The Publican and Christ

This is the follow up to the previous post titled The Pharisee and the Publican. Please read it first.

So now the Publican has answered the door when Christ knocked. Now what? Hug? Shake hands? No, more likely the Publican will fall at His feet, being overcome with Godly sorrow, recognizing his nothingness and Christ's goodness, overcome by Christ's love for him, the ungodly! 

The Publican, having been justified by faith, what, if anything, will Christ ask of the Publican? Will he ask him to reform his ways and live the gospel? Not according to the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican! 

But Christ will teach the Publican His Gospel and explain to him that he can have access to God's Grace because of his faith. He offers as a gift to the Publican, His grace. A free gift. The Publican must accept the gift. This is not as easy at it sounds. For the Pharisee it is quite impossible until he becomes like the Publican, a sinner, and pleads for mercy. But the Pharisee may not think he needs mercy. Why should he? His justification by works is quite impressive to all those that matter--his bishop, stake president, his family, his fellow high councilors and himself!

But back to the Publican and Christ.

Christ will teach the Publican His Father's words, after explaining that because of Adam all die, and because of Adam sin entered into the world, but because of Him all may live and be reconciled to God. Not by living the gospel. Not by becoming religious like the Pharisee. Not by paying tithing or keeping the word of wisdom. Not by performing ecclesiastical duties. Not by daily scripture study. Not by attending or working in the temple, but by coming to Him. By turning to Him. The Publican, unlike the Pharisee, knows that Christ is his only hope. The Publican is taught that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. It is the righteousness of Christ that will save him from his sins!

But, you keep asking, what must the Publican do? I hope by now you know that living the gospel, being religious, like the Pharisee will not cut it. Adam's fall brought death and the Judgment of God on us, and my and your only hope is in Christ. Leave your Sunday best in your closet. Quit trying to impress God. He is not impressed with your good works, your righteousness, your white shirt! Quit preening in the mirror of others' opinion. He has made it crystal clear that He can only help the lost, the last, the least and the dead. He can only work with Publicans. 

Let Paul take it from here and teach us what happens next:

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ, and have access to His grace, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

It begins with faith in Christ and faith only comes by hearing the word of God. 

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord

Grace comes through faith in Christ and leads to eternal life. Whereas sin leads to death. We must be saved from our sins. We cannot be saved in our sins.

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The first fruits of our turning to Christ or repenting is desiring to be baptized. We are then "baptized unto repentance" so that we will not be in bondage to our sins if we continually repent. We are born again in newness of life, freed from the bondage of sin.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

See how Paul takes us from faith and repentance to baptism, so that by dying with Christ, the body of sin also dies. And as we continually repent we are freed from sin because of Christ. But there is more.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen!

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Yielding ourselves unto God is repentance. 

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Repeat. "For ye are not under the law but under grace."

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. 

And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned (3 Nephi 11:32-34).

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Not the servants of sin.

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Repentance is not a change of behavior but a change of direction to Christ, and He changes our behavior when we yield to Him, to His righteousness. 

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

We can tell the righteous from the wicked by the fruits of their repentance.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 4:1-2; 5:23; 6:1-23).

Clear? Maybe not at first glance, but it becomes clear as you experience it. Reading it is not enough and counts for very little. The Publican (like Alma the elder, Alma the younger, Amulek, Nephi, Sons of Mosiah, Paul, etc) experienced their need for mercy. The Pharisee did not. Can you? For those who struggle with the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, ask why it is that you struggle? Certainly we must do more you say? What must you do more, I ask? 

Perhaps exercising the type of faith required is more difficult than it seems. Perhaps baptism is much more than just becoming a member of the church. Perhaps we have bought into the pulpit narrative (the Pharisee narrative) so totally that we can't hear the scripture narrative (the Publican and Christ). 

Let me ask you three questions: 

1) Have you ever experienced being 'harrowed up' by your sins? 

2) Have you ever fallen to the earth and pled for His mercy because of your sins? 

3) Have you ever experienced Godly sorrow because of the goodness of God and your nothingness? 

What? You ask. What indeed.

"Let Paul conclude this post:

The Publican attained to righteousness, by faith.

But the Pharisee followed after the law of righteousness, but did not attain righteousness.

Why? Because he sought it not by faith, but by the works of the law"

(Romans 9:30-32).

For the Pharisee, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, went about to establish his own righteousness, and has not submitted himself unto the righteousness of Christ.

(Romans 10:1-4)