THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
The grace of God bestowed through our Lord Jesus Christ is the essence of divine favor. Within us lies an internal adversary, as the law is present in our members, and there are also external foes. To whom should you turn for help? Seek the One who avenges: cleanse me from my hidden transgressions, O Lord, and rescue Your servant from the sins of others.
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Sinners fall into two categories; some have received the Law while others have not. All Gentiles lack the Law, whereas all Jews and Christians are subject to it. Thus, the overarching term is sinner; a transgressor of the Law, if he has been given it, or merely unjust if he has not. The Apostle addresses both types when he states, “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.” Yet you who are burdened among the various trials, utter the words from the psalm: My God, rescue me from the hand of the sinner. Which sinner? From the hand of the transgressor of the Law and the unjust. The one who breaks the Law is indeed unjust, for transgression of the Law signifies a lack of righteousness; however, not every unjust individual violates the Law. The Apostle affirms, “For where there is no law, there is no transgression.” Thus, those who have not received the Law may be termed unrighteous, but they cannot be labeled as criminals. Each will be judged according to their actions.
I, who seek liberation through Your grace, implore You, deliver me from the hand of the sinner. What does this mean, from his hand? From his power, that in his fury he does not entice me to his side; that in his stealth, he does not persuade me towards wrongdoing. Rescue me from the hand of the sinner and the unjust.
The impoverished individual and the descendants of the impoverished appear to me to be one and the same, just as Zion and the daughter of Zion represent the same city. However, if we choose to see a distinction, we might interpret the poor as the mountains and the sons of the poor as the hills. For instance, the Prophets and Apostles can be viewed as the poor, while their sons—those who benefit from their guidance—represent the sons of the poor. The earlier statement about judgment leads to salvation outlines the way in which He will judge. His judgment aims at salvation, specifically to distinguish between those destined for destruction and those granted salvation, which is ready to be unveiled in the last times. (1 Pet.
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1:5) It is by such individuals that it is expressed unto Him, Do not let my soul be destroyed with the wicked, and, Judge me, O God, and distinguish my case from a sinful nation. It is also important to notice that He does not say, "He shall judge the poor men," but rather, "the poor of the people." Earlier, when it was said, You will judge your people with righteousness and your poor with justice, it signifies that the people of God are recognized as His poor—namely, those who are righteous and on the right side. Yet in this world, those on the right and those on the left dwell together, and like sheep and goats, they must be separated in the end. (Matthew 25:32) In all things, amid this mixture, He referred to them collectively as the people. Additionally, since He presents judgment in a positive light, intended for salvation, He states that He will judge the poor of the people, distinguishing them for salvation among the populace. He will also bring low the accuser. No accuser is more readily identifiable than the devil, whose craft is false accusation. Does Job serve God for nothing? (Job 1:9) Yet, the Lord Jesus humbles him with His grace, enabling His own to worship God freely and to fully enjoy His presence. He also humbled the devil in this manner; when the devil, the ruler of this world, found nothing in Him (John 14:30), he sought to destroy Him through the false accusations levied by the Jews, whom the accuser utilized as instruments, working through the children of disbelief. (Eph. 2:2)