More Conditions For Being Blessed - Psalm 119:3

3 They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways – Psalm 119:3

They – i.e. the blessed (vv. 1-2). Below the blessed are going to be seen from both a positive and negative perspective. First from the negative perspective --

They Do nothing wrong – Here the standard for all Christians is proclaimed. We are to arrive at a place in our earthly lives where we do nothing wrong. Of course, the thought of perfection is often viewed upon here, but this is not what the writer has in mind. Instead, the bible is encouraging believers not to be dominated or controlled by sin. We do need for our feet to be cleansed daily (John 13:10), because walking in this world will tend to get us dirty. But we are not to be swimming in the cesspool of evil. There is a big difference in getting our feet occasionally dirty and diving in and swimming in a pool of filth. The blessed ones do nothing wrong. They do not enjoy sin and they do not swim in the enjoyment of it either.

Remember these passages?

9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God – 1 John 3:9

18We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him – 1 John 5:18

Now here is a look at perfection from a positive perspective:

They walk in His ways – Keeping our lives clean by not engaging in evil is one aspect of pleasing God, doing what is right is another.

Walk – two things must be kept in mind here. First, as you are walking with God, you are walking at the same time “away” from evil. In other words, you cannot walk with God and at the same time be practicing wrong. It is like trying to serve two masters (Matt. 6:24), it is impossible. To make the loftiest choice of walking with God is also to say no to sin and turn your life from it and walk away in the opposite direction.

Second, let me ask you this? Does God know where He is going? Of course He does. Does God know what He is doing? Yes, of course. Then as you and I walk with Him, He will take us places that may seem strange, bizarre and uncomfortable. But that is the time you tell yourself, “I am going to continue to walk with God even if it means to walk with Him in the “valley of the shadow of death” (Ps. 23:4), for He is with me and I can trust Him enough to follow knowing He will always lead me in the way of everlasting.

His ways – Here is another synonym for the Word. We have come across “law” (v. 1), “statues” (v. 2), and now “ways.” This speaks of a path or direction. The inference is that there are two ways – one is wrong (man’s ways) and the other is right (God’s ways). Choose the right way (Jesus), and choose to walk in God’s ways (His teachings).

Jesus said, “If you KNOW these things, happy are you if you DO them” (John 13:17). To know and to do must be married together. To fill our heads with knowing truth and not doing it is fruitless. To do things without knowing why we are to do them is also fruitless. But to know what to do and why, and then to practice what we know is fruitful. And Jesus, like the writer here in Psalm 119, says, “Happy are you.”

Summary: The Christian life is a life that is both negative and positive: Negatively, we do nothing wrong; positively we walk in the ways of God. Doing these two things, will put us also in the company of the “blessed.”

Conditions For Being Blessed - Psalm 119:2

2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart – Psalm 119:2

Blessed are they—Verse 2 begins as verse 1, continuing the theme of the blessed. Notice that being “blessed” is in the present tense. No doubt, we will receive great and wonderful blessings from God in heaven, but this does not mean we cannot enjoy a taste of some of those blessings now. But if we are to enjoy the blessings of God, there are two requirements:

First, [those] Who keep his statues—“keep” signifies to watch or to guard. The thought is of one guarding something of great value, such as a treasure. To guard something means to at least have some notion of the value of what is being guarded. It also indicates a desire to retain what is being guarded. Where are these treasures? They are found in the statues of God. The idea is that the blessed are holding the Word of God close to their hearts because of its immense value and also are allowing the Word to “guard” their lives from any form of moral failure.

Statues – When referred to the Word of God it is always plural. It speaks of not just one commandment or law, but everything. As I mentioned in a previous blog, there are at least eight synonyms for the Word of God in this Psalm and “statues” is one of them. The word actually means, “to set up.” It carries the idea of setting up a standard for others to heed to and follow.

His – What makes these laws of great and awesome value is that it all belongs to God. They are not laws for God to keep, but laws given by God for us to keep. The Word of God reveals God’s will. The commands and statues offer us protection from the consequences of bad choices and direction in life. To avoid them is to do so at our own peril.

Second [to those who] “seek Him” – This is very important, please don’t miss this. It is one thing to seek after the things God offers, it is totally another to seek God Himself. Often people will seek God in order to find relief from their pain or struggle. Or they will seek Him for healing, or some wisdom or counsel. Nothing wrong with these things. But as we begin to grow more mature in our walk with the Lord, believers should transcend their search and simply seek God Himself just to get to know Him better and more deeper.

“with all their heart” – No great and major accomplishment by man was ever achieve with a half-hearted effort. No one plays to win a championship football or baseball game with a half-hearted effort. Likewise, when seeking God, do not give it your half-hearted effort. Seek the Lord with all your heart. Throw your heart over the line and seek the Lord passionately and whole-heartedly.

God requires that we seek Him with our whole heart. This also applies to serving the Lord. 12 And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul (Duet. 10:12 NIV). The Lord will allow our hearts to be broken, but never divided.

Summary: You and I can be found in the company of the blessed, provided we “keep His statues,” and “seek Him with all of our heart.”

Who The Blessed Are - Psalm 119:1

Psalm 119 is both the longest chapter in the bible and the longest psalm. Although we do not know for sure who was the human author of this psalm, Ezra is perhaps at the top of the list, probably writing this psalm sometime shortly after the temple had been rebuilt (Ezra 6:14-15). This psalm consists of repetitive mediations on God’s Word and it tells us how to stay out of trouble and grow in our faith.

This is also an acrostic psalm, composed of 22 sections, each section containing 8 lines, with all sections containing in sequence a letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. Therefore, all 22 sections of this psalm, beginning with the first section to the last goes through a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Something else to keep in mind: There are 8 terms used in this psalm and all refer to God’s Word, just stated differently. The 8 terms are:

1. Law
2. Testimony
3. Precepts
4. Statues
5. Commandments
6. Judgments
7. Word
8. Ordinances

As stated above, because this is a repetitive psalm, the Word of God was always before the mind of the writer. For example, God’s word was before the mind of the writer before dawn (v. 147), daily (v. 97), 7 times daily (v. 164), nightly (vv. 55, 148), and at midnight (v. 62).

Back during the days of Ezra, the Scriptures were not copied in that every person had their own bible to carry with them. Thus, the people had to memorize the Word when it was read to them. As the Word was memorized by common people, it was passed along orally. This is why the structure of this psalm was set up the way it is so as to help people in general to memorize the Word and to pass it along to others.

One of my goals for 2010 is to go over each of the 176 verses of this psalm and analyzing it prayerfully and carefully its content, so as to understand its meaning and how it applies to my life.

I will be sharing with you the fruit of my discoveries and pray that you will be blessed with the results. I will be using the New International Version.

Let’s Begin:

Verse 1: Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.

“Blessed” – This psalm opens up similar to that of Psalm 1:1-3. The word “blessed” means “happy” and describes an inner state of being. Sorrow or loss is not promised by being a “blessed” person, rather when someone is said to be “blessed,” he or she is in a state of divine favor with God.

The blessed condition is something to be desired by all Christians. As we shall see by making our way through this Psalm, the man or woman who are blessed and in a state of favor with God are the ones who keep His Word and meditate on it habitually.

“Are” – present condition and definite. Sometimes a Christian may be suffering as a result of a particular trial or simply the result of not feeling joyful at all. We can get like this physically through being overworked or changes that occur in our bodies which affect us emotionally. However, our favor with God does not depend on how we feel. By being obedience to the Lord, we “are” blessed and it is as real as God is. Our souls can take comfort not in the presence of human emotions, but in the promises of God. It is good to know that the “blessed are” can enjoy God at anytime and communication with the Almighty is an open channel.

“they” – here the writer is being specific. The “blessed are” is not a favorable condition open to just anyone. It’s only referred to those who “walk” a certain way. What way?

First, their walk is “blameless.” Now this does not mean that they do not occasionally sin. We do – every Christian battles the flesh and loses some fights now and then. However, the idea of being blameless means walking “habitually.” It is a lifestyle that continues to climb heavenward with occasional slips now and then.

This is the same idea found in 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6 regarding church leaders. Paul uses the word “above reproach” to describe a leader as being “blameless,” someone who is not perfect, but who is habitually walking favorably with the Lord.

Furthermore, to be blameless is to walk both in truth and integrity. The blessed are those who do not have hypocrisy in their walk. They are blessed because of the condition of their heart and not something externally. Some Christians make the mistake of comparing themselves to others. “I can’t sing like he can,” or “I am not as good looking as he is,” or “I am not as smart as she is, or “I don’t have the money that they possess.” These are not conditions that guarantee the blessed state. God looks upon the heart and judges whether or not a person is walking “blamelessly.”

“Ways” is one of the related words used in this Psalm to speak of the Word of God. The root of this word in the Hebrew means to tread with the foot. So the root denotes the act of walking. “Ways” here speaks of a path, road, a going, or journeying. This word occurs 13 times in the entire Psalm depending on which version you are using. God has His path for us to walk on. To remain blessed, we are to stay on that path and not go off of it no matter how tempting the road signs might be along the way. As long as we stay on the path marked out for us by God, there will be plenty of light. However, darkness will be found along the side roads that take us off of the path of God. Satan will provide not only some light on these side paths, but a counterfeit light. Don’t fall for it. The further you stray from the path of God, the darker it will become.

As we stray from God by walking on some side streets, the light of God becomes dimmer. But the light dims so slowly that we don’t realize just how dark our lives are becoming until it is contrasted with a bright light from God – a search light if you will, trying to help us find our way back.
“Who walk” – The “who” are simply the “they” mentioned earlier. These are Christians whose ways are blameless and are said “to walk in the law of the Lord.”

“Walk” entails fellowship. To walk with God is to fellowship with Him. But to walk also entails “advancement.” When a person walks with God, he or she is advancing in their lives. They are not stagnant or still. They are “growing” and “advancing” spiritually. To walk with God is to advance, to walk in the flesh is just the opposite. Therefore, to walk with God is to walk in the Spirit as we keep His Word; but to walk in the flesh is to walk away from God as a result of not keeping His Word. A person who walks with God does so consistently and with perseverance. The Christian life is not a run whereby we burn out along the way. It is a steady and consistent walk heading toward our destination of Christlikeness.

“according to” – note that there is not suggested here a percentage. That is, if I walk obeying God’s Word 65 percent of the time, I am blessed. No. Well, if I walk with God obeying His word, 85 percent of the time, I have favor with God. No. It is and always will be “according to” God’s Word. In other words, we are obligated to obey ALL of God’s Word and laws and not merely a percentage of it. No wonder the writer talked about how the Word was always before him night and day.

“the law of the Lord” – this is another synonym for God’s Word. Here it is torah, a precept or statute. The root means to project or to issue, hence to point out or to show. It includes teaching or instruction. God’s law contains His instructions and points out His will. This word occurs about 25 times in the entire Psalm.

Conclusion: Verse 1 is about who the blessed are. Simply, they are the ones who ways are blameless and who stay on the path of God walking according to, that is obedient to His Word.

Can We Call Another Man "Father?"

Matt. 23 1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

What if you heard your preacher concerning other preachers, say, “Listen to what they say, just don’t do what they practice.” That would be interesting, don’t you think? This is what Jesus said to His disciples regarding the Pharisees and scribes in Matthew 23. What did Jesus mean?

Well, first of all, notice in verse 3, Jesus’ uses the word “So” (NIV); the NASB uses the word “therefore.” Christ is referring back to what He had just mentioned. The so-called teachers of the law sit themselves in the “seat of Moses.” In other words, they self-appoint themselves as “teachers of the law.” “So,” or “therefore,” when they teach the law, which would be the information contained in the first five book of the bible (Genesis to Deuteronomy), listen to what they say. They are using the Word. They are teaching the Word, therefore, listen to them. However, in terms of practice, they don’t do what the Word says, therefore, “don’t do what they tend to practice.”

Here is a classic example of what all bible teachers often face – the disconnect between teaching the Word and living it. We are good when it comes to teaching the Word and pointing out to others their sins, but when we have to apply our own teachings to our own lives, now that’s another story. This is why all throughout Matthew 23, Jesus refers to these self-proclaimed teachers of the law as “hypocrites” (vv. 13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29).

In our small groups or LTGs (Life Transformation Groups), we weigh in heavily on the intake of God’s Word. We read several chapters during the week and often more if someone in the group missed a few chapters the previous week. As a result of reading so much, we are also accountable to live out what we read. It is not enough to simply consume the Word of God and not be affected by it. Is it possible to be consumed by the Word and not affected by it? Yes, remember what Jesus said concerning the seed (God’s Word) in Matthew 13? The seed fell beside the road and the enemy came and snatch away the seed before it could produce any results (vv. 4, 19).

Jesus was describing the condition of a person’s heart. If you merely hear the Word, but you don’t take time to understand it and how it applies to your life, Satan comes along and snatches or steals the seed and a person is left empty. So Jesus’ statement to His disciples is so fitting. Hear what they teach, just don’t do what they do – which is, hear the Word and not understand and practice it.

9And do not call anyone on earth your 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

Is it wrong to call someone your father? In a biological sense, no, of course not. Then what did Jesus mean when He stated, “Do not call anyone on earth “father?”

First, the Pharisees were prideful leaders. They sat themselves in the seat of Moses (v. 2), they practiced their righteousness before others in order to be noticed (v. 5); they love honorable positions at parties and banquets (v. 6), and they love “titles,” such as “Rabbi,” “Teacher,” and “Father.”

So this is what Jesus is saying. “These teaches of the law are NOT your source of spiritual life. They did not begat you spiritually. You are not the product of them or of any of their efforts. You are not their offspring, therefore, don’t refer to them as “your father” in the sense that it shows you came from them or that they are your spiritual source. They are not. If such men were your spiritual source and you are their spiritual children, then you would be like them. Is that what you want? A child ends up like his or her father to some degree. Do you want to be like the Pharisees? I just told you not to do what they practice. So don’t call them father because you are not anything like them. As a child of God (the one who actually begot you), you are His offspring. Call God your father. He is the true source of your spiritual life.”

Second, because the Pharisees were so into themselves and had all kinds of pride issues, Jesus is warning His disciples not to help them out by giving them more reasons to feed their pride. If you call them “father” to indicate that you are dependent on them and that they are your source of spiritual life and growth, you will only feed the monster inside of them. Stop it! These people are already filled with pride, don’t give them more reasons to hang onto it.

Therefore, if you call the person who brought you into this world as “your father,” that’s okay, nothing wrong with that. He is the source of how you got here physically. If you call a person on earth “your pastor,” that’s okay, he is the source God is using to help you to grow in spiritual matters. If you call someone who brought you to Jesus “your father,” that is fine too, because God used that person to lead you to Christ, and thus, he with God’s help “begat” you into the kingdom.

Paul referred to Timothy as his “true child in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2). Why? Because Timothy was saved under Paul’s ministry. God used Paul to spiritually “begot” Timothy, therefore, Timothy was Paul’s son or child, not in a biological sense, but IN THE FAITH. It wouldn’t be wrong for Timothy to affectionately refer to Paul as “my father,” in the sense that Paul was and is God’s tool for his spiritual source.

One more passage. Check out this one from 1 Corinthians 4:15-16: “15Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me.”

How this? Make sense now? Paul says, “you may have lots of tutors, but you only have one spiritual father – and that’s me. It was through the gospel that I became your father. So therefore, imitate me.”

This is what Jesus was telling His disciples. Don’t practice what the Pharisees do. Therefore, don’t call them “your father” because if you do, then you will live like them. Consider God to be your true source of life.” Then later on, God turned the disciples into spiritual fathers themselves and their children had spiritual objects whom they could imitate in the faith.