God's Great Mercies
Daniel 9:18 ... for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
Being made right with God, according to the Bible, is all a work of grace by God's great mercy toward great sinners such as you and I. God does not save us because of our good works, but He saves us to do good works. Many get the cart in front of the horse. That is why verse eight comes after the verses quoted above.
How about you? Have you come to God because of His great mercies to save you or are you trying to come because of your righteous works to earn merit with Him? He is merciful. Come admitting your sinful condition to Him and fall on His mercy to save. This is how to have peace with God.
In verses previous to this Daniel talks about how they as a nation have rebelled against God, and have been disobedient to Him. He then admits that they don't come to God because of their righteousness, obviously, they have none, but they come because of God's great mercies.
There are many religions afoot these days that have this backwards. The people are taught and they believe that by doing religious works and rituals that they are earning merit with God and He will accept them for their righteous acts. But the Bible paints a different picture.
Isaiah 64:6 says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
If our righteousness is as filthy rags in God's economy, then it doesn't matter how many good, religious works and rituals we participate in, it won't earn any merit with Him. But there is good news. We can come to God because of His great mercies.
Titus 3:5-7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Being made right with God, according to the Bible, is all a work of grace by God's great mercy toward great sinners such as you and I. God does not save us because of our good works, but He saves us to do good works. Many get the cart in front of the horse. That is why verse eight comes after the verses quoted above.
Titus 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men
How about you? Have you come to God because of His great mercies to save you or are you trying to come because of your righteous works to earn merit with Him? He is merciful. Come admitting your sinful condition to Him and fall on His mercy to save. This is how to have peace with God.
