Nothing But A Cry For Mercy

 Meditations on Romans

July 29, 2021

Nothing But A Cry For Mercy

But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.

Romans 4:5

Read: Romans 4:1-8

Immediately after Paul’s proclamation that we are counted as being in a right-standing relationship with God because of our faith in God who forgives sinners, Paul quotes King David in Psalm 32. Every time I read those words in Psalm 32, I remember an event from many years ago, in my law enforcement career.  I had encountered a teenage boy who was the victim of an assault. Several years later I heard he was facing many criminal charges and that his life was a mess.  In his despair he had tried to take his own life, and I visited him in the hospital. In our visit, I shared with him how God had been working in my life, and I encouraged him to not give up. As we prayed together, I felt his tears dropping on my hands.

The next day he called me. He said that after our visit, he had taken the Gideon Bible off of the bedside table and opened it. The first passage he saw was Psalm 32. As we talked, it was clear my friend was experiencing the joy of those “whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered,” and the happiness of “those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity” (Psalm 32:1-2 NRSV). My friend had absolutely nothing he could offer God, nothing but a cry for mercy, based on Christ’s love for him. He cried out, God forgave him and crowned him with new life in Christ.

My Takeaway: I am humbled that God used me as a means of grace to reach my friend. I am even more humbled as I affirm that my faith rests in the God who forgave my sins! I love living in God’s favor, the fruit of my right-standing relationship with God. However, I never, ever forget that my life in God’s favor was bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus who made it possible for God to forgive a sinner such as me!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.