Really Trusting the Judge's Righteousness

For many of us, I think, this psalm appears to raise the question of works. David asks to be judged according to his righteousness, and that immediately triggers us. What? Is the king of Israel some kind of Roman Catholic, trusting in his own righteousness before God? But as I hope to show you tonight, that framing gets it exactly backwards. The question the psalm raises is not the question of works, but the question of faith. The king singing this psalm has perfect confidence in the justice of God. He trusts God to deal righteously with his enemies. I hope we all share that same confidence. But then he takes it a step farther, and affirms that he equally trusts God to deal righteously with him! The king is not trusting in his own righteousness, but in God's. Part of that righteousness is to justly evaluate the king and to see that he is perfectly righteous, with uncompromised integrity. And of course, though we are not as righteous as our perfect King, we have been made righteous in Him and we have the same need to trust in God's righteous judgment — of our king, of our enemies, and of ourselves. Be like your king, for He had perfect confidence in God's justice both for his enemies and for himself.