Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Jesus Christ Who Sanctifies
Psalm 130: 1-8V4 ”But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you”.
This psalm is sixth of seven “penitential psalms” where the people of God cry out to Him for confession and forgiveness - or to plead for His mercy and blessing.
A prayer for mercy and assurance:
In this psalm, we can see a testimony of trust in the Lord who knows that even though he is a sinner, the Lord hears his cry out of the depths. Verse 1-2 is a desperate cry for help from the depths of despair, and pleads to hear the voice and be attentive to the cry of mercy. During hard times, we too cry to God “out of the depths” for help and also we cry "LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord could ever survive?" (v.3).This verse implies that our sins are so numerous and we deserve to die because of them. Verse 4 continues: "But you offer forgiveness that we might learn to fear you." No matter how much we have sinned, we have hope because God is merciful. He forgives and restores. The result of our forgiveness: "that we might learn to fear you." When we truly grasp the impact of our sin, and when we truly realize the wonder of God's forgiveness, the more we will be drawn to reverence. We will bow before the Lord in humble worship and live our lives in service to him.
Sanctification is God’s gracious work. Grace is God’s unmerited favor. God does not sanctify a person because they are worthy or good; instead God sanctifies a person because of His mercy, therefore sanctification is God’s free gift (Ephesians 2:8).
The forgiveness we long for is based in the knowledge of who God is in himself: forgiving, loving and redeeming. This is the God of the Bible; this is the gospel. This is finally revealed in Christ who gave himself for us that we might be forgiven.
We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and if God were to mark our iniquities not one of us could stand. No one can stand righteous before the Lord. We stand guilty before God. The only reason a relationship with Him is possible is that God has granted mercy and forgiveness. Only because of this can we serve and worship Him. God in His mercy, grace, justice, and love sent His Son to pay the penalty of every sin committed by everyman. The wages of sin is death BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, for as we read: "If the Lord should mark our iniquities, who could stand?" But there is true forgiveness, eternal forgiveness with our Father, through Jesus Christ the Son, that the Lord may be worshipped and glorified forever and ever.
A prayer for mercy and assurance:
In this psalm, we can see a testimony of trust in the Lord who knows that even though he is a sinner, the Lord hears his cry out of the depths. Verse 1-2 is a desperate cry for help from the depths of despair, and pleads to hear the voice and be attentive to the cry of mercy. During hard times, we too cry to God “out of the depths” for help and also we cry "LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord could ever survive?" (v.3).This verse implies that our sins are so numerous and we deserve to die because of them. Verse 4 continues: "But you offer forgiveness that we might learn to fear you." No matter how much we have sinned, we have hope because God is merciful. He forgives and restores. The result of our forgiveness: "that we might learn to fear you." When we truly grasp the impact of our sin, and when we truly realize the wonder of God's forgiveness, the more we will be drawn to reverence. We will bow before the Lord in humble worship and live our lives in service to him.
Sanctification is God’s gracious work. Grace is God’s unmerited favor. God does not sanctify a person because they are worthy or good; instead God sanctifies a person because of His mercy, therefore sanctification is God’s free gift (Ephesians 2:8).
The forgiveness we long for is based in the knowledge of who God is in himself: forgiving, loving and redeeming. This is the God of the Bible; this is the gospel. This is finally revealed in Christ who gave himself for us that we might be forgiven.
We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and if God were to mark our iniquities not one of us could stand. No one can stand righteous before the Lord. We stand guilty before God. The only reason a relationship with Him is possible is that God has granted mercy and forgiveness. Only because of this can we serve and worship Him. God in His mercy, grace, justice, and love sent His Son to pay the penalty of every sin committed by everyman. The wages of sin is death BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, for as we read: "If the Lord should mark our iniquities, who could stand?" But there is true forgiveness, eternal forgiveness with our Father, through Jesus Christ the Son, that the Lord may be worshipped and glorified forever and ever.
Prayer
Gracious God, we cry out to you from the depths of despair. Thank you for being there, for listening, for making yourself known to us. May your forgiveness restore us. May we live each moment out of reverence for you, offering as a living sacrifice. All praise be to you, Amen
Thought for the Day
“Does God's forgiveness through Christ help you to fear the Lord, that is, to revere him and humbly worship him?
Sherly Thomas
St. Thomas MTC, New York
St. Thomas MTC, New York