Can You Stand On Your Own Merit?

“If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,

    Lord, who could stand?

 But with you there is forgiveness,

    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.”

Psalm 130:3-4

 

As we are looking this week at the importance of forgiveness, let me ask you a question.

Who can claim they have no need for God’s mercy?

Who would say: “I have no need for God to forgive me!”

Of course, the true answer is no one.

The fool or the atheist may proclaim no need, but they speak in ignorance.

The Psalmist recognized that no one can stand before God justified in themselves and declared that God extends forgiveness to all.

As a matter of fact, he goes on to write this in verses 7 and 8 of that same Psalm:

“Israel, put your hope in the Lord,

    for with the Lord is unfailing love

    and with him is full redemption.

 He himself will redeem Israel

    from all their sins.”

God deals with the ‘dirty work’ of sin Himself.

In a sense, the cross was a ‘one and done’ task.

Sin, all sin, was dealt with on the cross.

We need only to receive and believe in the work completed there.

If you haven’t it as simple as trusting Him, confessing your sin and receiving the grace bought through Jesus work on the cross.

If He is Lord and Savior to you then remember His words to –

…forgive others as He has forgiven you!