B. Examples of Self-Justification

Mark 10:17-22: The rich young ruler boasted, “All these [commandments] I have kept since my youth,” but refused to follow Jesus, revealing his unrepentant heart.

Luke 11:37-44: Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, saying, “You clean the outside of the cup… but inside you are full of greed and wickedness… You give God a tenth… but you neglect justice and the love of God.”

John 9:34: The Pharisees scoffed at a healed man, saying, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” rejecting Jesus’ authority.

Luke 16:14-15: The Pharisees sneered at Jesus’ teaching, but He said, “You justify yourselves… but God knows your hearts.”

Matthew 15:1-14: The Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for breaking traditions, but Jesus called them hypocrites, saying, “Their hearts are far from me.”

C. Their Failure to Repent

In each case, the Pharisees faced their sin but chose to justify themselves, missing Jesus’ call to repentance.

If we’re not careful, we’ll fall into this same trap. Justifying ourselves, proclaiming our own righteousness, or making excuses for our sin.

We do this as individuals, and we do this corporately.

Think of every time you or this church treated someone in a way that doesn’t reflect the love of God.

Each time, you rationalized why what you did was ok.

We’re good at this.

But this is at the heart of hypocritical Pharisaicalism, a justification of self.

You can either justify yourself or Jesus will, you can’t have it both ways.

Either you will make a justification of why what you did was right.

Or Jesus will heal you.

A Holy Tension

A. Facing Our Sin

We must admit we’re more sinful than we realize—flawed, unworthy, and in need of grace (Romans 3:23).

Like the Pharisees, we often think we’re “okay.” We must recognize we’re not.

B. Embracing God’s Love

Jesus isn’t calling us to live lives of defeat, because while you are more sinful than you could ever realize, you’re more loved and forgiven than you can imagine (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Levi felt he’d run too far, but “no distance can outrun the grace of Jesus.”

C. The Power of Complete Forgiveness

Jesus’ grace doesn’t partially forgive—it fully transforms:

The leper was fully cleansed (Mark 1:40-42).

The lame man was fully restored (John 5:1-9).

The blind man fully received sight (John 9:1-7).

Jesus fully accomplished on the cross the salvation of all who repent and trust Him as Savior, bringing them safely home.

Choose Grace

A. The Choice: You can try to justify yourself, like the Pharisees, or let Jesus justify you, like Levi.

B. Call to Action:

Admit your sin, no matter how deep it runs.

Believe in and Run to Jesus’ grace, trusting Him for complete forgiveness (Mark 1:15).

Commit yourself to the Lord.

C. Assurance: Jesus’ love reaches every sinner, fully saving all who turn to Him (Luke 18:13-14).

Luke 18:13–14 ESV

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.”

Conclusion

Summary: Levi, a broken tax collector, embraced Jesus’ grace, while the Pharisees clung to their own righteousness, missing salvation. We face the same choice today.

Challenge: Are you justifying yourself, or trusting Jesus? Repent and believe in His complete forgiveness.

Encouragement: No one is too far gone for Jesus’ grace. Like Levi, you can be fully restored.