Ps 143 2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you."
The Psalmist is teaching that God judges every man. The only way to escape Gods judgement is through imputed righteousness. But when God gave the covenant of grace, His elect were required to show evidence by obedience. And yet we are taught that there is no man who meets the standard that is required by the law for man to be acceptable. But if Gods elect were required to obey and yet were unable to meet the standard in order to be intrinsically righteous then to have confidence in human effort would be inconsistent with the true reality of the standard of the law.
All communication can only be real when it rises up to the true standard of the law. Any thing that we know, desire and act upon must be done in the full context of the truth. This is impossible for a sinner to be in perfect alignment with real reality because only God rises up to the true standard of the law and is able to make absolute judgements. This is why God had to give us the true standard of the law by imputing His righteousness to us.
But at the same time God required His people to make an oath that they would obey the entire law. You find this in Ps 7 3 O LORD my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands-
4 if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me
or without cause have robbed my foe-
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.
Selah And yet this oath is so often taken out of context. The Psalmist is not arguing that he escapes the judgement of God for each sin in swearing to be obedient. The guilt here that he is describing is abandoning the faith. Throughout the Psalms we find that the sin of the wicked is the same as doing violence to God and His elect. The violence the Psalmist is talking about is in the context of being at enmity with God. He is actually building a case in order to move God to show kindness by upholding His promises in the covenant.7 10 My shield is God Most High,who saves the upright in heart." You see the proof of imputed righteousness is based upon our confidence of receiving the blessing of God because all sin is under the judgement of God in the sense that our disobedience is under the scrutiny of God just as the wicked mans disobedience. In comparing the sin of the wicked with his sin, he is abandoning his confidence that he has escaped Gods judgement because of his own ability. He is simply acknowledging that he is a covenant keeper because he understands that he is a sinner. The wicked man has not been gifted with this saving knowledge. These are the reflexive pronouncements that express a dependent seal upon our oath. The Holy Spirit who is our advocate....."may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.143 11 For your name's sake, O LORD , preserve my life;in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;destroy all my foes,for I am your servant.
Because the natural man is blind to his own sin, he is at enmity with God and he is at war with Gods elect.143 6 Arise, O LORD , in your anger;rise up against the rage of my enemies.Awake, my God; decree justice. The Psalmist is actually upholding Gods law by repeating what the law says about the wicked.7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you.Rule over them from on high; The wicked violate Gods peaceful kingdom and they rob God. Because Gods elect have the gift of the knowledge of their own sin they can argue for God to show Himself faithful to His covenant because they are protected from being condemned for sin as long as the wicked who are far worse are in the world opposing Gods people and His kingdom. Ps 143 2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,for no one living is righteous before you."
for no one living is righteous before you."
The Psalmist is teaching that God judges every man. The only way to escape Gods judgement is through imputed righteousness. But when God gave the covenant of grace, His elect were required to show evidence by obedience. And yet we are taught that there is no man who meets the standard that is required by the law for man to be acceptable. But if Gods elect were required to obey and yet were unable to meet the standard in order to be intrinsically righteous then to have confidence in human effort would be inconsistent with the true reality of the standard of the law.
All communication can only be real when it rises up to the true standard of the law. Any thing that we know, desire and act upon must be done in the full context of the truth. This is impossible for a sinner to be in perfect alignment with real reality because only God rises up to the true standard of the law and is able to make absolute judgements. This is why God had to give us the true standard of the law by imputing His righteousness to us.
But at the same time God required His people to make an oath that they would obey the entire law. You find this in Ps 7 3 O LORD my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands-
4 if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me
or without cause have robbed my foe-
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.
Selah And yet this oath is so often taken out of context. The Psalmist is not arguing that he escapes the judgement of God for each sin in swearing to be obedient. The guilt here that he is describing is abandoning the faith. Throughout the Psalms we find that the sin of the wicked is the same as doing violence to God and His elect. The violence the Psalmist is talking about is in the context of being at enmity with God. He is actually building a case in order to move God to show kindness by upholding His promises in the covenant.7 10 My shield is God Most High,who saves the upright in heart." You see the proof of imputed righteousness is based upon our confidence of receiving the blessing of God because all sin is under the judgement of God in the sense that our disobedience is under the scrutiny of God just as the wicked mans disobedience. In comparing the sin of the wicked with his sin, he is abandoning his confidence that he has escaped Gods judgement because of his own ability. He is simply acknowledging that he is a covenant keeper because he understands that he is a sinner. The wicked man has not been gifted with this saving knowledge. These are the reflexive pronouncements that express a dependent seal upon our oath. The Holy Spirit who is our advocate....."may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.143 11 For your name's sake, O LORD , preserve my life;in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;destroy all my foes,for I am your servant.
Because the natural man is blind to his own sin, he is at enmity with God and he is at war with Gods elect.143 6 Arise, O LORD , in your anger;rise up against the rage of my enemies.Awake, my God; decree justice. The Psalmist is actually upholding Gods law by repeating what the law says about the wicked.7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you.Rule over them from on high; The wicked violate Gods peaceful kingdom and they rob God. Because Gods elect have the gift of the knowledge of their own sin they can argue for God to show Himself faithful to His covenant because they are protected from being condemned for sin as long as the wicked who are far worse are in the world opposing Gods people and His kingdom. Ps 143 2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,for no one living is righteous before you."
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