Signs of Life

Q: What does the Bible say about living a life of obedience?

The Bible emphasizes the importance of keeping God's commandments as a reflection of our love for Him. Living a life of obedience is central to the Christian faith, as expressed throughout Scripture. In Psalm 119:57-64, David declares his resolve to keep God's words and acknowledges the mercies of the Lord. This commitment aligns with Jesus' teaching that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). Obedience flows from a heart that has been transformed by grace, reflecting the desires placed within us by the Holy Spirit. We are called not just to perform acts of obedience, but to embody a life that seeks after God's statutes, demonstrating our relationship with Him.

Q: How do we know that salvation is by grace alone?

Salvation is by grace alone as it is a gift from God provided through Christ's atonement for sin. The doctrine of salvation by grace alone is rooted in the understanding of humanity's sinfulness and God's mercy. Romans 5:8 states that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, highlighting that salvation is not earned through our efforts but given freely as a gift. Ephesians 2:8-9 affirms that we are saved by grace through faith and not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. This grace is made effective through the person's belief in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law perfectly and bore the penalty for sin, allowing us to be justified freely by His grace (Romans 3:24).

Q: Why is the new birth important for Christians?

The new birth is essential as it signifies a transformative work of the Holy Spirit that enables believers to live in accordance with God's will. The concept of the new birth is crucial in understanding the Christian faith. As expressed in John 3, Jesus teaches that one must be born again to see the Kingdom of God. This new birth is a sovereign act of God, changing the believer’s nature and desires. It signifies that we have been made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5), allowing us to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). The transformation that accompanies the new birth leads to genuine faith and good works as evidence of a true relationship with Christ, reflecting the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). Without the new birth, we remain dead in our trespasses and sins, unable to fulfill God's command to live righteously.

In Psalm 119 this morning, we're going to be looking at verses 49 through 56. 49 through 56. I'm sorry, 57 through 64. Let's move along. Verses 57 through 64, and it says Cheth at the top there, or Chet, depending on your whoever wrote it down for you in there at the top of that, those eight verses. And let's start by reading these eight verses this morning. It says, verse 57, thou art my portion, O Lord.

I have said that I would keep thy words. I entreated thy favor with my whole heart. Be merciful unto me according to thy word. I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments. The bands of the wicked have robbed me, but I have not forgotten thy law. At midnight, I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of all of them that keep thy precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy. Teach me thy statutes.

And here in this David As all of God's people, church in Christ Jesus, the saints, as it speaks of here, where it starts out and says here, thou art my portion, O Lord. I have said that I would keep thy words. And if you notice down through here as we read these, there's a lot of these that either start with the word I or have the word I in them. that is David speaking of what his heart was like and what his heart strove to be like, and as God's people will, but we're gonna see that it may be another speaker there than David, and we'll see that.

This word, the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Cheth or Chet. It has a K-H or C-H sound. And it has the concept of life, grace, and transcendence, which I thought was interesting. And it's tied to the Hebrew for life, a word C-H-A-Y-I-M. It represents wall or enclosure that separates things.

And I thought that is very, very telling about what these eight verses are about and who they're about. They set the eight marks or thoughts and desires of those to whom God has given the new birth. There's thoughts here that God's people have towards his word and towards him that he has placed in them.

These are heart desires and contrasted with our abilities as described by Paul in the letter to the Romans. And I'd like to read several short passages there in the book of Romans along this line, and then we will see how that connects here with what we're looking at in Psalm 119. But in Romans chapter five to start with, And these are familiar passages, and we get great comfort from God's word. And these passages that Paul speaks of here, as recorded here, but it's chapter five of Romans, starting with verse six. It says, and it sets the stage of where we're going.

It says, for when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man would some even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And that's a, just to stop for a second here, that this is setting the stage of where we're going. and said that some would die for a righteous man, but God commended his love towards his people when they were yet sinners. And then verse nine going on, it says, much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also join God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so for death pass upon all men, for that all have sinned. Until the law, sin was in the world, but sin was not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude or the same manner as Adam's transgression, who was the figure of him that was to come.

But not as the offense, so is the free gift, for though the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded to many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift. For the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man's offense A death reigned by one, much more, they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men under justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound, but for sin did abound, grace did much more abound, that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. And I read all this to show that where we are by nature, we're managed by nature, and the one, and it says by one, by him, And we're gonna see that by his life, his death, his burial, and resurrection, that he obtained those for his people, but we're gonna see how it applies to this section of Psalm 119, in that there was one, It says, not as the offense of one that put death on all, but that the life and the sacrifice that Christ, the true Lamb of God, made was to many offenses, not just one man. All men that came after Adam had that nature, and of that, he had a people and has a people. that the offense of many that he has covered. And we've been in Isaiah chapter 53 that goes through in detail what it costs the Lord to redeem his people and what he accomplished by and how he did do that.

And then in here in chapter six of Romans, carrying on the thought here, it says, what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid, for how shall we, which are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us, as we're baptized into Jesus Christ, we're baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death, like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father. Even so, we also shall walk in newness of life. And it says here in the first verse, chapter six, verse one said, what should we say then?

Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? And there's another passage that said, can we use this for a cloak of maliciousness that we can keep sinning because we're covered? And it says, God forbid, that's not the frame of mind that this brings about. That's not the thought that this brings about that we can get more grace by sinning more.

I'm sure there are those that have interpreted it that way. but it says that we have been planted, verse five, together in the likeness of his death, we shall also in the likeness of his resurrection, in this newness of life, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. Knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once, but that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let not sin, therefore, reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lust thereof. Okay, here, as he says, if we were dead, buried, and raised again in Christ to newness of life, if there's life given from above, as we see in John chapter three, what the new birth entails, that it has to be from above, new birth, that we're not gonna serve sin.

Now, Paul says, and we're gonna read a little passage, that what we desire to do, we can't seem to do that. What we don't want to do, we seem to do that, and the answer to that is the Lord himself, and we're going to see that. But the point going through here isn't the, and in the psalm there, it isn't that we set about to do these things and that we're able to do these things, and we set about to do them with our whole heart. Not much that we can say that we've ever done with our whole heart. And we're gonna see that the only one that could say that and could do that is our Lord himself and be the one that could do that and could say those things and could accomplish those things.

And then in, turn the page. It says in chapter six that we are made free from sin and become servants to God, are fruit unto holiness, and at the end, everlasting life. And we're gonna define what that means in a minute, the life, fruit unto holiness. But in chapter seven, and this, I think believers, fully relate to what he's saying here and how we are by nature. Chapter seven of Romans, starting with verse 14.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow not. For what I would, that do I not, but what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it's good. Now then it is no more I that doeth, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For the will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not."

And up here, we have to... We have to say that verse 17 has been taken, this thought has been taken so far from what it's speaking of in religion, where it says, now, then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. And people have twisted that to the devil made me do it type of thinking. And Paul's not saying there's any other outside influences caused this. This is of our, we are by nature, by our sinful natures, and it says that, when he says there's no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me, we're gonna see what he says about the spirit working in his people. And then, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, for the will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. We find that, true to be the case as believers.

Those things we desire to do and to be and to where it says walk in the Psalms we've seen in this Psalm 119, many times those 10 words about that describe God speaking to his people and we nod our heads to those that those are true and we acknowledge those things, but we're so far from those by nature that as he says here in the end, Here, continuing on, it says, verse 20, now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

I find a law then that when I would do good, evil's present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin."

And here he's showing that that by nature what we have affinity for those things and if the Lord doesn't cause those things to come about that we desire to do and do them or not do and don't do those, we just have that in us and that's what we are by nature and here we have to go back and rely on on who he is and what he has accomplished. And as he said, in my mind and truly in God's people in their heart, they desire these things.

And Paul's not saying that every time I desire to do something good, it never turns out good or always gonna be bad. He's not saying that, but the law is there, the principle is there that we can't accomplish those things of ourself in the flesh. And the only way we stand is in him. And seeing that, Paul was moved by God to relate that we are at best weak in the flesh, but blameless in Christ.

Let us consider this. Is the scripture speaking of David or someone else when it says that? And I believe we need to see this section. In Psalm 119, as not to set forth David as being able to do those things here, that all say, I will do those things, as only he recognizes them in Christ.

But the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who could and was able to fill all that required on our behalf, is who this is speaking of and who is speaking here. The only one that could do that. Brother Hawker, I like the way he doesn't mince words with getting to what it's talking about. And he starts off in his thoughts on this, this section there, and he says, this can only be speaking of the Lord himself. David can't say these things. And as Paul says, our desires are these things, and truly David's desire would do these things. But the only one that could say these things with with absolute truth and with no caveats of any kind or the Lord himself.

And that these are his sayings and who he is that speak of the attributes of him, not the shortcomings of us. And that he was the one that it's speaking of. And Brother Hawker, he said, one of the things he said that I liked was, Once you have the key to the door, now you know what's in the rest of it. And he said, if this be, speaking of David, it's just showing forth the shallowness and the weakness and failure of ourselves. But if it's the Lord speaking here, it shows his attributes and being able to accomplish all things for his people.

We spoke earlier this morning, and if we do are in that situation, it says there's no condemnation now for those that are in Christ Jesus. And we have no condemnation, but there's some things that I think we need to look at along with this line here. In Galatians chapter 5, turn to Galatians chapter 5 and Galatians chapter five and down towards the end, starting with above here, it says in first verse of chapter five of Galatians, it's speaking about the freedom that we have in the Lord, in the Son. And we stand not in the stead of the bondwoman's son, but in the free one's son. And it says, stand fast therefore in the liberty wherein Christ hath made us free. And be not tangled again with the yoke of bondage. He's not saying here that we stand fast in Christ and the liberty and the rest of it is We don't have to pay any attention to that.

Down here in verse 22 and following, after he has quite a list of what we are like by nature, in another passage there's a list of people and things that are contrary to what the scripture saying, he says, and such were some of you. And I think that probably the real thinking of that or a expanded view of that is such were all of you in some of these categories. And so he listed these things that are not good, but in verse 22, He says, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law. And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. And here, he's, we, If indeed we stand in Him, and if indeed there has been life given, this is an if-then type of thing here. The fruit of the Spirit, if there's life, the fruit of the Spirit will be there.

And as we just mentioned, what Paul says, sometimes it's not all that visible, the outworking of that. as Paul says, those things that we seek to do. But here, these, as has been pointed out before, the fruit of the Spirit, not fruits, not many fruits, many parts to that, many words here to describe that, but all of this is part and parcel of that, of no condemnation, we have this fruit. And like I said, the flesh is a different matter. It's not always going to work out like we would desire it to be, but it is still there. The fruit is still there.

And we are to, as it says, If we live in the spirit, let us walk in the spirit. And that's the desire to do and the direction to go. It isn't one of the thought of once saved, always saved, no matter what you do type of thinking. It is not. Once saved, if there's life there, there's gonna be evidence of the life. And like I say, sometimes it's pretty poor evidence as far as outwardly goes.

But that is there nonetheless, that the fruit of the spirit is in his people. Christ is the only one, Jesus Christ is the only one who could truly be described in this part of Psalm 119. His writing of him and the desires of our heart, it reflects what he is like and what we desire to do. Turn to the book of John chapter six. John chapter six, and let's see. Let's start with verse, Let's start with verse 35, and up above they speak about the bread of life. And they said, evermore give us this bread. And verse 35 says, and Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you that you also have seen me and believe not.

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh will I no wise have cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will that sent me, that of all which He hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life, and I'll raise Him up at the last day." And speaking about the... bread that came down from heaven, and the true bread that came down from heaven. And here, where it speaks about here, may have everlasting life, raise him at the last day.

But in verse 38, I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And the will of the Father that sent him, in the Old Testament, we say someone's coming. And that someone's coming, it's telling what that is to do, what he is to do, and that is to deliver his people. We've seen in Isaiah there, beginning with chapter 40, speak comfortably to my people. The Messiah is coming, and the Messiah is coming, and where it says here, do my own will of him, that not only, and generally religion will say, well, he came, and he taught some things, and he went to the cross and died for his people, which is all true.

But that period of time when he was here, he was living out all that that we see here in Psalm 119 in this section, that his desire was to do all that was needed, all that was required. And not only did he desire to do that, but he was able to do that. That's the difference and that's the importance to God's people. He was able to do that and did do that in life, those things that he did, and he was able in that light of that, that he could be the true lamb of God, that he could be the true sacrifice, the choice one, as that we talked about before, the lamb that was the absolute only one that could provide the sacrifice.

And he was that, and in his life and his death and his resurrection and where he is at now on the throne, that God's people aren't passive and just sit back and we're saved and that's what it should be. There's gonna be action because of that. There's gonna be life because of that.

Let's see. In Proverbs chapter 20, and I'm gonna have to pick a few of here that actually we have to look at. But in Proverbs chapter 20, let me see, where did I lose it? Oh, 20 and it says here, Starting with verse seven it says, in Proverbs 20 it says, the just man walketh in his integrity, his children are blessed after him.

A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes. Verse nine, who can say I have made my heart clean? I am pure from sin. We only know one that can say that and say that he was ever in that position and did not have to become cleansed in that way and have a pure heart from sin, that was who he was.

But also up here, it says a just man walketh in his integrity, his children are blessed after him. This also speaks to all that he has done and his children are blessed in that he did that. Then the verse we just mentioned earlier, there is therefore now no condemnation who are in Christ Jesus.

That's a pretty big statement. That's a pretty comforting statement. Sometimes, you know, Hard for us to comprehend, I think, what that means and entails, but he did indeed live that way. He is perfect in all ways. In Psalm 89, turn to the book of Psalm one more time, the book of Psalm 89. $12.89. It says, so I'm going to start with the first verse and reading a few of them here.

It says, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever. With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, mercy shall be built up forever. Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. I have made a covenant with my chosen. I have sworn unto David my servant. thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations, Selah.

And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord, thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heavens can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of mighty can be likened unto the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. O Lord God of hosts, who is strong, Lord, like unto Thee, or to Thy faithfulness round about Thee.

And this here, speaking of His mercy to His people, His strength, His faithfulness, His covenant that He has sworn, those are things that part and parcel of this we're speaking about. Because of this, and if He has given us life from above, that He will make these things real and a comfort to us. And back again in Psalm 119, those eight verses of the Lord saying, These things have I done, these things will I do, and are attributes of who he is like. And those things that we see, and those things that we see in the fruit of the spirit, that our desire is like to emulate those things.

We're pretty poor at that. We're pretty poor at that. And only by God's grace and power alone that we can that we emulate any of it. And we know, like as Paul said, that that's not our ability, it's not what we look to do these things. But we're leaning that way, we're walking that way.

And as we read that, and also as James talks about that, and he brings it together, faith and works, and the works, a lot of times, brings up a bad thought or connotation to us, but we are to be about good works, and to good, there is no law against that, it says, to do good.

And Galatians chapter six, just a couple more spots about this, and if there be life, be life, and I think that that is a must. If there's life, the fruit and the evidence of life will be there. In Galatians chapter 6, let's see. Let me get in the right chapter, that works a little better. Galatians chapter six, verse nine. It says, let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them that are the household of faith. And that is what we are gonna be about and what we're gonna be like. There when we were in 1 John, it speaks about love of the brethren and it says especially the brethren. We should love all men and treat all men as we know to do, but especially the household of faith it seeks, it talks about.

And then in Ephesians chapter two, we would just love and hang on to this portion here where it speaks about we were dead and we are quickened together in Christ and by faith, by grace we're saved through faith and we hang on to that. But verse 10 says, we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. that we were without him, without Christ. And it says, verse 13, but now in Christ, you who are sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. And as it says up here, we should walk in those. And that's gonna be our desire. We don't often, I don't often fulfill the desires of my heart. but we know someone that does, and that someone that has. And it's a good, it's just something that we should always keep in mind and strive to do.

And James isn't saying, you'll read the book of James, it speaks a lot about that, but it's saying the two go together. If there's life, these things are gonna be there. If there's not life, these things, may appear to be there, but that's not life. Good works isn't life, but life will bring the good works. And it'll be true good works that God has caused to come about because the heart will be right. And I think that that is what it's speaking about. And we're gonna stop for now, but next time we're gonna look a little closer at some of the verses there in that section of Psalm 119. For now, We'll leave it at that, and we will meet again next time, Lord willing. And be free in Him.

Signs of Life

What does the Bible say about living a life of obedience?

How do we know that salvation is by grace alone?

Why is the new birth important for Christians?

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Signs of Life

What does the Bible say about living a life of obedience?

How do we know that salvation is by grace alone?

Why is the new birth important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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