Tag: right before God

34.a. “How then can man be in the right before God?”

 

 

Titus 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

 Job 9:20    Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.

 Job 15:14   What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?

 Job 25:4    How then can man be in the right before God?

 Isaiah 57:12     I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, but they will not profit you.

 Romans 3:20    For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

 Romans 9:16    So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

 Romans 11:6    But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

 Ephesians 2:8-9     For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Religion is a system of beliefs leading to the worship of a divine being. Based on such a definition, Christianity is a religion. But there are ways in which Christianity is different from all other religions—primarily, the value of the human being in the sight of the Deity. In Christianity, God reaches out to mankind to establish a relationship—in spite of man’s sins and disregard for God’s ways. In every other religion, man must gain merit before God through works or sacrifices before receiving any blessing from God. But the opposite is true in Christianity. The Bible says that God (by His own initiative) so loved mankind (in spite of his sins) that He bridged the gulf between God and man (through the Person of Jesus Christ). God’s mercy resulted in man not suffering the punishment he deserves but instead receiving the blessing and forgiveness he doesn’t deserve.

Have you responded to the kindness and mercy of God by accepting His gift of salvation? You may do so by saying “Yes” as an act of faith in Christ.

(Dr. Jeremiah)

26.g. “How then can man be in the right before God?”

 

Galatians 2:15  We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 Job 9:2-3   “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God?

 Job 25:4     How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure?

 Psalms 130:3-4   If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

 Acts 4:12     And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

 John 20:31    but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

We all grew up observant to do what is right and good. Yet somehow we think we are considered right before God because of doing right and good – justified – by these works of the flesh that we did. We should know that we, even though we grew up as observant of doing right and good, we are only considered right before God by faith in Jesus Christ. It will be a sad day for those who, in self-reliance, trust in doing right and good on judgment day.

“‘Faith in Jesus Christ’, then, is not intellectual conviction only, but personal commitment. The expression in the middle of verse 16 is (literally) ‘we have believed into (eis) Christ Jesus.’ It is an act of committal, not just assenting to the fact that Jesus lived and died, but running to Him for refuge and calling on Him for mercy.” (Stott)

Self-righteousness and self-reliance will never justify a person before God. There is but one way – belief in and through Jesus Christ.  This belief is more than a piece of intellectual knowledge, it is a life surrendered.  Casting away any thoughts of self-reliance and self-righteousness, and clinging to, relying on, trusting in, following, obeying, and living to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. 

22.h. “Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults”

 

 

Corinthians 4:4  For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.

 Psalms 7:3  O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,

 Job 9:2-3    “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God?

 Psalms 19:12    Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.

 Proverbs 21:2   Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.

 Psalms 130:3    If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

Paul recognizes that he does not stand in a perfect state of justification or innocence just because his conscience was clear. Paul knew his righteousness came from Jesus, not from his own personal life – even though he had a godly walk. It is as if Paul were saying, “You Corinthians act like judges at athletic events, qualified to give some the trophy and to send others away as losers. But Jesus is the only judge, and you are judging before the events are over. When Jesus judges, it will be according to the motives of the heart, not only the outward action. This is another reason why human judgment is often wrong.

We often judge by the action or appearance of what a person does, not their intent.  We often judge ourselves by our intent.  Herein lies the problem of judging.  Good action with bad intent is always wrong.  A bad action with good intent can be right or wrong.  Who truly knows the intent of the heart and mind of a person.  We know even in the best clarity our true intents can be fogged over with wrong motives.  When we use worldly (rights and wrongs) as a bar for judging our intents it will always lead us down paths that do not honor God. Too often our knowledge and understanding of God’s Word is lacking because of neglect and complacency.  Our ability to discern right and wrong intents and motives become fueled by what the world has deemed right and wrong.  Our guide will always be the Word of God.  We need to be mindful of our human fleshly nature, lies from Satan, and culturally accepted norms.  If our days are void of God’s Word, that void will be filled with things of the fleshly world.  Paul knew very well it is good to have a clear conscience that is based on God’s Word and the in-filling Holy Spirit, but even that needs to be kept in check so as to not blind us from hidden intents and motives of the flesh.  King David knew this too. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

5.c. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him”

Job 9:1   Then Job answered and said: “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God? If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength —who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—

Psalms 130:3    If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

Psalms 143:2    Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.

Romans 3:20    For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Hebrews 11:6   “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

When you read these verses of men of God you can see the depth of their devotion to and seek Him. They had to be deep in thought about life in the present and death in the future.  In their thoughts, they were able to touch the edge of God’s Holiness and Righteousness.  In this touch, they were given a glimpse of their sinfulness and asked questions concerning their ability to live and die in such a way to bring honor and glory to God.  They rightly asked “Who could stand”, “how can a man be right before God?”, and if a person was able to stand before God and speak “one could not answer him once in a thousand times.”  Can you imagine the depth of thought these men were in and coming to a place in this thought where they began to understand it was all in God’s hands and by faith they would try to walk in His ways?  Yet, each day they would see time and time again that they failed in this walk.  Time and time again they were left with the question of how to be right before God and always falling short.

In God’s perfect plan He brought His law to man to show them of their sin.  He showed them the need for forgiveness.  He showed them how to be right in His eyes and how to have their sin cleansed. He showed them that is was not the sacrifice that cleansed them but faith in His acceptance of the sacrifice.  He showed them it was by faith and not by what they did.  Time and time again God did this.

In the fullness of time God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  A once and for all sacrifice that covers all sin if a person believes in the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ, confessing their sin, repenting of their sin, turning away from walking in sin, and trusting in, clinging to, and relying on Jesus Christ.

Think about this, there was a time when man knew of their sin and carried the weight of their sin until they could come and make an acceptable sacrifice. They would be trying every single day to walk in such a way to not sin but would fall short of this goal having to wait until the next time they made a sacrifice.

We are walking in a time of God’s great awesome grace, mercy, and love.  Our heart, mind, and soul should be humbled, thankful, and ever seeking to walk in such a way to honor, glorify, follow, trust, and obey.

4.r. How unsearchable are his judgments and how incomprehensible his ways!

Job 4:12   “Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it. Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice: Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth. Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces; they perish forever without anyone regarding it. Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them, do they not die, and that without wisdom?’

Romans 11:33   Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

Romans 9:20     But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

Ecclesiastes 7:20    Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Jeremiah 17:9   The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Matthew Henry:   “Eliphaz relates a vision. When we are communing with our own hearts, and are still, Ps 4:4, then is a time for the Holy Spirit to commune with us. This vision put him into very great fear. Ever since man sinned, it has been terrible to him to receive communications from Heaven, conscious that he can expect no good tidings thence. Sinful man! shall he pretend to be more just, more pure, than God, who being his Maker, is his Lord and Owner? How dreadful, then, the pride and presumption of man! How great the patience of God! Look upon man in his life. The very foundation of that cottage of clay in which man dwells, is in the dust, and it will sink with its own weight. We stand but upon the dust. Some have a higher heap of dust to stand upon than others but still it is the earth that stays us up, and will shortly swallow us up. Man is soon crushed; or if some lingering distemper, which consumes like a moth, be sent to destroy him, he cannot resist it. Shall such a creature pretend to blame the appointments of God? Look upon man in his death. Life is short, and in a little time men are cut off. Beauty, strength, learning, not only cannot secure them from death, but these things die with them; nor shall their pomp, their wealth, or power, continue after them. Shall a weak, sinful, dying creature, pretend to be more just than God, and more pure than his Maker? No: instead of quarrelling with his afflictions, let him wonder that he is out of hell. Can a man be cleansed without his Maker? Will God justify sinful mortals, and clear them from guilt? or will he do so without their having an interest in the righteousness and gracious help of their promised Redeemer, when angels, once ministering spirits before his throne, receive the just recompence of their sins? Notwithstanding the seeming impunity of men for a short time, though living without God in the world, their doom is as certain as that of the fallen angels, and is continually overtaking them. Yet careless sinners note it so little, that they expect not the change, nor are wise to consider their latter end.