Who Am I?

Psalm 5:1-8 / Luke 7:36-8:3

Am I the Pharisee?

v36 - Jesus was not enemies with the Pharisees

Matthew 23:27–28 ESV

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Matthew 23:2–3 ESV

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

PHARISEES (Φαρισαῖος, Pharisaios). Members of a Jewish party that exercised strict piety according to Mosaic law. The Pharisees were a sect within early Judaism, becoming active around 150 bc and enduring as a distinct party until being subsumed into the Rabbinic movement around ad 135.

Pharisees were the teachers; the very religious; the ones with the right confession of faith; the church people.

v39 - this Pharisee was typically self-righteous

Self Righteousness has ALWAYS been a trap and pitfall for religious people, even those who truly were God’s people

Maybe sometimes, maybe lately, maybe today you are more like the Pharisee Simon; you have confessed an orthodox (right believing) faith, but have become settled into the ida of being righteous, and then slipped into self-righteousness.

If you are or have been, you need to repent. You need to confess this sin to God, receive forgiveness, and try never to fall into that prideful trap again (that is true repentance)

I don’t for a moment believe that we are the only ones who still have the Gospel, or that God only speaks to us as Missionary Baptists; I’m just amazed and thankful for all our faults that we still have the gospel, and that God does speak to us.

Also… never question Jesus. He KNOWS and chooses with whom He deals and uses (John 4)

Am I the sinful woman?

Re-read Psalm 5:1-8; a lament; a plea

v37 she is identified as a sinner (obviously a known or maybe even notorious sinner)

She brought an expensive gift (~ a year’s wages)

She wept, as a sinner, in the presence of people who knew and denounced her, but more so because she was in the presence of Jesus

She cleansed His feet with her tears and her hair and anointed Him

The parable in vv40-47 makes plain who the woman was

Maybe today you truly are identifying with the woman. Maybe you are broken over your sins, not trying to hide them, and coming to love Jesus for His mercy on you. If so, weeping is appropriate. Testifying by word (or in action as here) is good and appropriate.

If you are this woman today, celebrate the grace of God to you; a sinner!

The nature of sin and grace

SIN

Sin = an action; a choice of rebellion against the rightful ruler and sovereign of the universe, namely God

Sin = missing the mark; not living up to the perfect standard of righteousness

Sin = the breaking of God’s Eternal Law

Romans 6:20–21 ESV

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sin is the cause this world is cursed.

Your being born a sinner is why YOU are cursed, broken, and in need of a savior from the start

John 3:36 ESV

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Why God’s wrath?

Romans 2:4–5 ESV

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

GRACE

The opposite of sin is righteousness

The opposite of justice is mercy

Grace is that mercy comes TO you

Now we know that we are condemned, cursed from the beginning:

In Adam All Die: Shai Linne

We’re cursed from our birth, sinning from the beginning The womb to the tomb, depraved to the grave Astray every day, every breath brings death In Adam all die, In Adam all die

We’re rebels like the devil, scheming like demons Prideful with our idols, disgusting with our lusting Twisted and sin-sick, selfish and helpless In Adam all die, In Adam all die

The specific nature of our sin is individual; we are all tempted and fall in various ways. What is a struggle for you may not be for me. My struggles may be no problem for you, yet we find commonality in that ALL sin separates us from God. The wages of all sin is death.

Grace then is like this:

You are on death row already

Some of you have requested your last meal

Some of you have finished it;

A new lawyer (advocate is one of the names or descriptions of the Holy Spirit according to John 14) enters your cell

He confirms that the gallows are built and they are measuring the rope

He confirms that they are checking the straps and wiring on the chair as we speak.

He says to you: What’s worse is that you know you deserve it; you are guilty (remember even this woman knew who and what she was, and Jesus did NOT deny it).

Here is where the paths of people diverge:

They profess they innocence, which is a lie

They fall apart; broken, knowing it is true

For those who lie, who double down and lie to self, people, and God and never stop… their fate is sealed because of their rebellion. Truly the wages of sin (regardless the type) is death, eternal death

Revelation 14:11 ESV

And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

For those who openly confess their sins, truly confess, and desire to be changed, not merely get out of this immediate danger, the lawyer says you are free to go; your sentence has already been served on another.

Luke 7:48 ESV

And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

How is this possible? Who would or could take my place; take my sentence of death?

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus knows all about our struggles;   He will guide ’til the day is done: There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:     No, not one! no, not one!

If you are today like the Pharisee, or this woman, run to Jesus, cry to Jesus, fall on Jesus. In short; trust IN Jesus; that He is the savior who died in your place and rose from the dead, that His life death and resurrection are enough to cover even your sins, and (don’t miss this part) it was for you! Today for all who believe the Lord says: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”