The Promises of God

The promises are as cork to the net, to bear up the heart from sinking in the deep waters of distress.

Watson Thomas, A divine cordial, p10 (ebook edition)

The sinner

Luke 18:13 - But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' ESV

Lit - The sinner - not just a sinner but the sinner, emphasis on me not just being one of many but the chief of sinners. Do we see ourselves as people who fail, sin and do the things others do or do we see ourselves naked & bare before the eyes of a Holy God?

The word "merciful" is in fact propitiated - But the tax collector having come to a stand at a distance, was unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven but kept on beating his breast, saying, O God, justify me the sinner upon the basis of an expiatory sacrifice which satisfies the demands of divine justice and makes it possible the just bestowal of righteousness on the basis of justice satisfied. Wuest . Bare mercy is not sufficient even with God to deal with our sins - His justice needs to be satisfied; He cannot just aquit the guilty but must Himself be propitiated.