Worthy in God's sight

Luke 18:9-14
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The Lord looks at the heart, but man looks at outward appearances. 1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
The Lord knows the secret thoughts of men and is able to read their hidden intentions. The Lord exposes lies and hypocrisy, and regards not those who trust in their own good works, counting all of the righteous works of men as filthy rags - Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

There is a place the Lord wants us to come to, where we regard not ourselves in high esteem, but we simply strive to know God and walk in His imputed righteousness. Only then, can we lose ourselves to gain Christ. And when we gain Christ, we shall gain back our lives. Matthew 16:25 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. You cannot find God if you trust in your own self, and boast of yourself - your acts and ways. You will not see God if you trust in your possessions and wealth . You condemn yourself when you trust in your own righteousness and judge others.

1 Corinthians 1:28-31
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Jeremiah 23:6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Saviour.

Philippians 3:8-9 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.


















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