05/30/2019
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The wicked become angry with
the one who is faithful to the Lord. Their bitterness and hatred will send them
to hell {eternal separation for God}
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who fears the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence and
worships Him with obedience], Who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Light arises in the darkness for the upright;
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous (upright—in right standing with God).
It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
He conducts his affairs with justice.
He will never be shaken;
The righteous will be remembered forever.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Light arises in the darkness for the upright;
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous (upright—in right standing with God).
It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
He conducts his affairs with justice.
He will never be shaken;
The righteous will be remembered forever.
He will not fear bad news;
His heart is steadfast, trusting [confidently relying on and believing] in the Lord.
His heart is upheld, he will not fear
While he looks [with satisfaction] on his adversaries.
He has given freely to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted in honor.
The wicked will see it and be angered,
He will gnash his teeth and melt away [in despair and death];
The desire of the wicked will perish and come to nothing.
Characteristics of the one who fears the
Lord found in Psalm 112:
3.
Gracious
James 4:6
4.
Compassionate
Deuteronomy 15:7–8
5.
Generous
Leviticus 25:35-37
7.
Fearless
2 Timothy 1:7
8.
Established
Heart Matthew 5:8
9.
Immovable
Psalm 16:8
10. Uncompromising Psalm 119:1-4
12. Righteous Psalm 1:1-6
13. Balanced Psalm 19
Those who “Fear the Lord” do so while also
delighting in the “Law of the Lord”. Let us look now at Four {4} reasons we
should “Delight in the Law of the Lord”.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law [His precepts and
teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2
I have heard so many, who
read the commandments and the law of God in the Scriptures, and they are quick
to characterize God as a “Mean Boss”. They follow this with statements about
Christianity being nothing more than a bunch of old fashioned rules that must
be followed. I hear comments like this: ‘Do this, don’t do that; Be hear, don’t
go there; Read this, don’t read that; Give this; Dress this way, don’t dress
that way; Talk this way, don’t talk that way”; and the list goes on and on.
Have you ever had to listen
to someone criticize the God you love and serve and the Scriptures you read to
give you life? It can be quite draining.
These people question how it is that the
Psalmist could possibly “delight himself” in the Law of the Lord and meditate
on it day and night. They wonder why anyone would want to dwell so much on
something that seems so burdensome. As you study the Scriptures found in the
Psalm, you realize that the Psalmist has learned that the law was NEVER meant
to be a burden that weighs you down; quite the opposite is true. The Law of the
Lord is meant to be light-weight because of Jesus and a light to illuminate the
path you are walking in this dark world.
But you, believers, [all you who believe in
Christ as Savior and acknowledge Him as God’s Son] are not in spiritual darkness [nor held by its
power], that the day [of judgment] would overtake you [by surprise] like a
thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We do not belong to the
night or to darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5
The Light shines on in the darkness, and
the darkness did not understand it or
overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to
it]. John 1:5
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily
burdened [by
religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with
salvation]. Take
My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:23-30
Now let’s look at four {4} benefits that
God’s Law gives us which will lead us to delight in the Law of the Lord.
As God upholds the law
revealing His character, we realize that we fall short of living up to His
standard. We find out that ALL of us are flawed and faulty people that come up
drastically short of the glory of God {Romans 3:10, 23}.
I don’t think you need much convincing that you are not perfect; however, as we
look into the Law of God we realize the REALITY is abundantly clear. Who
among us has NEVER told a lie? Who among us has NEVER coveted something a
co-worker or neighbor has? Who among us has NEVER disrespected our parents?
You may be sitting there
reading this wondering how this is a benefit because it makes you feel bad
about yourself. This revelation HURTS, however it is a TRUTH we need. It is
this truth of your sinfulness that leads you to repentance at the cross. It is this truth that reveals your need for a
Savior. It is this truth that shows you the beauty, the glory, the majesty of
Jesus. Let this truth hurt, for it is only for a moment before it is
replaced with a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. As we set our gaze
upon the risen Christ who stood in our place, we realize He loved us so much
that bearing the wrath of God for our sin so we would not have to was an honor
to Him Now that we know the law leads us to the cross, to Jesus Himself, let us
greatly delight ourselves in the Law of the Lord!
Now when you look at commandments in Scripture that cause
you to recognize how weak you really are, let this thought lead you to delight
in your perfect Savior!
The commandments from God in
His Word reveal who God is. Not only do these commands tell a story of who God
is; God’s laws reveal to us that He is the God of justice, love, kindness, He
cares for those who are needy and others who are unable to care for themselves
as well as a jealous God who requires commitment from those who call Him Lord
of their lives. As you study the Bible
you will come across different commands from God. When you encounter these
commands, ask yourself, “What does this reveal about who God is?” As you study
the Law of God you will begin to understand how great a gift it is to receive a
clearer picture of who God is in our lives.
Take a moment now to see what Paul says
on knowing God…
But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled]. For His sake I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him [believing and relying on Him], not having any righteousness of my own derived from [my obedience to] the Law and its rituals, but [possessing] that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.
Philippians 3:8-9
As you begin to see how
valuable it is to know more about Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit;
you realize how valuable the Law of God, the commandments of Christ and the
instruction by the Holy Spirit becomes through knowing the Word. Let this
knowledge sink in so together we can delight ourselves in the Law of the Lord.
3.
God’s Law Reveals How to Express our Gratitude
towards Him
As the Laws are being given
out throughout Scripture we see a redemptive relationship is always established
prior to the requirements given. It is through a loving relationship
established in God’s grace that leads our hearts to be filled with love and
gratitude towards God. We should want
to live for the God who graciously saved us and desire to please Him. But how
can we do that? Where should we invest our lives? How should we now live?
God’s law answers those
questions for us. Even though many of the Old Testament laws no longer apply to
us today because we have been freed from the Law in Christ, there are still so
many that do and as we look at them we
should see them as outlets for worship, not chains to weigh us down.
Therefore we should delight ourselves in the Law of the Lord as it provides us
the direction we need since we have been transferred from the domain of
darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son {Colossians
1:13-14, Ephesians
5:8}.
4.
God’s Law Restrains Sin
God’s law restrains sin.
Without law chaos would reign {Romans
2:14-15}. It is a nice thing to be
able to walk around outside without the fear of being assaulted, isn’t it?
There is comfort in knowing that those who commit violent crimes will be
punished and kept apart from the rest of society, isn’t there? Without Law
human beings become vile {Romans
1:18-32}.
God gave the law so we could
use it as civil law to create a more peaceable life {Matthew
5:44-55}. Therefore let us delight
in the law of the Lord as it is a gracious gift meant to give us more peaceable
life.
When we delight in the Law of Lord instead of
walking around as if we are being weighed down, we will actually feel the love
of God in our lives. God is proving to us that we are loved and He has our best
interest in His heart. Remember that God’s law is a tool to help us get away
from sin, to know Him more intimately finding great joy in Him, to us an outlet
for deeper worship and finally to find more peace in our lives so we may live
for His glory {Romans
13:1-7, 1
Timothy 2:1-2}.
If you genuinely Fear the Lord’s Words then
you will strife to live an Uncompromising
life before Him. Through prayer, study of God’s Word and faithfulness to Him we
are given the strength and courage to stand up against the evil in this world
that tries to bring us down. I pray you will find these examples of uncompromising beneficial as you apply the Word of
God to your life.
Uncompromising
The men and women who will not compromise
are those who:
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an
important part in the history of Scotland and to a lesser extent that of
England and of Ireland, during the 17th century.
I have
enjoyed reading about the Covenanters at a time in the history of England when
the government demanded that the King was to be recognized as the head of the
church. And there were a group of Scottish people who for the most part who refused
to recognize the King as the head of the church because they said "Jesus
Christ is the head of the church." {Colossians 1:18}
One of the
most notable was a preacher by the name of Richard Cameron. And one day a knock
on the door of Richard Cameron's father. He went to the door to find a
messenger there who opened a box and in the box he had the head and the hands
of his son. And his father responded by saying "The Lord gives, the Lord
takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord." {Job 1:21} Here we find a father who misquotes scripture as if he is speaking
the truth. There are those who have paid immense prices to stand their ground
and not compromise their faith no matter the
cost. We hear all the time on the other hand about people, like this father,
who boast of their moral standards who talk a good game. We like to praise them
for the righteousness of their character, their great set of convictions and
yet for some ungodly purpose they sell out.
Here are few saints of God that did NOT compromise,
Moses before Pharaoh {Exodus 7-12}, Shiphrah and Puah were two midwives who feared God and did not do
what the King Pharaoh commanded them to do {Exodus 1}, David many times {Psalm 119}, Ruth with Naomi {Ruth 1:14-22}, Mary the mother of Jesus did as God commanded even if the world
would not understand {Luke 1:29-38}, Paul before Felix, Festus and Agrippa {Acts 24-26}, but no-one is a better illustration of an uncompromising life than Daniel. He provides for us the clearest
illustration of what it is to live without compromise.
Read Daniel 1-12 to learn more about the uncompromising lives
of Daniel {Belteshazzar}, Hanaiah {Shadrach}, Mishael {Meshach}, Azariah
{Abed-nego}.
The men and
women in this section compromised the will
of God for their lives and ultimately paid the price for their compromises. I pray you will learn from these men
and women and chose to make a conscious effort to live an uncompromising life that glorifies God; not a compromising life that leads to your demise.
Compromise
1. Lead away by vain philosophy – Colossians 2:8
2. Fail to accept the Word as sound doctrine –
2 Timothy 4:3-4
4. False preachers after your pocketbook – Matthew 7:15-20
5. Unkind and quarrelsome – 2 Timothy 2:24-26
7. Refuse to acknowledge God as Creator – Romans 1:28-32
People will
say they believe everything in Bible while attending churches where it's not
even taught. People claim convictions about sin and convictions about
punishment until that sin is committed by their children. People will speak out
about dishonesty and corruption until it refers to someone they know and
respect {like their boss who would fire them for doing so}. People have high
moral standards until they're released from the bondage of a holy conscious {Romans 7:14-25}. They enter into an unholy relationship and then begin to rationalize
their compromise even though the Word of God plainly says NOT to be UNEQUALLY
joined to an unbeliever {2 Corinthians 6:14-15}.
People are
honest until just a little dishonesty might save them a lot of money or gain
for them some great advantage; however this is the wrong decision to make {Hebrews 13:18}. People know something to be definitely wrong, but for the sake of
peace they will cover it {Nehemiah 4:5, Romans 1:18}. People will do an act against their claim to convictions when asked
by someone they admire or fear or from whom they seek a favor {Genesis 37:26, Isaiah 29:15}. People won't say what should truly be said if they feel they might
lose face {John 3:20}. Those who chose to compromise will not prosper according to Proverbs 28:13 which reads; “He who conceals his transgressions will
not prosper, but whoever confesses and turns away from
his sins will find compassion and
mercy.”
We have several instances in Scripture where to the children of God
compromised their standards and had to suffer the consequences of their actions.
Adam
compromised God's law following his wife's sin and lost paradise {Genesis 3}. Abraham compromised the truth, lied about Sarah and nearly lost his
wife {Genesis 12:10-20, Genesis 20:1-18}. Sarah compromised God's word when she sent Abraham to Hagar who bore
Ishmael and destroyed peace in the Middle East {Genesis 16:1-4, 11-12}. Esau compromised for a meal with Jacob and lost his birthright {Genesis 25:29-34}; Saul compromised the divine word kept
the animals and lost the royal seed {1 Samuel 15:3, 20-28}. Moses compromised God’s command and lost the privilege of entering
the Promised Land {Numbers 20:7-12} Aaron compromised allowing Moses to strike the rock at the water of
Meribah instead of speaking to it like God had commanded therefore he was not
allowed to enter the Promised land {Numbers 20:6-13, 24}. Samson compromised righteous devotion as a Nazirite with Delilah,
lost his strength, lost his eyes and lost his life {Judges 16:4-6, 16-31}. Israel compromised the commands of the Lord, lived in sin and when
fighting with the Philistines lost the Ark of God {1 Samuel 4:11}. David compromised God’s standard, committed adultery with Bathsheba,
murdered Uriah, and lost his infant son {2 Samuel 11:1-12:23}. Solomon compromised his convictions,
married foreign wives and lost the united kingdom {1 Kings 11:1-18}. Ahab compromised married Jezebel and lost his throne {1 Kings 16:31; 1 Kings 22:29-40}. Israel compromised the law of God
entered the sin and idolatry and lost their homeland {2 Kings 17:14-23}. Peter compromised his convictions about
Christ denied him and lost his joy. Peter compromised his conviction about
Christ, denied Him, and lost his joy {Mark 14:66-72}. Later he compromised the truth in order to gain acceptance by the
Judaizers and lost his liberty {Galatians 2:11-14}. Ananias and Sapphira compromised their
word about giving life to the Holy Spirit and lost their lives {Acts 5:1-11}. Judas compromised his supposed devotion for Christ for thirty {30}
pieces of silver and was separated from Christ eternally {Matthew 26:20-25, 47-49; 27:1-5; John 17:12}.
From these examples we learn two important facts:
1.
In
every case the effect of the compromise was to lose something valuable in
exchange for something temporary and unfulfilling, which turns out to be sinful
desire. Would it not be so much better to gain something valuable {your
salvation and relationship with Christ Jesus} in exchange for something
worthless {your sin and self-righteousness}? I will make a conscious effort to
do the latter.
2.
Look
at what was compromised in each of these examples: either God’s Word, a command
from God, or a conviction about God. Therefore, the TRUE PRICE of COMPROMISE is
a rejection of God’s Word, which amounts to rebellion against Him while
promoting one’s self as the final authority.
If you take a close look at the churches
today you will find a lot of this happening. It seems the church has been
stripped of the Biblical Divine Standard’s of God; being filled instead with
unbelief and compromise. Scripture is being
reinterpreted to accommodate anti-biblical views. Philosophy is replacing a
commitment to biblical truth because the TRUTH is considered poor marketing.
Today’s churches are so full of unbiblical
teachings which give false comfort and justification {overlooking SIN}. These
churches are full of spiritual babies who according to Ephesians 4:14 are immature and believe every new doctrine that comes along.
So that we are no longer children
[spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and
carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men,
by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].
Ephesians 4:14
The Word of God is filled with so many
examples of men and women who lived their lives in Fear of the Lord and
obedience to His Word. Even during times of hardship these men and women knew
who their God was and how faithful He is to provide for those who chose to
follow Him and His son Christ Jesus. At the same time we find many examples of
men and women who compromised their faith and trust in God because they were
afraid of what mankind would do to them. It is important to know that there is
NOTHING mankind can do {including killing you} that can separate you from God.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul
and body in hell. Matthew 10:28
As you can see it is better to serve the
Lord in reverent fear and have a full life including an eternity with your
Creator; for the opposite is a life of misery and eternity separated from our
Savior Christ Jesus. I know I would much rather spend an eternity with the One
who created me and the One who saved my soul. How about you? Are you ready to
go forward from this day living your life in obedience and uncompromising faith in our Creator God?
I pray you will take this lesson from Psalm 112 and the examples from the lives of the
saints in the Bible, apply it to your life and live a life that is uncompromising. May God give you strength and
boldness to stand against the attacks of the enemy {Satan and his demonic
forces} as you move forward in your journey here on earth.
Be strong in the Lord [draw your strength
from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His
[boundless] might. Ephesians 6:10
I am leaving you with a list of Scriptures
for further study to build your faith so you will be able to live a life uncompromising.
Forever in Christ Jesus service,
Scriptures
for further study
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