“… knowing that man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ …” (Gal 2:16).
If God is so holy, so pure, that nothing can dwell in His presence except that which is also holy, how can sinful man live before the face of God? We learn from Psalm 5 that wicked men cannot dwell before Him: “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.” How, then, can we as sinners, totally depraved from head to toe, be reconciled to this most holy Lord?
Martin Luther, the father of the Reformation, wrestled with this problem for years. He understood that God was holy and that he was a sinful, rebellious creature; and this understanding struck terror in his heart. No matter how much Luther tried he could not make himself holy. He would confess and do penance, but he could not cleanse himself from his sin. The minute he would leave the confessional, he would remember another sin, or he would soon commit one, and once again he would be driven to despair.
Then one day as Luther was studying Romans 1, he came across verse 17, which reads, “For in it [the Gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed, from faith to faith.” That one verse filled his heart with hope. Finally, he understood that the righteousness that enabled him to stand before God could not come from his own works but only through faith in Jesus Christ, who alone is our holy high priest. Luther later said, “I realized for the first time that my own justification depends, not on my righteousness which will always fall short, but it rests solely and completely on the righteousness of Jesus Christ which I must hold on to by trusting faith.”
Sinful people can dwell with a holy God by the mediation of Jesus Christ. By union with Him, we receive the Holy Spirit, who changes us and conforms us into His image. But the basis of our acceptance with God is not that inward principle of holiness that grows in us day by day, but the righteousness of Christ. By His grace, God enables people to put their trust in His only Son who purchased redemption for them and clothes them with robes of righteousness, crowning them with holiness that they might see God—for without holiness no man can see the Lord (Heb. 12:14).
Do you ever find yourself trying to earn God’s favor through good works? Do you ever think that you need to make yourself a little better before you ask Him for anything? If so, confess your self-righteousness and put your faith in Christ who alone reconciles you to God. Go to Him as you are, but go to Him in Christ.
