Would you turn to Psalm 19 and
hold your finger there and turn back to Romans Chapter 10. I have entitled this message,
God's Two Books. In verse 16 of Romans Chapter
10, Paul tells us that not everybody
who hears believes the report. He says in verse 16, but they
have not all obeyed the gospel. Everybody who hears it, they've
not all obeyed. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath
believed our report? It doesn't seem like anybody
does. So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word
of God. But I say, have they not heard?
Yes, verily, their sound went unto all the earth and their
words unto the end of the world. Now, is anybody in a position
where they have never had the opportunity to hear? Paul says,
no. Everybody has heard. Now, how
can that be? How can it be that everybody's
heard when some people have clearly never heard the gospel, never
heard the Bible? A lot of folks, most of the world's
population has never even seen a Bible. So how is it that everybody's
heard? Well, he answers that question
in Psalm 19. Would you turn with me to Psalm 19? And this is what we're going
to consider this morning. Maybe you've noticed I preached
the message out of Isaiah 52 on one verse in Romans 10, and
I preached the message out of Isaiah 53 from one quote from
Isaiah 53 in Romans 10, and now he quotes this first verse of
Psalm 19, and I'd like to bring an entire message on this psalm,
God's two books. Verse one. The heavens declare the glory
of God. And the firmament showeth forth
his handiwork. Now the heavens, the stars, the
sun, the moon, when we look up into the sky, they've got a message. They declare the glory of God. And everybody can see this. Everybody. You know, during the
French Revolution in the 1700s, one of the designs of the French
Revolution was to put down religion. They thought it was a detriment.
Let's get rid of all religion. And one of the revolutionaries
told a poor French peasant, we're going to tear down all houses
of worship and rid your mind of any memory of God. And the
peasant replied, you can't tear down the stars. They're a constant
reminder the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament,
the vast expanse, shows his handiwork." Now what that means is creation
cries, God is. Turn with me to Romans chapter
1 for a moment. Hold your finger there in Psalm
19. We'll be going right back, but look at this verse in Romans
chapter 1, verse 20. For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, the earth, the sun, the stars. And here's what is clearly seen.
by creation, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they
are without excuse. Now, there is no such thing as
an atheist. Not really. Now, I know a lot
of people claim to be atheists, and you can put down the truth
to where you no longer believe, and you really believe, but everybody
is born with this intuitive knowledge, just by beholding creation, God. is. You look at creation and
you know that somebody very powerful, very wise, and very good made
all of this. You believe that, don't you?
Nothing else makes sense. Creation speaks loudly. The heavens declare the glory
of God, the firmament, the vast expanse, shows forth His praise."
Look what it says in verse 2. Day unto day uttereth speech,
and night unto night soweth knowledge. Every day we look at the sun
go across the sky. Every night we see the stars,
the vast universe. Some say the ever-expanding universe.
Who knows? But all it says is God is. There's no one who is immune
from this knowledge. Look in verse three. There is
no speech nor language where their voice, the voice of creation,
God's first book, is not heard. There's no place, there's no
people where this is not heard. I love thinking about this. North
America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Arctic,
the Antarctic, from Papua New Guinea to New York City, everybody
has heard this message. The message of creation says
God is. Somebody made all this, and this
one must be all powerful to do this. Creation says God is. The heavens declare the glory
of God, don't they? Verse four. Their line He's gone out throughout
all the earth in their words, the words of creation to the
end of the world. This is why Paul said they're
without excuse. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices
as a strong man to run his race. His going forth is from the end
of the heaven and his circuit into the ends of it. And there's
nothing hid from the heat thereof. People see the sun and you have
to conclude God is. Now somebody says, is there someone
that's truly intellectually not an atheist? No, I believe there
are people who intellectually believe there is no God, but
there was a time when they didn't. There was a time when they didn't.
There was a time when they believed God. Now, you can suppress the
truth. Rothbard preached a message entitled,
When the Lights Go Out on the Road to Hell. You can suppress
the truth and keep it down, but everybody is born intuitively
with this knowledge that God is. Now, someone thinks, somebody
that's never heard the gospel, Would God punish someone like
that when they've never heard the gospel, someone who's innocent
and never had the opportunity to hear? Well, if you could find
me such a man that's innocent, I'd believe that. But there's
no such thing, is there? And everybody through the light
of creation is left without excuse. But here's the fact of the matter.
No one has lived up to the light they've had, have they? Have
you ever lived up to the life God gave you? Nobody has. Go back to Romans 1 for a moment. Romans 1 verse 18. For the wrath of God And I want us to remember, when
we speak of the wrath of God, we're not talking about some
red-faced, angry man with a beard getting ready to smash somebody.
That's what people generally think of when they think of the
wrath of God, and that's the way preachers present it. This is
His justice. God is just. The wrath of God
is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men who hold or suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because
that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God
hath showed it unto them. You know, there's things that
may be known by creation that if men would live up to the light
they had, God would give them more light. But nobody has. Let's
go on reading. Verse 24, the invisible things
of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power
and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Creation says
God is, and we ought to seek Him. God's very powerful. We
ought to seek Him. God is good. You can see that
from His creation. We ought to seek Him. That's
what creation says. This is what God's book says.
Verse 21, because that when they knew God, they glorified him
not as God. They didn't live up to the light they had. Neither
were they thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools. And here he's talking about the
Greek philosophers. That's who he's talking about. He's talking
about Plato. Aristotle and Socrates and all those fellows we studied
in school. They were the Greek philosophers,
the wise of this world. Professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible
God into an image made like unto corruptible man and to birds
and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore, God also gave
them up to uncleanness. through the lusts of their own
hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who
changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served
the creature rather than, or more than, the Creator, who is
blessed forever." Now, men didn't live up to the life they had.
For this cause, God gave them up unto vile affections. For
even their women did change the natural use into that which is
against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural
use of the women, burned in their lusts one toward another, men
with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in
themselves that recompense of their error which was meat. And
even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
what like they had, they said, we don't like this. God gave
them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are
not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate,
deceit, malignity, whispers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection,
Implacable, unmerciful, who knowing the judgment of God, that they
which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do
the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Now this is
what men have done with the light God has given them. And look
at chapter two, verse one. Would you agree that these people
that I just described reading verses 28 through 32 are a wicked
bunch of people? Nobody here would disagree with
that. These are an evil bunch of people. Look what Paul says
in verse one of chapter two. Therefore, thou art inexcusable,
O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. Do you judge these people
as bad people? For wherein thou judgest another,
you condemn yourself, for you that judgest do the same things."
Everything I just mentioned, Paul said, me and you are guilty
of. So much for the light of creation. You see, God's creation is a
beautiful book and it renders every man without excuse, but
no one has ever been saved by reading this book, this book
of creation. This book tells us a lot about
the character of God. You can look at the creation
and you can conclude God must be very powerful. to create something
from nothing. I mean, everything had to come
from somewhere. That's just, everybody's born
with that knowledge intuitively. And God brought this into existence. What power this being must have. What wisdom this being must have. What goodness this being must
have. But you know, the book of creation
doesn't tell us anything about his justice. It doesn't tell
us whether there's such a thing as sin and wrongdoing. It doesn't
tell us whether or not God will punish sin or whether God will
forgive sin. This book of creation tells us
something about the character of God, but actually very little. I'm thankful for what it shows
us, but does creation tell us whether God will accept a sinner
Does creation tell us whether God will actually be in his justice,
just, and yet justify someone who is as guilty as Paul described
in Romans chapter 1? Does creation tell us anything
like that? The answer is no. Creation does not tell us. how
God saves sinners, if God will forgive sin, if God will punish
the sinner. Creation doesn't tell us any
of those things. But there's another book. And
in verses seven through nine, we have a six-fold description
of the book of God in Psalm 19. God has written another book,
and it's the book we call the Holy Bible. Now that book in
your hand, is written by God. Isn't that glorious to think
of? That book in your hand has been
written by God. I know He used men. He used their
different personalities. He used their different outlooks. but still he inspired every word. Second Timothy chapter 3 verse
16 says all scripture is given by inspiration of God. Literally God breathed and is
profitable for doctrine. for rebuke, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Hold your finger
in Psalm 19 and turn to 2 Peter chapter 1. Peter is speaking of his experience
on the man of transfiguration. when the Lord was transfigured
before him. Can you imagine being there and
seeing that? I mean, the scripture said when they saw him, his face
literally shined like the sun, above the sun. And his clothing
became white and glistering. His deity burst through his humanity,
and they saw this. You want to talk, like I said
before, you want to talk about a mountaintop experience. They
had it this time. Now let's read verse 16. 2 Peter
chapter 1. For we have not followed cunningly
devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were high witnesses of his
majesty. We saw this with our own eyes.
For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when
there came such a voice to him from that excellent glory. This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice
which came from him We heard, we experienced this when we were
with him in the Holy Mount. We have also a more sure word
of prophecy. Peter tells us the scriptures
are more sure than that experience. Now, every one of us would have
liked to have been on the Mount of Transfiguration, wouldn't
we? Wouldn't you like to be there? I would have. You know, when
I see the three disciples, Peter, James, and John, brought there,
and the other nine disciples left out, I think, well, I would
have felt left out. I'd want to have been one of those three.
Peter says, this is better. This is more sure. Verse 19,
we have also a more sure word of prophecy, wherein do you do
well that you take heed as into a light that shineth in a dark
place into the day dawn and the day star rise in your hearts,
knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
interpretation. How many times have you heard
somebody say, well, that's your interpretation? It's not of some
man's interpretation. For the prophecy, verse 21, came
not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Now, this is the word
we're talking about. God's holy word, the written
word, the scripture. Now, the Bible is the very word
of God, our only rule of faith and practice. You believe that? It's our only rule. The Bible
is the book of God's precepts. It tells us what's right and
wrong. And one of the examples I thought, just as an example
of this, you think of marriage. Marriage was instituted by God.
That's why it's so beautiful and glorious. Somebody says,
why can't people just live like animals? Because marriage was
made by God. That's why. The family unit was
ordained by God. The Bible is the only book that
tells us where our hope is. There's no hope apart from what
is contained in this book. Now, I want us to read verses
7 through 9 and then we'll consider this description. Verse 7 of
Psalm 19. The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is
sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are
right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is
pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are
true and righteous altogether." Now this is David's description
of the Word of God. Now, we love this first book.
We love the book of creation. We love the... Don't you love
God's beautiful creation? I do, and I love what it tells
me about God, but it doesn't tell me enough. But this book,
he's left us the scriptures in this six-fold description. Oh,
It tells me what I need to hear. Now, first he says, the law in
verse seven, the law of the Lord is perfect and complete and entire
wanting nothing. The law of the Lord is perfect
converting the soul. And my marginal reading says
the doctrine of the Lord, the doctrine of the Lord. It's not
just talking about the 10 commandments. It's talking about everything
God says. The law of the Lord is perfect. converting the soul. The doctrine
of the Lord is perfect. Converting the soul. Turn with me for a moment to
Deuteronomy 32. Deuteronomy chapter 32. I love
Moses' description. In verse 1, he says, Give ear,
O ye heavens, and I will speak, and hear, O earth, the words
of my mouth. This is God speaking, my doctrine. Now, anytime you read in the
scripture of doctrines, plural, it's always with regard to false
doctrine. But every time you hear the word
doctrine, it's the doctrine of God. My doctrine shall drop as the
rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain
upon the tender herb, as the showers upon the grass. I love
the picture of what his doctrine does, dropping down upon the
earth from heaven. Because I will publish the name
of the Lord, ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the rock
and his work is perfect. For all His ways are judgment,
a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is He." Now, the
word of the Lord here refers to everything He has written. It tells who He is, who we are,
and how He saves. In the New Testament, it's called
the doctrine of Christ. Turn with me for a moment to
2 John. Almost at the very end of the New Testament, 2 John. Verse 7, for many deceivers, take seriously
what he's saying, many deceivers are entered into the world who
confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is
a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that we lose
not those things which we've wrought, but that we've received
a full reward, whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ. Hath not God, he that abideth
in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the
Son. If there come any unto you and
bring not this doctrine, this doctrine of Christ, receive him
not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed, for he that
biddeth him Godspeed is a partaker of his evil deeds. Now, what
is the doctrine of Christ? It's to, look in verse seven,
for many deceivers are entered into the world, and here's what
they don't confess. They don't confess that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh. I love the simplicity and the
completeness of that statement. Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. Do you know that's everything
we believe? He was before he came in the
flesh. He is the eternal God. And God came in the flesh. God was manifest in the flesh. And in the flesh, He did what
He came to do. Thou shalt call His name Jesus,
for He shall save His people from their sins. That's everything
we believe, isn't it? was manifest in the flesh. Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh. He, the eternal Son of God. Now
this is everything God's Word says. This is the Word of God.
And you know what it does? This converts or turns the soul. I think of that passage of scripture
in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, where Paul said, you turn to
God from idols. to serve the living and the true
God, and to wait for His Son, Jesus Christ, from heaven. Now notice the order. He didn't
say, you turn from your idols to God. He said, you turn to
God from your idols. You can write this down. If you're
trying to turn from your idols, you'll never get turned. If that's
what you're trying to do, I need to turn from this idol, I need
to turn from that idol, no doubt you should, but if that's what
you're about, I'm trying to turn from my idols, you're gonna stay
right there. You turn to God, you'll turn
from your idols. It's not turning from your idols
to God, it's turning to God from your idols. You can try to turn
from your idols all you want and you'll stay right there with
them, but you turn to God and you'll turn from your idols.
You see, the doctrine of the Lord, the law of the Lord, the
word of the Lord is perfect. It's perfect. It's complete.
It tells me who God is. It tells me who I am. It tells
me how He saves by His grace, how He delights in mercy. It
tells me who He is, and I turn to Him. And in turning to Him,
I turn from my idols. The law of the Lord is perfect
converting the soul. Jeremiah said, Turn thou me,
and I shall be turned. The psalmist said, Turn us again,
O Lord God of hosts, and we'll be saved. Can you ask the Lord
to turn you? You can try to turn from your
idols all you want, and you'll stay right there. Oh, Lord, turn
me to yourself. Turn me to yourself. You turn
me. Like Jeremiah said, You turn me, and I'll be turned. And next
he says in verse 7, the testimony of the Lord. Now, the Bible is
God's testimony. You know, there's something powerful
about a testimony, isn't there? The testimony of the Lord. And we don't have to guess as
to what specifically that testimony is. Hold your finger there and
turn to 2 Timothy chapter 1. The testimony of the Lord is
sure, making wise the simple, the easily seduced. Now, here's
the testimony of the Lord. Now, I know the whole Bible is
his testimony, but here we're given a summary of the testimony
of the Lord in 2 Timothy 1. Paul says to Timothy, verse 8
of 2 Timothy 1. Now, are you a simple, easily
seduced person that wants to be made wise? Here's true wisdom. Here's the
testimony of the Lord. He says in verse eight, 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
and called us. And before I go on reading, the
order here is so important. He saved us and he called us. It doesn't say he called us and
then he saved us. It says he saved us and he called
us. You know what that tells me?
That tells me that salvation is what he did. It doesn't have
anything to do with what I've experienced. No, he saved us,
and then he called us. You see, I was saved by God before
He ever called me. Now, in my experience, I didn't
know that. I didn't enter into it. I thought I was lost as a
goose. I didn't know anything about
that. But this scripture says He saved us and He called us. And this is good news because
that tells me salvation doesn't have anything to do with my works.
He saved me. Oh, thank God He saved me. And
then He called me. That's the order the Bible gives.
He saved me and he called me. Now, in my experience, he called
me and I found out he saved me. In my experience, the first thing
I heard was his calling. I didn't know he saved me. No,
I heard the call of the gospel. But in God's order, He saved
me. Let's go on reading. He saved
us and He called us with a holy calling. This is God's testimony.
Not according to our works, but according to His own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began. Is that good news? Everything I have was given me
in Christ Jesus before the world began. My works didn't have anything
to do with it. He was given to me before I was
even born. Verse 10. But is now made manifest
by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ. Now here's my salvation. His appearing. Now hath He appeared
once in the end of the world to put away Now, my salvation
is found in his appearing. And here's what he did. He hath
abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel. Whereunto I'm appointed a preacher,
an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles, for the which cause
I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed,
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." Now
that is the testimony of the Lord. And you know what that
does? That makes wise the simple. This is true wisdom. This is
how God saves. Now look back in Psalm 19. Verse 8, the statutes of the
Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. Now this is the next way
he describes God's word. That word statutes is appointments
or decrees. I love the decrees of God. the appointments of God, the
foreordination of God. Everything that happens, he has
decreed. I mentioned this a few months
ago. I read that book by Stephen Hawking on a brief history of
time. He's a physicist. And he made
this statement. And this was the best thing I
got out of this book. He made this statement. He said, if God
is, free will is a delusion. I like that statement, don't
you? If God is, free will is a delusion. You see, everything
God does, he does by appointment and decree. And we find that
out in the book of God. His decrees. I love the decrees
of God. And notice what he says about
the decrees of God, the statutes. He says, the statutes of the
Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. Now, we believe in absolute
predestination, because it's who God is. He doeth according
to His will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants
of the earth, and there's none that stay His hand or say unto
Him, what doest thou? Now, here's what I want to ask
you. Does this rejoice your heart? Do you rejoice that God has decreed
everything, that He's in control of everything? Do you rejoice
in this? For the children being not yet
born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose
of God according to election might stand, not of works, but
of Him that calleth. Does that rejoice your heart?
That God's decree is that salvation might not be of works, but of
him that calleth." Oh, we love all of his decrees. They rejoice
our heart. I think of what the Lord said. At that time Jesus
rejoiced in spirit, saying, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, because You've hid these things from the wise and
prudent and revealed them unto babes, even so, Father, for so
it seemed good in Thy sight. Now, with regard to all of God's
decrees, I don't understand what He's doing, but He does. And
I rest in that. I rest in that. And you say,
well, how could it be fair? Well, listen, the only thing
I know about fair is me being sent to hell. And whatever God
does is right, and I love all his decrees. I love the fact
that he declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient
times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel
shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Now that's right. It's because it's God. It's God
being God. And this rejoices the heart of
the believer. And then he says in verse 8,
the commandments of the Lord. is pure, enlightening the eyes. Now, the commandments of the
Lord is pure. Oh, the purity of God's commandments. I love
the purity of the Ten Commandments, don't you? I love the Ten Commandments. They enlighten my eyes. You know,
every time I think about the Ten Commandments, they enlighten
me to how sinful I really am. I mean, I might forget. All you
got to do, under the power of the Holy Spirit, I realize, but
is think of the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt have no other gods
before me. Have you done on that one? The commandment against
idolatry. Have you made any idols? The
commandment regarding a reverence for his holy name. Have you had
the proper reverence? What about the commandment of
the Sabbath? Have you rested and done no works at all? What
about the commandment regarding honoring your parents and all
God given authority? What about the commandment regarding
murdering, and sexual sin, and lying, and stealing, and covetousness? You know, every one of those
Ten Commandments, I've not kept one of them once. It enlightens
my eyes, the commandments of the Lord. But oh, don't you love
the commandments of the gospel? The commandments that are described
in 1 John 3.23. This is His commandment that
we believe on the name of His Son and love one another as He
gave His commandment. Oh, the light that comes. This
is the commandment to believe on the name of His Son, to really
believe, to really rely upon the name of His Son as all that's
needed to bring me into glory. Not my personal obedience, but
His. Does that enlighten your eyes? Oh, what a blessed commandment
to love one another as he gave his commandment. What a blessed
commandment that is. That enlightens the eyes concerning
the true character of God, how he saves. Oh, we love the commandments
of God. And then he says in verse nine,
the fear of the Lord is clean. I love that description, don't
you? The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. Now this book teaches us the
fear of the Lord. And the fear of the Lord is what
makes us afraid of sin. The fear of the Lord is what
makes us scared to death to look anywhere but Christ. We're afraid to rely on ourself
in any way, aren't we? That's the true fear of the Lord. I'm
afraid of sin because I'm afraid of the Lord. And I'm afraid to
look anywhere but Christ only as all my acceptance before God.
You know, that's the only thing that's clean. The fear of the
Lord is clean and it endures forever because it's the work
of God in the soul. The fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever. And the judgments, he says in
verse 9, the judgments of the Lord, the verdicts is the word,
the verdicts of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether. Now, do you find God's judgments,
his verdicts, when he He said to Adam, in the day you eat thereof,
you'll surely die. Is that true and righteous altogether?
And our condemnation in Adam, when he fell, we fell, that's
true. And it's righteous altogether.
His judgment against men and sending them to hell. When God
condemns somebody, it's true and it's righteous all together.
But my friends, when He saves somebody, it's true and righteous
all together. When He put my sin away, it magnified
His justice. When I'm brought into glory,
justified by what He did, it's true and righteous all together.
The judgments of the Lord, they're true and righteous all together. Now that's the Word of God, verse
11. Let's end up reading these last verses. Moreover, by then,
the words of this book, thy servant is warned. Well, I need warning
constantly, don't you? By them thy servant is warded,
and in keeping of them there is great reward, the salvation
of our souls. And here's his response to thinking
of, when you think of the word of God and the vastness and the
greatness and the glory of it, he says in verse 10, more to
be desired are they than gold. What's in the Bible is more desired
than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey
and the honeycomb. These words are sweet, they're
glorious. Moreover, by them thy servant
is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Now, in
light of the Word of God, who can understand his errors? In light of the broadness and
glory of God's Word, who even understands how bad they really
are? Do you? Who can understand his errors?
And then he says, Cleanse thou me from secret faults, from secret
sins, that I don't even know about, or secret sins that nobody
else knows about but you. I want to be kept from the open
scandal. Don't you tremble in fear that
you would bring dishonor to the Lord by some kind of horrible
fall that men see. I want to be kept from that.
Lord, keep me from that. But Lord, keep me from secret
sins. Keep me from my secret faults that nobody knows about
but you. Oh, don't, don't let him overcome
me. Keep, he said, in light of God's
word, who can understand his errors, claims thou me from secret
faults. Keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins. Keep
me back from sins of arrogance and pride is what he's saying.
Oh, pride goes before destruction.
and a haughty, arrogant spirit before the fall, the scripture
says. And I, Lord, keep me from that. Don't you understand why? Lord, if you don't keep me from
it, I will go in that direction. I love the part of the prayer,
lead us not into temptation. When I say that, I'm saying I'm
so weak. If I'm tempted, I know where, don't let me be tempted.
Put a hedge about me, keep me from these presumptuous sins.
Let them not have dominion over me, then shall I be upright and
I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and
the meditation of my heart. Isn't it a blessing when the
heart and the mouth are one? The words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight accepted in the
beloved, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Now, we love this first book,
the book of creation, but oh, how we love this second book,
the book of grace. Amen. Let's pray.