Luke 18:13–14 says, “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise 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, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The tax collector took the position of a sinner. He was troubled because of his sin and was remorseful, so he pleaded for God’s mercy and forgiveness. In Luke 18:10, we saw the posture of another man, a Pharisee. While he was praying to God, he compared his sin to others, thereby trying to justify himself. Which one are you? How do you react when you sin? Your reaction towards sin will show whether you are a Christian or not.
The Book of Romans 3:10 says, “…no one is righteous not even one.” He that does evil, whoever he may be, will certainly pay for his sins. A Christian never has joy when he commits sin. We are to take a posture of repentance, owning up to our sin and not point accusing fingers at others to justify our sin. As Christians, we know that sin brings reproach while righteousness exalts; therefore, our reaction towards sin should indicate remorsefulness. This is because our reaction shows how much we have allowed Christ’s nature to influence our conduct and behaviour.
Prayer: O Holy Spirit, help me to acknowledge my sins and seek Your forgiveness, in Jesus’ name. Amen!