Last night I read Psalm 143:1-2, "Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in
thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. 2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for
in thy sight shall no man living be justified." David made his appeal for God to take heed due to His faithfulness and righteousness, for David could not rightly claim these qualities for himself. David believed in God and laboured to honour and glorify God, yet he was far from perfect. His sins were ever before him. There is no way justification could come by attempts to keep God's law.
Paul confirmed this in Romans 3:19-20, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." The Law of God brought the knowledge of sin, a revelation of God's divine standards. What God intended to reveal sin and move to repentance man leveraged to justify himself. Man sidestepped the spirit of the Law to assert his own righteousness because of effort made to keep it--whilst judging others who didn't measure up.
Enter the grace of God: what man could not do for himself through effort our righteous, faithful, and just God provided the means for justification and salvation through Jesus Christ. Romans 3:21-26 explained, "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." We have all fallen short of God's righteousness, but we have been justified freely by His grace through faith in Jesus. God's hearing of our prayers therefore does not depend upon our efforts to measure up but God's grace to listen to undeserving sinners. He is faithful, and when we place our faith in Jesus He is just and our Justifier.
Paul confirmed this in Romans 3:19-20, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." The Law of God brought the knowledge of sin, a revelation of God's divine standards. What God intended to reveal sin and move to repentance man leveraged to justify himself. Man sidestepped the spirit of the Law to assert his own righteousness because of effort made to keep it--whilst judging others who didn't measure up.
Enter the grace of God: what man could not do for himself through effort our righteous, faithful, and just God provided the means for justification and salvation through Jesus Christ. Romans 3:21-26 explained, "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." We have all fallen short of God's righteousness, but we have been justified freely by His grace through faith in Jesus. God's hearing of our prayers therefore does not depend upon our efforts to measure up but God's grace to listen to undeserving sinners. He is faithful, and when we place our faith in Jesus He is just and our Justifier.
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