If your plan is to storm the gates of heaven in your own name—insisting that God should consider you righteous on your own merits, then prepare to find there, God’s anger, and judgment, and condemnation. It surely waits for you if that is your plan.

But if it’s God’s mercy that you want, then think of what He says through the prophet Isaiah in regard to His covenant:

For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you (54:10).

You are the recipient of God’s dearest treasure: forgiveness in the blood of Christ.

Do you want to be free of the burden that makes you cower in terror before God’s presence? The answer is the One Whose majesty is on display in our text. The answer is the one Whose coming death being discussed with Him by prophets makes satisfaction for your sins. His righteousness is made your own righteousness.

This One Who died in your place to make atonement for sins isn’t absent. He’s before you in His Word at this very moment. He’s before you on the Altar in the true presence of His body and blood in, with, and under bread and wine given for your forgiveness and assurance as you continue in this life - struggling sometimes, experiencing Christ’s difficult discipline. He prepares you for His eternal kingdom in which all struggle will be safely in the past.