Would you turn to Psalm 26? And
while you're turning there, Lynn's doing well. So I think maybe
Lord willing, she might try to come next Sunday night. So that'll
be exciting. But before I read this psalm,
this is a psalm that in the past, or when I was a young believer,
I read this psalm and questioned whether I was a believer after
reading it. And I think perhaps you'll see why as we read this
psalm together. Psalm 26. Get my speaker on. A Psalm of David Judge me, O
Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity. I have trusted also
in the Lord. Therefore, I shall not slide. Examine me, O Lord, and prove
me. Try my reins and my heart. For thy lovingkindness is before
mine eyes, and I have walked in thy truth. I've not sat with
vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. I have hated
the congregation of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. I will wash mine hands in innocency. So will I compass thine altar,
O Lord, that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and
tell of all thy wonderful works. Lord, I have loved the habitation
of thy house and the place where thine honor dwelleth. Gather
not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men in whose
hands is mischief and their right hand is full of bribes. But as
for me, I will walk in mine integrity. Redeem me and be merciful unto
me. My foot standeth in an even place. In the congregations, will I
bless the Lord. Let's pray together. Lord, how we thank you for who
you are. How we thank you for your word.
How we thank you for the salvation that's in your son. Lord, we
ask in Christ's name that you would be pleased to meet with
us and speak to us from your word. Cause us to trust and know
thy son. Teach us to believe on him. Enable
us to believe on him. Forgive us of our sins for Christ's
sake. And we pray once again for grace
to love you more and love one another more. Be with all your
people wherever they meet together. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Chris Cunningham made this statement
with regard to the preaching of the gospel. And I've always
loved this statement. I heard him say this a couple
of years ago, and I still think about it. Every message preached
ought to be entitled Christ Crucified. Every message. Now, how are we
going to entitle this message Christ Crucified? If you look
at it, just from a reading without an understanding of the gospel,
how would you entitle this psalm, Jesus Christ and Him crucified? Scott Richardson made this statement. He said, any message without
the cross is a mistake in its conception and a crime in its
execution. I like that, don't you? Now,
many people have used this psalm to talk about David's integrity
and David's uprightness. Now, I'm desirous to walk in
integrity, aren't you? I'm desirous to walk in uprightness. I really am. But that is not
what this psalm is about. This is not about David's integrity. This is talking about the integrity
of David's Lord. This is a description from the
beginning to the end of the Lord Jesus Christ. And let me give
you a hint. Look in verse six. It's through his innocency, his
righteousness, that he can compass the altar. Now, what's the altar
for? The altar for sacrifice, isn't
it? And that is what gives the saving efficacy to his work on
Calvary Street because of his beautiful, glorious, holy, righteous
life, walking in integrity. Now that's the key verse I can
say right ahead of time to this. He says, I'm going to encompass
your altar, the altar for sacrifice in my integrity. Now, if I died
for you, what good would it do you? Nothing. You know why? Because I'm a sinner
and there wouldn't be any justice involved. But if Christ dies
for you, if he takes your place on the altar of the cross, his
perfect righteous life is what gives the saving efficacy to
his death. Now, remember that as we look
at this passage of scripture, David says, judge me, O Lord,
for I have walked in mine integrity. Now, David, King David also said,
Enter not into judgment with thy servant. Remember that? For
in thy sight shall no man living be justified. He said in Psalm
130, verse two, if thou, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord,
who should stand? In Ecclesiastes 7.20, it says
there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good. and sinneth not. Romans 3 quotation
from Psalm 14 and Psalm 53. There is none righteous. No,
not one. There's none that understands.
There's none that seeketh after God. They've all gone out of
the way. They've together become unprofitable. There's none that
doeth good. No, not one. That's God's testimony. Now, the only one that I can
see that can say, judge me, oh Lord, for I've walked in my integrity,
is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now his righteousness being ours,
in light of this thing of justification, I can say it too. My integrity
has been perfect in Christ because his was. But who is speaking
primarily here? This is the Lord Jesus, isn't
it? Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity. Look what he says in verse six.
I will wash my hands in innocency. Verse 11, but as for me, I will
walk in mine integrity. Now, these are the words, this
is the description of the Lord Jesus Christ. Judge me, O Lord, for I've walked
in mine integrity. I have trusted also in the Lord.
He always trusted. He never doubted. He never was
plagued with unbelief. He trusted his Father perfectly. Therefore, I shall not slide. Examine me, O Lord. Scrutinize
me. Look me over, through and through. and prove me, test me, try my
reins, my innermost thoughts and emotions. Try my heart. Now, when the Lord tried him,
you know what the outcome was? This is my beloved son in whom
I am well pleased. Verse three, for thy loving kindness
is before mine eyes. I have walked in thy truth. Once again, a beautiful description
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, I've not set with vain
persons. Neither will I go in with dissemblers or hypocrites.
I've hated the congregation of evildoers and will not sit with
the wicked." Now, the Lord is also called the friend
of publicans and sinners. But here he speaks of really
the enemies of God when he says this. those who do not believe,
and this is a description of them. And I was thinking about
this in light of me and you. I have not sat with dissemblers.
I've not sat with hypocrites. I've not gone around unclean,
sinful people. If I talk like that, there's
a problem in there. There's a real problem. You know,
I don't ever want to give I know I've done it, but I don't want
to ever give an unbeliever the thought that I feel like I'm
superior to them or morally superior or above them. That's wrong. A lot of religious people, you
get around them and you feel uncomfortable. You feel so judged. I don't want to do that. And yet, it's also true that
it's not pleasant, it can be very unpleasant being around
unbelievers, if those are your intimate companions, it's wrong.
I remember one time, I was working at Armco Steel Mill, and I worked
there every summer when I was in school, but one summer I got
in a particular department, and I was with those guys every single
day, and I remember There was one group that were so religious,
you just couldn't stand it. You know, the way they acted,
you felt that they were judgmental. And the other group were these
just debauched, wicked, you know, just utterly, you know, you had
these two groups. And I can remember one time,
it was on a midnight turn. I was watching them all, and
everybody going at lunch and fall asleep on midnight turn.
I mean, you're not supposed to, but they did. And I remember
looking at that group of people, I thought, I'm so glad they're
asleep. This is great. And I remember thinking, a part
of hell would be spending eternity with people just like this. And
you do feel that way in the sense of people who hate God. But our
Lord is talking about this, turn to Psalm 139, and I think this
will explain this. Psalm 139. Verse 21, do not I hate them, O Lord, that
hate thee? And am not I grieved with those
that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. Who's the only one who can do
that? Those are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a
perfect hatred, it's a righteous hatred, it's a holy hatred. I count them mine enemies. And so here the Lord says, I've
not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with the dissemblers.
I have hated the congregation of evildoers and will not sit
with the wicked. I will wash mine hands in innocency. Now who's the only one who would
do that? Could you ever, with regard to anything, I'm talking
about the best thing, the best thought you've ever had, the
best motive you've ever had, could you ever wash your hands
of innocency? You know, Pilate tried it, didn't he? He said,
I'm innocent. He said, I've washed my hands.
I'm innocent of the blood of this just person. He said that,
but was he? No. No. This can only be said
of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'll wash my hands in innocency.
And then he gives us this glorious statement. It is the key to understanding
this psalm. So will I compass thine altar,
O Lord. Now what's the altar for? The sacrifice. The killing of
the sacrifice. It's in his innocent, righteous
hands. I love to think of the Lord,
he knew no sin. Think of how intimately you know
sin. I mean, it's as natural to us
as breathing. He knew no sin. In him is no sin. He said, the prince of this world
has come and he has found Nothing in me. The devil couldn't find
one single thing that he could touch. And in his innocency,
he encompasses the altar, and that is what gives saving efficacy
to his work. You see, if you committed a crime
and I said, I'll die for you, I'll take your place, I'll take
that punishment, justice would not be done, would it? Because
I'm guilty. And you're the one that committed
the crime. I couldn't do anything for you, but when he died on
Calvary's tree, it's because he was the spotless lamb of God. So when he took my sin, there
was saving efficacy because of who he is. He never sinned and
that perfect spotless righteousness of his is given to me. That's
our justification before God. When he was nailed to that cross,
it was the innocent, spotless Son of God. He became guilty.
God didn't kill him because he was innocent. God killed him
because he was guilty. And that is what took place on
the cross, and that's how he could encompass the cross. Just like that, I will wash my
hands in innocency, so will I encompass thine altar. Oh Lord, that I
may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all
thy wondrous works. Now that's the preaching of the
gospel. The wondrous works that were
involved in the cross. The fact that he died is wondrous,
isn't it? That the God-man died? How could
that be? I don't know, but he did. The
fact that he could put away sin to where it is no more, so God
can now look at me. And God sees things as they are.
God can look at me and see no sin, because there's nothing
there. Is that a wondrous work? That I can actually be the righteousness
of God? Me? I can actually be the righteousness
of God? Now that is the declaration of
His wondrous works. Somebody says, do you believe
in salvation by works? Absolutely. His works. we declare
His wondrous works. And what a blessing it is to
be enabled to declare His wondrous works. I may publish with the
voice of thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works. The
wondrous works of the cross. You think about how through the
cross, God was glorified in a way He could not have been glorified
without this. Once again, such things are high, they're too
wonderful for me. But every attribute of God was
completely glorified in the cross. All of his attributes are displayed,
his holiness, his justice, his wisdom, his power. Every attribute
of God is made known in the cross. Truly, this is his wondrous works. And this is what takes place
in the preaching of the gospel. Now look what he says in verse
8. I have loved the habitation of
thy house and the place where thine honor
dwelleth. Now, what is the house of the
Lord? His people. We are the temple of God. We
are the house of God. We are the body of Christ and
the Lord is speaking of God's temple. He's talking about dwelling
in his people and look at how he says this, I have loved the
habitation of thy house. Now David's not talking about
just being in the temple, although I'm sure he loved that, the place
where God's honor dwells. I'm sure he loved that, but this
is a reverence to Christ and his house, his habitation, Christ
in you, the hope of glory. He says, I love the habitation
of the house. How many times have you thought
Christ lives in me? With my evil heart, with my sinfulness,
Christ lives in me. Yes, he does, and he loves it.
He says, I've loved the habitation, thy house and the place where
thy honor dwelleth. Turn with me to Psalm 29, just
to cross the page. Look in verse 9. The voice of
the Lord maketh the hinds to calve and discovereth the forest
and in his temple. That's the church. That's every
believer. In his temple, does everyone
without exception speak of his glory? You know, I was trying
to, it was, it was dealing also with what we're going to deal
with this morning out of Ephesians, but I was thinking about the
glory of God. And I thought this thought, I
don't know if I've ever thought it so clearly, no unbeliever
could care less about the glory of God. They don't care. That's not important to them. That's not an issue with them.
But to every believer, oh, how, it's everything. Now, why is
it everything? Well, number one, because all
glory does go to him. But number two, if he doesn't
get all the glory, that means salvation is dependent upon me
in some way. I've got a bad motive in some
respects, a selfish motive. I want him to get all the glory,
because if he doesn't get all the glory, and if something goes
to man, that means salvation in some way is by works. I don't
like that at all. That's why I like him getting
all the glory. In his temple, does everyone
with that exception, or every believer, speak of his glory. Now back to Psalm 26. He says, gather not my soul with
sinners, nor my life with bloody men. Now this is the twofold
description given of his enemies. Number one, sinners. Number two,
bloody men. Now that bloody man has something
to do with the death of Christ. They hate me so much, they'll
put me to death. And he says, gather not my soul
with these people. Verse 10, in whose hand is mischief,
an evil motive, and their right hand is full of bribes. Now that
describes man's religion, doesn't it? It's a religion of bribes.
Everybody that is not a believer is a briber. They think I can
bribe God, I can get him to respond to me, I can give him this and
he'll do that for me. If I give him this, if I stop
doing this, if I start doing that, if I can come up with this,
that's bribing God. And that's all it is, and it
comes from a low view of God and a high view of what you've
got to offer. Well, isn't that a good description
of the natural man's religion? Bribing, bribing God, in whose
hands is mischief and the right hand is full of bribes. But as
for me, I will walk in my integrity. Now, these are the words of the
Lord Jesus. As for me, I will walk in my integrity. But look
at the rest of this verse. Redeem me and be merciful unto
me. Now if you walk in integrity,
why do you need to be redeemed? Why do you need for him to be
merciful to you? Because when he said redeem me,
he's talking about all of his people. And notice he doesn't say redeem
them, he says redeem me. This speaks of our eternal union
with the Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn't say, be merciful to
them. He says, be merciful to me. Now, you can't separate Christ
and his people at any time. There's never a time they can
be separated. And it's through his integrity
through his perfect righteousness, that he can say, redeem me and
be merciful to me. He's talking about every one
of his people. And remember this, the Lord said,
in as much as you done it to the least of these, my brethren. He didn't say, it's as if you
did it to me. He said, you did it to me. That's
how vital and real and close this union is. Remember when
he said, Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me? He didn't say, why are you persecuting
my people? He said, why are you persecuting me? That's how real,
that's how true this union is. But as for me, I'll walk in my
integrity, redeem me, and be merciful unto me. My foot standeth in an even place. A place of uprightness is what
the word means. A place of uprightness. My foot.
Now, a lot of times you'll think, well, my foot is in a slippery
place. I'm in a dangerous place. And
I understand that thought. You think, you know, David at
one time said, I'm ready to fall. I'm ready to slide. And you feel
like there are all kinds of things you can feel. But the fact of
the matter is, when Christ says my foot is in an even place,
an upright place, yours is too, because you're in him. You're
in a place that cannot be moved. Isn't that wonderful? You cannot
be moved because he cannot be moved. My foot standeth in an
even place. In the congregations will I bless
the Lord. The congregations are the churches
of the living God. In their presence, he says, I
will bless, I will eulogize, I will speak well of the Lord. Now, how important is the church
to the Lord Jesus Christ? That's a good question, isn't
it? How important is the church to the Lord Jesus Christ? Well,
I can't even express it as being the apple of his eye, his bride. He said, thou art all fair, my
love. There's no spot in me. How important
is the church to Christ? Well, it ought to have the same
importance with us. In the congregation, Will I bless
the Lord? Now, if this psalm is not about
the person of Christ, I don't understand this psalm. But it
obviously is with regard to the one who truly is the only one
who washed his hands in innocency and encompassed the altar for
sacrifice with that. Amen.