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We must let go of our secret ideas of God’s acceptance of us because of our performance. Because, " if righteousness were through the law [by what I do for God], then Christ died for no purpose [than he died in vain]".

It’s true of us that, if we compare ourselves with others in our church and reason out something like this - 'I used to be where they are and now I'm not', so, subconsciously I might think, ‘either I get to where they are or I can’t face them'.

In Romans 5:1 Paul says, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Therefore, - Paul in previous chapters spent describing how we sinners have been set right with God. So, now the conclusion on the justification by faith.

By nature we don't even know we have a need. It's only when we are face to face with God in Christ that the Holy Spirit graciously opens our eyes, and we see that "we come short of the glory of God".

And now, through the death of Christ, on behalf of us sinners, God has provided the forgiveness and cleansing, fullness and fruit for God.

It is a life of constant "beholding him", which teaches us wisdom - of knowing the God of fullness and knowing the emptiness of self.

And faith is the hand that appropriates the fullness of God to our empty selves.

God is a God of hope, and a God of second and third...chances. In Isaiah 32 the Prophet is giving God's people of Israel another promise of a coming king, and particularly the promise of the fruit in his people that his coming will produce.

More specifically in 32:15-17 -

15 until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.

H.C.G.Moule in ‘OUTLINES OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE ‘ch.8 The Doctrine of man; sub ch. 3. Man as restored

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

BY

H. C. G. MOULE, D. D.,

Bishop Of Durham, England.

In Job 36:13-16 we read –

13 The godless in heart cherish anger; they do not cry for help when he binds them.
14 They die in youth, and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.
15 He delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity.
16 He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your table was full of fatness.

In John 13:8 we read - "Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”

From Jesus' words we see the great importance of being washed by him. We must be washed in order to have share with him. But what does Jesus mean by this illustration of washing the disciples feet? The whole context of this washing is played out in John 13:1-20.

In Luke 21:34-36 we read these words of Jesus -

34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Do you ever wonder - does God see, really sees what I'm going through. Does God really know, really knows how much I'm hurting?

Well, have you pondered lately the story of Israel, God's people in the Old Testament, when they we're oppressed and slaves in Egypt?