How You Can Be Righteous before God

Jesus tells a story that illustrates how a person can be declared justified, in right standing before God. It is found in Like 18:9-14. Two very different people with very different prayers- one an outstanding person zealous for God who does all the right things and avoids the obvious bad. He prays basically to himself about himself with a thank you to God for his help. He regards the other man with contempt.
The other man knows he is unworthy and has nothing to commend himself but with deep awareness of his sin, his person as a sinner, he calls upon God for mercy based on the atoning sacrifice. In essence he prays, God be my mercy seat!
Literal translation of his prayer: And the tax-gatherer, having stood afar off, would not even the eyes lift up to the heaven, but was smiting on his breast, saying, God be propitious to me -- the sinner!
What is the outcome? Jesus said only the repentant tax collector who call on God to show him undeserved mercy based on the atoning sacrifice. This is a picture of the great truth of salvation by grace alone in Jesus Christ alone received by faith only.
It puts flesh on the declaration of Romans 3:22-26