Joel M Bradshaw

77Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.–Psalm 119

There is a tension with the law of God. Paul summed it up well.

What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” 8But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead. (Romans 7:7-8, with emphasis)

The law of God is a good thing, but it has one power: it reveals to me that I broke it. Once I know what God considers to be sin I will selfishly sin and be convicted and found guilty by God’s law. Here is more from Paul again.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe… (Romans 3:19-22a, with emphasis)

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy…(Titus 3:4-5a)

A person only following the law of God will never get past the guilt that the law reveals. That is why I am glad the psalmist brought to us the answer: God’s mercy. Since the psalmist delighted in God’s law he asked for God’s mercy. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. The law reveals that I deserve punishment. I require God’s mercy otherwise the law will always find me guilty.

Even the best of my works will not save me. My good will never outweigh my bad. The law of God convicts me of my sin and my need for salvation. It makes certain that my salvation is not one that I have earned or could ever deserve. God’s law is wonderful and powerful, but it produces a longing for mercy for salvation to ever be possible. Mercy is therefore required.–JMB