I have met Christians who are hyper conservative and legalistic. In a bid to stay on track with God, they became legalistic and do not acknowledge the place of God's mercy. Some of them point accusing fingers at those passing through life's challenges attributing it to their sins.

This is one thing I have always refrained from after seeing righteous men go through hard times. Those who point accusing fingers at others during their low moments lack the compassion of Christ. They are not good to have as friends. Instead of finding healing through them, they'll hurt you more like Job's friends.

When you come around such people, they give a false impression of holiness and make everyone around them look like a sinner. Then I ask, is there a man holy as God?

A number of them are like the Pharisee Jesus described in Luke 18:10-14. This Pharisee went into the temple to pray with a holier-than-thou attitude telling God how good he was and how he paid tithe. He went as far as comparing himself to the publican. The publican acknowledged his inadequacies and asked for mercy.

Jesus said that the publican went home justified. God ignored the rants of the pharisees and heard the mercy plea of the publican. There is a grace&mercy lesson in that parable. Pharisees were custodians of the law. They were legalistic people and they felt keeping the law was enough reason to access God but they were wrong.

When dealing with a holy God, you don't boast about your holiness neither do you approach his throne with your human righteousness. You simply come on the basis of Christ's righteousness imputed to you. That's the ground on which God will pay attention to you. Stop boasting about your righteousness. It can never be enough before God.

The Psalmist knew this truth and then he said, "If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand"? (Psalm 130:3). No one will stand. That's the answer to the psalmist's question.

However, God made provision for forgiveness so that we can fear him. That is, knowing the severity of his judgement, when we receive full pardon for our sins, we'll not want to sin willfully again. That is what the true  knowledge of God's grace and mercy does.

When next you go into God's presence, go on the basis of Christ"s righteousness and not yours. Appeal to God's mercy and not your works. That's how to get God move on your behalf.