Marsha's Blog

Psalm 33 is a reference. The psalm states what we should not rely on to be saved:

“There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.” (Psalm 33:16-17)

But the psalm also points out what saves:

“Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.” (Psalm 33:18-21)

In another psalm, in Psalm 80, David repeatedly uses a specific expression to point out what saves. He says: “Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” (Psalm 80:3, Psalm 80:7, Psalm 80:19) In other words: Be our feeling of worth, and we will be saved.

The key term in the Bible referring to the feeling is the term “righteousness”. In The Old Testament “fear” and “uprightness” is used instead. Salomon wrote: “Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.” (Proverbs 28:18) God in man is this feeling being righteous (Jeremiah 23:6, Jeremiah 33:16). Righteousness is not the success in following prescripts. It is a feeling. It is a feeling we succeed, that we have the love of God, but it is not a feeling being qualified: “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” (Romans 8:24) This feeling, being God, is God given: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: …” (Ephesians 2:8) The feeling being righteous is a feeling having the love of God. It sets us in position to be chosen by God. But having the feeling is not the same as being saved: “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:18) The feeling sets us in a position to be saved – a position unreachable to the sinner. And the feeling can get stronger: “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)