'HOW LONG DO WE STAY JUSTIFIED?"

Reading: Luke 18:9—14

The tax collector went home justified. I wonder how long he stayed that way. In the temple he saw himself as he was, as we are left to believe tax collectors were in those days - uncaring, unloving, cheating, selfish people. He admitted his sinfulness to God, asked God’s forgiveness, and, I suppose, resolved to change his ways. Whether he did or not, we’ll never know. It was just a story that Jesus told. But one to make us look at ourselves.

After we make a good confession we expect that we go home justified. The question is (as it was with that tax collector):“How long do we stay justified?” We are sorry for our sins, we confess them, we resolve to change our ways. Do we change them? How serious are we about advancing ourselves in goodness? Or do we shortly after leaving the confessional, after walking out of the church start downhill once again?

God knows we are weak creatures. He knows the habits we have gotten ourselves into and the temptations all around us. But he is looking for at least some measure of effort on our part, he is looking for serious, sincere people. We certainly don’t brag about our holiness like the Pharisee did, most of us see our sins and we are sorry for them. It is not enough to be justified when we walk out of this church. We must be justified when we walk out of this world.