A holy God? It cannot be

A holy God?  It cannot be - M. Robbins

A holy God?  It cannot be
That He could truly look on me!
I’ve cast His laws behind my back!
Pure righteousness is what I lack!

Unto the holy King of Kings
A perfect life I cannot bring;
My righteousness is all unclean;
Oh! who shall save me from death’s sting?

The Holy Word of God does say
That all my sins were by Christ paid;
And if by faith I would believe,
God’s righteousness would come to me.

Chorus
The righteousness of God I need;
There is none other I can plead;
When I by faith on Christ believe
God’s righteousness will come to me.
                          M. Robbins

     Paul, a “free born” Roman citizen of Jewish heritage, had
as a baby breathed his first breath in the home of one who
was considered a Roman national and not as one from a
conquered people. 
     This privileged birth gave Paul the opportunity to obtain
proper schooling which helped shape his great intellect and
later guided him into becoming “zealous toward God” (Acts 22:3),
but this zealousness was “not according to knowledge” (Rom 10:2).
     Of course, all this left no impression upon God for in God’s sight
all.....even Paul.....had sinned and had “come short of the glory of
God” (Rom 3:23).
     What Paul needed was the salvation which comes only “through
faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15) which happened shortly
after Paul’s miraculous encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. 
     In fact a few short days after that encounter, Paul, who had
formerly been named “Saul,” found his heart, his mind, and
his spirit had been forever changed.  He was now a
“Christian” who was “an apostle of Christ” “a servant of
God,” and “a new creature in Christ.”
     Years later to the Christians in Rome, Paul wrote a
phrase which would have never been written by an
unsaved Roman citizen:  “but I am carnal, sold under
sin” (Rom 7:14).  Of course what Paul wrote was in
reference to the Mosaic law which was “spiritual” and
had nothing to do about nationality and citizenship. 
     Still, Paul understood the significance of a totally
“spiritual” Mosaic law:  an individual could never
obtain righteousness by obeying the law.  Rather
righteousness is given because it is the righteousness
of God “which is by faith of Jesus Christ” and it is
“unto all and upon all them that believe” ((Rom 3:22).
     And it this message of “righteousness which is
of faith” (Rom 9:30) that Paul tirelessly wrote and
preached about while traveling thousands of miles
and suffering many things.
     Eventually while visiting Jerusalem, Paul’s zeal
for Christ collided with the traditional Mosaic law
and because of his Roman citizenship, Paul
saw Rome’s grandeur.....but with great cost. 
After two different Roman imprisonments,
Paul was given the sentence of death.
     Thus the earthly eyes of Paul permanently
closed in death but only for a great “gain” (Phil 1:21). 
Heavenly eyes replaced earthly eyes and Paul
saw at last Him “Who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have
redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14).                  
                                              M. Robbins