Once again, in Psalm 119, this is Psalm 119, verses one through eight, section three, I guess you'd be. Walking in his way is what I'd like to call this this morning. I'd like to read once again the first eight verses of Psalm 119.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity, they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. Oh, that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. I will keep thy statutes, O forsake me not utterly.

And, uh, particularly this morning that looking at some thoughts, uh, that, uh, that fits with verse, uh, three and following verse three, where it says they do iniquity, they walk in his ways.

And, uh, as we, as we stated at the, at the, the first, uh, when we first looked at this section of Psalm 119, that, uh, of the, the 10 words that describe God's revealing himself to man in the scriptures, in the written word that we have, that we can hold, that we can spend time in as we're admonished to.

And down through here, it talks about keeping his ways and his testimonies. And a couple of thoughts here, in verse two it says, that seek him with the whole heart, that keep thy precepts diligently. Have respect, it says in verse six, to thy commandments. In verse seven, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. These are all things or that take place in God's people from the hand of God, that we are admonished to spend time in his word.

And I think that that is very important. That's his word to us as far as the written word that we have. And that is the word that he uses to reveal himself to his people through preaching, through teaching, through the reading of it, and by his spirit making that word alive in his people.

And a couple of different things where it talks about walking his ways, it speaks of They or we worship God rightly, avoid injustice, go the right way, ponder God's word and be immersed in his testimonies. And I think that that's the one of the important things is being in God's word and reading that.

And as it as he brings it to mind at different times and as he reveals it to us just for the sake of studying, knowing it, it's not a bad thing, but there's If it's just for that, that's not enough. It has to be brought to life in us by God and it has to come through the new birth has to take place before that comes to life.

There are those that know a lot of scripture. the words of scripture and can quote it and can handle it in that way, but if that's all it is, it's to no avail. If that's all that a person has is the understanding in a physical way, in a mental way of that, that's not a bad thing. We would like to have a lot of neighbors that knew and walked according to what the word says, believers or not, It's not a bad thing to be upright and be the way that the scriptures speak of.

But if that is the motive and the end in itself, that's not enough. It's not an end to get somewhere. And as we'll see, it comes from the new birth. The desires to do this has to be from above. A lot of people have desire to know the scriptures, and know what it says, and that's, like I say, a good thing, but that's not salvation, and it's not redemption, and it's not all the things that the Lord has to do for his people to reconcile a people to God. These are outworkings. We're going to see there's outworkings of the new birth, and these are outworkings of the new birth. These are not in addition to.

Many times I think obeying what the word says and seeking to obey that is a way to prop up or to fill in the gaps that they don't see that the Lord has done. If he's not sufficient, it doesn't matter what you do. It's not going to get done. It's either all in him or not. And we've mentioned that many times that we are complete in him, but that. complete in him in the new birth, there's some life there. And we're going to look at several things that speak to that, that we desire his ways as in his word. And those desires are from above and from him.

So I'd like to keep those things in mind, that being in the scriptures, wherever whatever description, wherever portion of it, is always beneficial to God's people. And many times, part of that, Lord will bring some of that back, even if you don't have it mentally in mind, and you're thinking about something or pondering something, that word will come, or in a situation, he'll bring that to mind, and he does to his people. So the mere study of God's word and being in it is a good thing. It's a good thing, but the motive and the direction has to be right or it's to no avail.

Turn to the book of 1 Peter, and we're gonna look at several places that speak to things that it speaks about God's people and what it says about what things should be like. and the desires that will be there in him.

1 Peter chapter two. We're gonna be a couple of places in Peter and other places, but 1 Peter chapter two, let me get to chapter two, and I'd like to read the first five verses. of 1 Peter 2. It says, wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

And here where it talks about that in the first couple of verses, but in verse two, where it says, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. And this has to do with those that are born again that God has given life to from above, that have been born from above, the new birth, there's gonna be that desire is gonna be there. And it states it here like telling you to desire it, but it will be there. Those things will be there to one degree or another that there's a desire to be and know what the Lord has to say about that. And this, the sincere milk of the word, it'd be, all of the scripture that we have, all of the record that we have in whatever portion. We've been in some places that before looked awfully obscure as to the interest we might have for them or what ground was going to be covered. And you say to a crowd, we're going to start a study and take a look at the book of Leviticus and you're going to see a bunch of glazed over people that are just, where's this going to head? And we've seen, how much have we seen in that book as others? A lot more there than we ever would have imagined and would have thought or came across. And so it's all of God's word. It can't be just portions of it. And we tend to gravitate to places that we're familiar with, and that's not a bad thing, but it's all of God's word has equal weight as far as it being given from above and for God's purpose in his people.

So it's a desire that we have to be in his word and to know those things that he has given to us. And then in the same chapter, readings start with verse nine. It says, you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation of peculiar people that should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but have now obtained mercy.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

And up here where it speaks in verse nine, it says, It says, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. And that, as it says here, show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

And as we saw in, In 1st John, it speaks about walking in the light or claiming to walk in light. If we don't walk in the light, then it says that's not true if you claim to believe the light and don't walk in that. By walking in that, that's following whatever the scriptures lead us to do and to show us to be forth, to come forth.

And here it speaks about that we're to mortify, as it says in other places, mortify the deeds of the flesh. That's a pretty tall order. That's a pretty tall order. We can't mortify the deeds of the flesh on our own. The Lord has to put the desire in us, and he has to put the ability into us to change any of those things.

We know that on this side of heaven, The sinful nature is with us, we just have it. And Paul goes into that in some detail about the ability that we have of ourself to do things and that he is the only answer for that. in the real sense of keeping things and doing things that are needful for us, that he has done them. But it doesn't take away the responsibility that we have to desire those things and to seek those things which are above, it says, and just to strive to do those things we know to do that the Lord has shown us.

Back up to 1 Peter 1. And it says, just a few verses I'm gonna pick out of here and read through the rest of this at your leisure, but verse 18. It says, for as much as you know that you are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers.

And then 22. seeing you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently." And then the rest of this chapter. It says, 23, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof fadeth away. But the word of the Lord endureth forever, and this is the word by which the gospel is preached unto you. and the word of the Lord as those other 10 words that we looked at before, his faithfulness, his testimonies, his statues, covenant, truth, and faithfulness, all those things speaking to the word as here it speaks about the word in capital W and in little w, the Lord himself, and then the word that we have, and that's by, it says, which by the gospel is preached unto you.

And it's the gospel through the word that we have. And the gospel as we've seen, we've seen the gospel in Leviticus, we've seen the gospel according to Joshua, judges. As we move on, we see that the gospel is in all the scripture to us, and the gospel being that witness about the Lord himself and that salvation, the redemption that he procured for his people, and the keeping of it is in his hand.

But here, a couple of them, that verse 23 back here in 1 Peter 1, being born again, not of corruptible, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. And it speaks of one's born again. These desires and these way the Lord works with his word in his people, these are for This is, it says, being born again, not of the same, but born from above. And the things that we desire to do are not to, like I said, not to fulfill or to prop up or to add to what Christ has done, but because of what he has done. That's because that's the desires that God's people have in them to do these things, and that we seek to live according to what the word says. We know we don't. We have the desire to, and Paul said that that's just It's a real struggle to do that, and we can see of what we compare ourself to the word, and we see the problem there. And if the Lord hasn't taken care of that, we know it can't get taken care of.

While we're in 1 Peter chapter three, in a couple of spots in chapter three of 1 Peter, along the same thinking here, starting at verse eight, Verse 8 of chapter 3 of 1 Peter says, finally be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing, but contrary wise blessing. knowing that you are there unto called that you should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him eschew evil and do good. Let him seek peace and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

I think you hear people in thinking, what's the Lord's will in different things? We have the record of that. We have the record of that. There's a verse that says, and it's in James, that says, to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin. That speaks on the level of what the gospel says as far as redemption and salvation in the Lord. That speaks to that level. And if we're not faithful and truthful to the word in that level, or as it speaks here, it speaks about how we how we live with other believers and the world at large, that we have the record, we have the things we know to do and not to do in it. And it's of God to work in us to do those things he would have us to do. It's of his good pleasure, it says, to will and to do of his good pleasure.

And then while we're in 1 Peter chapter three, Verses 15 and 16. It says, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. And that covers a lot of ground, a good conversation in Christ. And that's not just believing the five points or whatever doctrines like those type of things, but the good conversation covers a lot of ground in that here where it says, be ready to have an answer for every man that asks of you, a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

I think there are those in religion that their hope that lies within them is that they've done pretty good this week. That is not the hope that lies within us, but that is of him and as he directs and allows us to have a good conversation or conduct in him. A desire will be by Him, the desire that our will is brought into and kept aligned with His divine will and purpose. That's going to be in our minds for prayer and for those things we ask for, for be able to walk as we should. That's going to be according to as He would have it to do, as to do.

We're gonna be in 2 Peter, but first turn to 1 John. Book of 1 John, and we were here for some while in 1 John. And two spots in 1 John. 1 John chapter three. This chapter here speaks, 1 John chapter 3, it speaks a lot of brotherly love and love to man and love to God, but these are things that we're admonished to be like and to have and desire, but only as he gives us that desire and that strength.

In verse nine, chapter three, verse nine of 1 John says, whosoever is born of God does not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God. In this, the children of God are manifest in the children of the devil. It says here, whoever is born of God does not commit sin. And that's speaking about the direction that we're going, that commit sin is, We know that we commit sin. I mean, that's just part of that nature that's in us. We know that while we're in this flesh, that's part and parcel of it. But what it's speaking about here, too, is that's not the plan, the direction that we consciously give room for that. whatever it might be, through those things. That's not something that we, like I say, schedule into our day. That's not how we live if we've been born of God.

And he says, his seed remaineth in him. And as I said, he keeps his people. He's not gonna lose his people. And it's not, sin unto spiritual death. If we are in him, we are in him. But it's not a direction of our life. And it's just, it will be in accordance to what the newborn babe, as it says, there's gonna be some desires that are there that he places within us. And then in chapter five of 1 John, It says here in 1 John chapter 5, in verse 18, it says, we know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, that the wicked one touches him not. It says, Whosoever is born of God, we're talking about the new birth, we're talking about the church, we're talking about God's people that he has delivered. It said, sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

I think this speaks to our desires. I think this speaks to what he has put the new birth in. If there's life in there, there's going to be desires. It says, keepeth himself in the wicked one, toucheth him not. We know that, like I say, we know that the problem we have is with our nature. It's not from without. It's within.

The keepeth himself here, I think, is the desires to, as we see in Peter, as we see in John, we're going to see in James, all of scripture that says, here's what the direction is, here's the way we're going, and this is the way we seek to go. He puts that in as he's the one that does the keeping. We know that we can't keep ourself. I think here it's speaking about the diligence to seek to do those things as Paul says.

As we look further through Psalm 119, There's a lot of speaking there of what we are like and what we desire. The psalmist, as God wrote that down, there are those that say that, well, the psalmist had kind of an idea of where he was going with this. I think anybody that says those type of things lose sight of who gave the word. It's not that psalmist that physically wrote it down Somehow the Lord allowed some of their personalities. We've seen different ones that have given us different parts of the scripture and penned it for us. We can see differences in them, but only as God allows that.

But it's of God's word and his determination. He didn't tell, He didn't tell the psalmist, well, make this a pretty good one and so do what you want to do it. I think God gave every word of it and every thought of it. And it's not a man's thinking, it's of his thinking. But it's something that we, as I said, that God's people need to be immersed in his word, and we never read it as much as we would intend to, but the desire is there, like I say, of these things.

Turn to 2 Peter. Turn to 2 Peter, just back a little bit. And, in 2 Peter chapter 1. We're gonna look at a couple of spots, but starting with first verse, chapter one of 2 Peter, it said, Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

And besides this giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge, temperance, and to temperance, patience, and to patience, godliness, and to godliness, broadly kindness, and to broadly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and have forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

And then at verse 10, it says, wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election, sure, for if you do these things, ye shall never fall.

But here, speaking about these, and these it says, in verse three, according as his divine power hath given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us unto glory and virtue,

We know where we stand in and who we stand in and that he has given and has done all that is required and needed for his people.

And there is, because of that, and because of that life, it says here that these things, it says, things to give diligence to, and I think these come from being in God's word, and he reveals it to us.

It's not something that we take, let's take one of these, let's take temperance, and decide, well, we're gonna be tempered this week. Well, it's like, January 1st or 2nd, when the list falls by the wayside, you know, that we've made, that's our ability to do those things.

He has to instill those things in us. And he has these, these are his attributes that he partakes and gives up to his people, gives to us.

And while we're in 2 Peter 3, Let's turn the page there. Chapter 3 of 2 Peter, starting with verse 14 to the end.

It says, wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless.

And account that this long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you.

as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable rest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things, these things before, beware, lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and forever, amen.

And I think in verse 18, where it says, grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I think that is the key to what's being said here.

And in Psalm 119, to grow into the grace and knowledge of him that he allows and causes that to take place.

In the book of Ephesians, chapter four, We have to back up just a little bit who this is written to in this section. It said, one of chapter two says, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin.

And in time past, it talks about what we were like by nature and how we walked. It said, according to the prince of power, the heir.

and that we had our conversation in times past in the different things, but now we are in him, there's a difference. There's a new man that he has given life to, and we may still walk in some of those things, but that's not the course of our life.

And in Ephesians chapter four, starting with verse 15, in reading down a ways, verse 15. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. From the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

This I say, therefore, in testifying the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart.

who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness, but ye have not so learned Christ.

If so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Wherefore, putting away lying, speaking every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another, being angry and sin not.

Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil.

Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that need it.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edify, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

That's a pretty good verse there. but that which is good to the use of edifying unto the here, that is something pretty hard to live up to.

And verse 30, I grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor, evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice.

And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

But here, speaking about what we should desire to do and what we should strive to do as God allows it.

has determined and gives us the grace and the strength to do these things.

And not looking to this for righteousness, but looking for this for, as it says, a good conversation, a good witness in our life that there is a difference, that there is life been put in there.

These are, living up and doing these things, if we had set our mind just to do them, we can't do them.

It's gotta be, he puts the desires in us and he puts the strength and the ability to do these as he desires.

But we pray that we live up to these things and live as we can because of of a good testimony of what he has done for his people.

And these things are all to be kept in mind all of scripture when we read through Psalm 119.

It's speaking of all of God's word.

When it speaks about the having respect or consideration of all of what God has said, in those many terms that are used in Psalm 119, that it doesn't mean just the words in Psalm 119, but all of God's scripture.

And as we read through that, thinking of these passages that we have seen in 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, wherever we are at in the Old Testament, all those come to bear when we when we, as it speaks in Psalm 119.

And it has a lot to do with, once again, it has a lot to do through all the way through Psalm 119 of the benefits of pondering what God's word has to say.

And that he causes us, as it said, to walk in his way.

And with that, we'll close. finish the first section here of Psalm 119.

Next time we gather, we'll move on to verses nine through 17.

Thank you for your attention and be free.