Come also unto me, O Lord, even
thy salvation according to thy word. So shall I have wherewith
to answer him that reproacheth me, for I trust in thy word. And take not the word of truth
utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in thy judgments. So shall I keep thy law continually
forever and ever. I will walk at liberty, for I
seek thy precepts. I will speak of thy testimonies
also before kings, and will not be ashamed. And I will delight
myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. My hands also will
I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved. And I will
meditate in thy statutes." Let's pray. Lord, how we love your word. It's only by your grace that
we do so. But how we love your word. How
we thank you that you've given us this book that reveals to
us who you are and how you save sinners for the glory of your
name. We thank you for all your glorious,
excellent attributes. Lord, put your fear in our hearts
for Christ's sake. Give us the grace to trust him
completely. Be with us. Cause your gospel
to be preached in the power of your spirit. Accept our thanksgiving, be with
all your people wherever they meet together. We pray for those
of our number who are sick. We pray for your healing hand
upon them according to your will. Lord, we pray for our homes.
We pray for the children. We pray that you would be pleased
to bless our homes, our marriages, our our children, that you'd
reveal yourself to them. We pray for our country and for
this world that, Lord, we're so thankful that we know your
will would be done in all things. I bless us for Christ's sake.
In his name we pray, amen. If I didn't believe the gospel, that passage of scripture we
just read would terrify me. The things he says, I'll keep
thy law continually. If I didn't have some understanding
of the gospel, that would scare me to death. As a matter of fact,
I can remember as a young man reading Psalm 119 and always
feeling somewhat troubled when I would read it because I didn't
really understand it. But oh, what a blessing it is
when you understand it. One of the many things I love
about the Psalms, especially Psalm 119, is they express what
I feel better than I can express what I feel. Let's look at verse
41. Let thy mercies come also unto
me, O Lord, even thy salvation. according to thy word. Let your mercies come to me. I can't come to them. I need
them to come to me. Now this word mercies, it is
the Hebrew word hesed. It is mentioned seven times in
this 119th Psalm and I believe the best way that we could Define
this word, when he says, let thy mercies come to me, is I
think of Psalm 51, verse one. Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to thy loving kindness. That's the same word. Now, David
composed this psalm After Nathan had come and confronted him with
the fact that he'd committed murder, he'd committed adultery, he implicated other people in
his crime, you remember how he had Joab, He used Joab to kill
this man. And Joab had to obey him, and
Joab never looked at him the same after that. He tried to
cover it up. I mean, Nathan comes to him and
says, thou art the man. And David cried out, I've sinned
against the Lord. And Nathan said, the Lord hath
put away your sin. And he went and composed Psalm
51. Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to thy loving kindness. That's the word, not according
to how sorry I am. I am sorry, but he wasn't asking
the Lord to have mercy upon him according to how sorry he was
or how he promised to make up for it. His only appeal was who
the Lord is, his merciful, loving kindness. Now he says, let thy
mercies come also unto me, O Lord. Let them come to me, I can't
get to them, let them come to me. Now, I come to Christ, I
myself do it. If you're a believer, you do
it. We do come to the Lord Jesus Christ. You know why? Because
he first came to us. And if he didn't first come to
you, you will not come to him. But thank God he does come. Let thy mercies, let thy son
come to me, O Lord. Even, look at the word, thy salvation. That's all I'm interested in.
His salvation, not man's salvation, not man's thoughts of salvation,
thy salvation, which is according to thy word. That's what I call it. This is
the salvation I want. And you too. Thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. That's the salvation I want and
need, to be saved from my sins. And he says, let thy salvation
come to me, O Lord, even thy salvation according to thy word.
I want the true salvation that's according to his word, not man's
thoughts or my thoughts, but according to his word. Verse 42, so if your mercies
come to me, your salvation that's according to your word, so shall
I have wherewith to answer him that reproaches me. For I trust
in that word. The only way I can answer those
who Reproach me is by giving the scriptural answer. You bring any reproach against
me? Well, you can come up with plenty. My sin? My sin? Well, how do I answer anyone
that reproaches me with regard to my sin? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who is he that can condemn? Any
reproach you bring, who is he that can condemn? It's Christ
that died. Yea, rather is risen. who is
even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us right now. Now that's how I answer anyone
who reproaches me. I don't have anything else to
answer. But that's sufficient, isn't it? Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? I love there in Revelation chapter
12, verse 11, where the devil is called the accuser of the
brethren. And any accusation he could level
against any of us would be true. He wouldn't have to exaggerate
anything. If he brought something up about what was going on in
your heart and in your mind and in your conduct, well, how is he answered? They
overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. There is our answer
to those who reproach us, for I trust in thy word. I trust
what he says in his word. Oh, I love his word. I do. I love his word. All my salvation
is found in what this book tells me, and I believe it by the grace
of God. You know, If somebody doesn't
see that the Bible is the word of God, it's because they're
dead in sins. It's that simple. If you're dead,
I don't see that. I know you don't, you're dead.
If you have spiritual life, you find his word, words of spirit
and words of life. And look what he says in verse
43. And take not the word of truth
utterly out of my mouth. Now why does he say that? Take
not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth. Because David
was very aware, as every believer is very aware, of the contradictions
that raged in his heart. And he felt like it would be
just for God to take his word out of his mouth and just take
it away. He felt that in himself, but what is his plea? Take not
thy word utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in thy judgments. Now the judgments he's talking
about is the judgment of the cross. That's what I'm hoping in. I'm
hoping that when Jesus Christ died, he completely satisfied
all the demands of the law for me, all the demands of the law
against me. He put them away. I now have
perfect righteousness. This is the judgments of the
cross. I. Have hoped here's my here's
my hope that when Jesus Christ said it is finished. My salvation
was accomplished. I have hoped in thy judgments. I have hoped in the judgments
of the cross. Look what he says in verse 44.
So shall I keep thy law continually forever and ever. Now, I don't
know of a better definition of justification than that. Now, if I didn't understand the
gospel and I would read David saying this, I would be horrified
with regard to myself. I can't say that I've kept the
law forever, continually. In Christ, I have. It's what
the Bible calls justification. It's a state of sinlessness before
God. You've kept God's law continually. What boldness we have to stand
before God in judgment because we've kept the law continually,
nonstop, perfectly. That's the believer standing
before God. Perfection. Perfection. Thank God for the gospel. I've
kept the law continually forever and ever. That is the true description
of the life of every believer. You know, it freaks me out when
people talk about a believer being judged for his sins and,
you know, one will get a higher reward and one will get a lower,
you know, maybe down in the basement. That's so ridiculous. That's
so dishonoring to the work of Christ on the cross. He says in verse 45, and I will
walk at liberty. For I seek thy precepts. I will walk at liberty. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Christ hath made us free. If the Son shall make you free,
you're free indeed. Now, when I think of freedom,
there's two things I think of. Number one, being debt free,
and number two, getting to do what I want to do. Not what I
have to do, but what I want to do. Debt-free. You know, when Lynn and I were
younger, we would always get those credit cards with 0% interest
for so long, and you'd get it up, and then you'd have to go
to another credit card. It was 0% interest. And I can
remember just the stress of owing a credit card. Just stress. But what a blessing to be debt-free. Or what about debt-free before
God's law? You stand before God's law. You
don't owe anything. You're perfect before that law. You don't owe any debts. You
don't have to worry about anything. And you get to do what you want
to do. You know, I love this statement. I know it can be abused
and it needs to be said in the right context, but I love this
statement. Trust Christ and do what you
want to. Here's why I love this statement. Remember when He said
to Bartimaeus, go thy way. You're free, go your way. What
did Bartimaeus do? He followed Jesus in the way.
That was his want to. You know what my want to is?
You know what true freedom to me is? Being perfectly conformed
to the image of Jesus Christ. Sin's bondage. Doing what I want
to do is being just like him. Oh, what freedom there is there. He said, I will walk at liberty
for I seek thy precepts, thy word. Verse 46. I will speak of thy testimonies
also before kings and will not be ashamed. What are his testimonies? Turn with me to 2 Timothy chapter
one. I'm going to speak before kings
of his testimonies, and I'm not going to be ashamed of it. I'm
proud of the gospel. I'm not proud of myself, but the gospel
I believe, I'm proud of that gospel. It's worthy of God. It
glorifies God. Second Timothy chapter one. Verse six, wherefore I put thee
in remembrance that thou stir up. The gift of God, which is
in thee by the putting on of my hands for God has not given
us the spirit of fear. That's cowardice, but of power
and of love and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord. Now, remember he said, I'll speak
that testimony before Kings. Here it is. This is what God
the Holy Spirit especially gives us as the testimony of the Lord
that Paul says to Timothy, don't you be ashamed of this testimony.
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.
Now, he said that to Timothy because
Timothy had what all of us have. It's called the fear of man.
Somebody says, I don't fear man. Yeah, you do. Yeah, you do. You
shouldn't. The fear of man's a snare. It's
wicked. It's unbelieving. But I know
Timothy had some problems with this. That's why Paul said this
to him. Be not thou therefore ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be
thou a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God who hath saved us. Here's his testimony. Here's
the testimony of the Lord, God saved us and called us with an
holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his
own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus. before the world began, but is
now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ,
who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel, whereunto I am appointed a preacher
and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles, for the which
cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed.
That's what David said too. For I know whom I have believed
and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed
to him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words. Now that's the form of sound
words. That's the testimony of our Lord. You want me to give
you my personal testimony? He saved me. And he called me, not according
to my works, but according to his own purpose and grace which
was given me in Christ Jesus before the world began. I know whom I have believed.
I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed
to him, the entire salvation of my soul. against that day. Now that's same testimony of
David. Back to our text in Psalm 119.
I will speak of thy testimonies before kings and will not be
ashamed. And I will delight myself in
thy commandments, which I've loved. I couldn't help but think
of what Paul said. I delight in the law of God after
the inner man. I do too, Paul. I do too. I delight
in the law of God. Everything God says, I delight
in. It's perfect. And then he says
in verse 48, my hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments,
which I have loved, and I will meditate in thy statutes. My hands will I lift up. Paul said in 1 Timothy 2.8, lifting
up holy hands without wrath and without doubting. What did Abraham
say to the king of Sodom? I've lift up my hand to the Lord.
I'm not going to take a shoestring from you, unless you say I made
Abraham rich. I lift up my hands to the Lord.
Now, you've seen people, you've seen that a lot. I lift up my soul to the Lord.
I lift up my heart to the Lord. If this is to be done literally,
it's to be done in private. If it is to be done literally,
I'm not going to say I don't know what somebody's motive is,
but I know this. If I lifted up my hands to show
everybody how I'm not going to try to judge somebody else for
it. I do, but I do, but I, but I'm trying not to, I'm just talking
about myself. If I'm, if I'm doing this, closing my eyes,
I'm showing you how I'm so open to the Lord and I'm so I'm so
in tune and I'm so connected. I know I do that. I know I do that. I wish it wasn't
like that. But you lift up your heart. I
think this is figurative language. When Abraham said, I lift up
my hand to the Lord, the possessor of heaven and earth, I don't
think he's saying I'm totally dependent on him. I'm not looking
to you for a thing. Not a thing. So he says, my hands also will
I lift up unto thy commandments. And doesn't don't you lift up
your hands and your heart and your soul to his commandments
of the gospel? They're glorious. To believe
the gospel, to love his people as he gave his commandment. Oh,
they're glorious. And we lift up our heart, our
soul, our whatever. But like I said, this thing of
lifting up the hands, if you do it, do it in private. And
I couldn't help but think of the, I bet you don't do it. I'm not even going to. What about
the public and temple? He wouldn't so much as lift up
his eyes unto heaven. But he smote upon his breast. That's what he did with his hand.
He smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, thee,
sinner. My hands also will I lift up
unto thy commandments, which I've loved. And I will meditate,
I will meditate in thy statutes, in thy word. And that word statutes
carries with it the idea of decrees. As a matter of fact, sometimes
it's translated decrees. I don't know of anything that
makes me I couldn't say, well, I hope
Christ is what makes me happiest, Christ himself. But I don't know
of anything that makes me much happier than to think of the
decrees of my God. Everything that takes place,
takes place according to his decree. And whatever he does is good,
shall not the judge of the earth do right. And even the things
that I can't see that are good, that seem so wretched and sad,
God always brings good out of evil. And the first glorious
proof of that is the cross, the most evil thing to ever take
place when the Son of God was nailed to a cross. what good the glorious Lord brings
from that. So I will meditate in thy decrees,
thy statutes. We love God's word, don't we?
Amen.