At His Mercy

"If it's a question of strength, he's the strong one.

If it's a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court?

Though I am innocent, 

my own mouth would pronounce me guilty.

Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked."

Job 9:19-20 NLT

Who can stand before God?  Who is His match?  Can anyone claim righteousness?

Job knew.  He understood that even though He feared God and took Him seriously, his best was no match for God's holy standard.  It overwhelmed him, driving him to the depths of despair. Who can stand before Him (Psalm 143:2).  Is there any hope?

Even though Job couldn't see it, God was at work on his behalf, and while it feels scary to be at the mercy of such a powerful, sovereign and holy God, it's right where we want to be.  How do I know this?  Because of Jesus.

My High Priest.  Only the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies once a year and sprinkle the blood from the sin offering on the mercy seat (Leviticus 16).  In this way, atonement for the sins of the nation of Israel was made.

Jesus, using His own blood from His own sacrifice, stands before God as my own High Priest.  He secured my atonement through the sprinkling of His blood on the cross, unleashing the forgiveness of God, for God cannot extend grace and mercy without a blood sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22, Leviticus 17:11).

This means that without Jesus I have no hope of being reconciled with such a righteous, holy God.  I can never be good enough and no matter how hard I try, I can't reach His standards (Romans 3:23).  Even though God is loving, gracious and merciful, He cannot ignore or deny His righteous, just and pure character.  Simply put, He needs a blood sacrifice to atone or offer redemption for my sins.  Jesus, through His death and resurrection, offers absolution from my sins and entrance into the presence of a holy God who loves me lavishly (Hebrews 4:14-16).

I am entirely without defense before an impossibly perfect God, but Jesus serves as my High Priest, giving me free access to His rich storehouses of mercy and grace.

My Redeemer.  Job lived righteously.  Isaiah was willing.  David loved God freely.  You'd think these pillars of faith would have reason to stand boldly before the God they served, yet each were painfully aware of their sin when in His presence (Job 1:1,Isaiah 6:6, Psalm 51:3-5).  

Coming before God makes me all the more aware of how far I fall short and how offensive are my ways to Him.  In comparison to His perfection, my sin feels even more dirty and shameful.  

Jesus, using His own blood as a cleansing agent, washed away my sins, making me to appear before God as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18).  Even though my sins are highly offensive to God, the blood of Jesus completely covers them, delivering to me the righteousness of Christ as my own (Philippians 3:9, 2 Corinthians 5:21).  This is not to say I am now declared perfect, for I still dwell in this sinful nature in a fallen world, yet God no longer sees my sin but only the perfect blood of His Son.

I am entirely without defense before an impossibly perfect God, but Jesus serves as my Redeemer, giving me a righteousness I otherwise would never attain.

My Source.  It seems I have to try really hard to do good things for God.  I often believe I must know all the answers to give an explanation for the hope I have (1 Peter 3:15).  If I want to make a difference for Christ in this world, I have to work hard.  Right?

Wrong.  Jesus is my source.  It is only when connected to Him that I will be able to do anything of eternal value (John 15:5).  He is the One who transforms me and works through me, enabling me to speak truth, extend love, and share grace(1 Corinthians 15:10).  It is He that finishes what He started (Isaiah 55:11, Philippians 1:6). I am simply a conduit of His grace.

I am entirely without defense before an impossibly perfect God, but Jesus serves as my Source, giving me all that I need to live for Him.

It is overwhelming to realize my spiritual bankruptcy before a God who has very high expectations.  In the face of such perfection, I see how unrighteous I truly am.  Thankfully, there's Jesus.  Through Christ I have a High Priest who makes atonement for me with His blood, a Redeemer who cleanses me and presents me as holy and righteous before God, and a Source who delivers all that I need to live a life pleasing to God.  Even though I am at the mercy of God, I need not fall into despair because great is His mercy through Christ!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can always stay connected to the Source.

When do I go it alone?

How am I sometimes desperate to impress God with my efforts?