The following is a selection of verses from Psalm 25 that I came across in John Piper's devotional book, A Godward Life (the words in italics are references to God's gracious help and the words in bold are conditions for receiving this grace):
Good and upright is the LORD;
Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in justice,
And He teaches the humble His way.
All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth
To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
For your name’s sake, O LORD,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
Who is the man who fears the Lord?
He will instruct him in the way he should choose . . .
Turn to me and be gracious to me.
For I am lonely and afflicted . . .
Look upon my affliction and my trouble,
And forgive all my sins . . .
Guard my soul and deliver me;
Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for you.
In his meditation on this selection of verses from Psalm 25, John Piper points out that “all the forgiveness and help of God are gracious and unmerited . . . but they are not all unconditional.” The text speaks of God’s lovingkindness, His instruction, and His protection. But it makes it clear that these helps are given to “sinners” who keep His covenant, who walk in integrity and uprightness, who wait for the Lord, who take refuge in Him, who fear Him, and who are humble before Him.
So, as I seek the Lord for His blessing, I must also seek Him for grace to live the kind of life that He loves to bless.
2 comments:
God's unmerited, conditional grace has kept me going for over 50 years.
This is one of my favorite scripture passages, and one that I've been turning to a lot lately. I've learned through the passage that there is definitely a difference between a sinner who is asking for pardon simply out of habit or formality, and the one who asks out of humility and a thirst for righteousness. When I envoke the latter attitude, God has certainly blessed me with a sense of peace. What a beautiful blessing.
Post a Comment