The Story That Exposed My Self-Righteousness (Luke 18:9-14)

In this episode, we walk through Luke 18:9–14—the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector—and answer one of the most important questions in human history: How can a sinner be made right with God?

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This passage completely reshaped the way I understood the gospel of grace, because it exposes the danger of self-righteousness, especially for people who grew up in church and know all the “right answers.” It’s possible to look religious, speak the language, and still be resting your confidence in what you’ve done—or haven’t done—rather than Christ alone.

We cover:

1. The context of Luke 17–18 and the question: “How do I enter the kingdom of God?”
2. Why God’s holiness makes the gospel necessary
3. What a Pharisee would have looked like in Jesus’ day (religious elite, moral rigor, spiritual discipline)
4. Why a tax collector was viewed as the worst kind of sinner in Jewish society
5. The difference between pride masked as humility vs true repentance
6. The tax collector’s plea for mercy and how it points to propitiation (wrath satisfied by a substitute)
7. Why Jesus says the tax collector went home justified—and the Pharisee didn’t
8. The core of salvation: merit vs mercy, self-justification vs free gift, works vs graceIf you’ve ever wondered whether you’ve subtly drifted into a “good person” version of Christianity, this conversation will challenge you to re-center your hope on Jesus’ blood and righteousness—not your performance.

Passage: Luke 18:9–14

Topics: justification, repentance, grace, self-righteousness, holiness of God, gospel clarity, Pharisees, tax collectors, propitiation, Christian testimony