There are no righteous man that sin naught.

Here is a poem based on that profound scriptural theme, drawing primarily from the wisdom of Ecclesiastes and the letters of Paul.

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A Prayer in the Key of Dust

I come to You with scriptured words I know are true, A ready verse,a well-worn phrase or two. I lift my voice,attempting to be wise, But truth,a mirror, holds my reflected lies.

For who can stand and claim a righteous breath? “Not one,”the Book declares; “not one,” it saith. The Preacher’s sigh echoes inside my chest: “There is no man on earth who always does what’s best.”

The path is straight, but I have walked it bent, On good intent,too often, poorly spent. I see the height to which my soul should climb, Then turn to look at simpler ways,less steep to climb.

This is the tension: knowing what is right, Yet choosing,still, to shun its piercing light. A civil war waged deep within my bones, My spirit willing,but my flesh on thrones.

So if no righteous man sins naught… then where Can this stained soul lay down its weight of care? If my own goodness is a threadbare veil, What possible hope within me could prevail?

The answer comes not from my own flawed hand, But from the grace I cannot understand. A righteousness not mine,a gift, a plea, That covers even one as flawed as me.

The truth remains: no, I am not without the stain. But greater truth:Your love makes whole again. Not by my merit,but by Yours alone, You call the broken to approach Your throne.

Amen.

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Key Scriptural References:

· "There is no righteous man": Ecclesiastes 7:20 - "Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins."

· "The Preacher's sigh": A reference to the author of Ecclesiastes, often believed to be King Solomon.

· "My spirit willing, but my flesh": Romans 7:18-19 - "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."

· "A righteousness not mine": Philippians 3:9 - "...and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith."

· "Approach Your throne": Hebrews 4:16 - "Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."