As it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; there
WEEK 39
BEING THANKFUL FOR THAT WHICH
COVERS ALL INIQUITIES
ROMANS 3:10-20
As it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
FATHER, Your Word proves that the entire world is guilty before You. If left to ourselves, we would perish, as we deserve. We are fallen human beings,
and we therefore could never achieve righteousness through the law. What the law does teach us is how how vile sin is,
how hopelessly in bondage to evil we are, and how miserably worthy of judgment our sins have made us.
Holy God, we understand Your hatred for sin. The law clearly manifests Your holy nature,
leaving us stripped, barren, and guilty
so we can only run to You for mercy. But Your Word bids us come boldly,
and it reveals You to be a God of boundless compassion
and unfathomable grace
who eagerly forgives all penitent, believing sinners.
Having been forgiven, we come before You now in prayer to adore You. First we want to confess
that although we are free from condemnation, we are still sinful. We know that even our sins of thought,
evil desires, and other secret sins are not hidden from Your face, but are fully seen
by Your all-penetrating omniscience.1
We utterly abhor and renounce those evils.
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity? What compassion You have had on us
in treading all our iniquities under foot
and casting them into the depths of the sea!2
We thank You, Lord, that the blood of Jesus Christ
continually, faithfully, and justly cleanses us from our sins.3
Multiply Your grace in our lives. Restrain our feet from evil;
keep our lips from speaking falsely, and enable us to obey Your Word. Set us free from slavery to corruption
into the glorious liberty of the children of God.4
We know, Lord, that You have begun a good work in us
and are faithfully continuing that work, which You will complete when we see our Lord Jesus face-toface.5
We eagerly await that day. Even so, Lord, come quickly!
Make us sensitive to the approach of sin and temptation. Increase our loathing of all that is evil. Heighten the godly fear that restrains our fleshly tendencies. Overwhelm our hearts with the purifying power
of Your Word and Your Spirit. Fill us with compassion. Perfect Your love in us. Arouse in us a thirst for holiness. Kindle a passion to serve You. And lift us to higher worship.
May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts
be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.6
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who loved us and gave Himself for us, we pray— knowing that You hear
and are always gracious to answer us. Amen.
1. Psalm 90:8 2. Micah 7:18-19 3. 1 John 1:9 4. Romans 8:21 5. Philippians 1:6; 1 John 3:2 6. Psalm 19:14