Who Could Stand?
If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
The answer to the rhetorical question being asked here is no one! If God kept a record of all our sins and judged us only on that record, there would be no way to “stand” before God.
The Bible reveals that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s spiritual perfection (Romans 3:10-12, 23). The prophet Isaiah said that our righteousness is like filthy rags compared to God’s righteousness, and we need to be saved from our sins (Isaiah 64:5-6).
This passage must be understood by the verse that follows: “But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (Psalm 130:4).
The point of the verse is that if God just kept a record of every sin we commit and did not offer forgiveness and mercy, all human beings would be cut off from God and would have no chance for eternal life (Romans 6:23).
As Christians, we know that God, through His grace and mercy, offers forgiveness. This should humble us and cause us to have a deep respect and love for God.
To learn more about the consequences of sin and how we can be forgiven, read our article on “The Effects of Sin.”
Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “The Way to Death.”
