That sure was a blessing, Matt. I have entitled this message,
The Paradox. The Paradox. The paradox is a
seemingly contradictory or absurd statement, which is true, in
fact. Although it appears to be contradictory,
it's true. I asked Aubrey while we were
driving over here, I said, Aubrey, do you ever feel like a paradox? And she said, do you mean a hypocrite? I said, well, sort of, but a
paradox, a paradox. The best way I know how to introduce
this message in this 119th Psalm, the first eight verses, is by
reading Galatians chapter 5, verse 17. Paul says to the flesh, sinful, cursed human nature,
lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one
to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. That sheds a lot of light on
Psalm 119, these first eight verses. Now, these first eight
verses divide themselves into three sections. In verses one
through three, he states who the blessed man is and what a
blessed man is, what a man whom God has blessed actually is. And then in verse four, he says
we're commanded to keep his precepts diligently, earnestly. This lets us know how he abhorred
the idea of sin that grace may abound. Thou hast commanded us
to keep thy precepts diligently. And then in verses 5 through
8, he tells us what he saw in himself. And he says, oh, that
my ways were directed to keep thy statutes. Now, only a believer
can understand this psalm. As far as that goes, only a believer
can understand any portion of God's word. It's not understood
intellectually by man's intellect. It's understood spiritually,
with a spiritual nature that hears what God says. Only a spiritual
man can understand this passage of Scripture. Now, let's read
this description of the blessed man in these first three verses. David says, Blessed, O how blessed
by God are the undefiled Now that word is generally translated
perfect. Perfect. Morally blameless. Without sin. Blessed are the
undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed,
oh how blessed by God, how supremely blessed are they that keep His
testimonies, not simply that talk about them and say they
admire them, but they keep them, and that seek Him with the whole
heart. There's nothing half-hearted
about what they do. Now, listen to this. They also
do no iniquity. They do no iniquity. They walk in His ways. Are there people really like
this that fit this description? Perfect? God said to Abraham, walk before
me and be perfect. Now in order to be perfect, you
have to be perfect. God said regarding Noah, Thee
have I seen as righteous and perfect before me." Our Lord,
when He is closing the fifth chapter of the Sermon on the
Mount, He says to His disciples, Be ye perfect, as your Heavenly
Father is perfect. Blessed are the perfect in the
way. who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his
testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart. They do
no iniquity. They walk in his ways. Now, you
can understand how this could describe the life of the Lord
Jesus Christ, can't you? Would this not fit him perfectly? He is the one who was undefiled
in the way. He's the one who kept God's law
perfectly. He's the one who sought God with
the whole heart. He's the one who walked before
his father in perfection. In his life, his father looked
down upon his son and he said, I'm well pleased. However, This passage of scripture is
talking about they. Not just him. But they. This is a reference to every
single believer. This is true of every believer
there undefiled in the way. They walk in the law of the Lord. They keep his testimonies. They seek him. with the whole
heart, they also do no iniquity." They walk in His ways. Now, the only way this can be
understood is in light of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel makes this so. This is Tot Neibert being described. And what a blessed state this
is. Now, how in the world can that
be? You know, when Matt was singing that song, and he talked about
seeing him on the cross, writhing in anguish and pain, and I was
thinking about myself. I was thinking about my sins.
My sin that grieves, it grieves me. I hate being what I am. I hate it. And I thought of that
being laid upon my Lord and that being Him. He took my sins and my sorrows. He made them His very own. He bore the burden to Calvary
and suffered and died alone. And I thought of my Holy Lord
having to feel the iniquity and the hell that's in my heart.
He bore it. He became guilty. What I am, He became guilty of. That's why the Lord slew Him.
He slew him because he's guilty. And just as truly as he became
guilty of what I am, I become guilty of what he is. Isn't that
the gospel? That is the gospel. This is illustrated
in the very first opening chapters of the scripture. Turn to Genesis
chapter 1. And God said, let us make man
in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over
the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over
the cattle and over over all the earth and over every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in
his own image. In the image of God created he
him male and female created he then. Now notice it says male
and female created he then. Did you know that Eve had not
yet been created? Yet God says male and female
created. You see, when Adam was created,
Eve was created too. She was in Adam. She was a rib
in Adam. So, before she was created, when
Adam was created, she was created. So, this thing of being in Christ. Now, look in chapter 3, verse
6. And when the woman saw that the
tree was good for food, this is that woman that God created,
and that it was pleasant to the eyes and the tree to be desired,
to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat.
And what happened? What happened? Nothing. Nothing. Remember, God said to
Adam, in the day you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good
and equal, you'll surely die. Eve ate. Nothing happened. And Dave also under her husband
with her, and he did eat, and the eyes of them both were opened. When were Eve's eyes opened? When Adam ate. When did I obey the law? When
my head did. When my Lord did. When he kept
the law, I did too. So this wonderful description
of a believer, this describes every child of God. Isn't that wonderful? Blessed! Oh, how blessed by God! are the
undefiled, the perfect in the way who walk in the law of the
Lord. Blessed are they that keep His
testimonies and that seek Him with the whole heart. They also
do no iniquity. They walk in His ways. Verse 4, Thou hast commanded us to keep
thy precepts diligently, earnestly, with all the heart. And God commands
obedience. What does God expect of you?
Perfect obedience. What does God expect of you?
To not sin. He said, Be ye perfect, for I
am perfect. Be ye holy, for I am holy. Now, listen to me real carefully.
There is never an excuse for sin. Now, the reason David says
this at this time, because when you read a passage of Scripture
like this, and it says, Blessed are the undefiled in the way
that walk in the law of the Lord. And we have this beautiful description
of what a believer is. Perfect before God. Righteous
before God. There's somebody who's going
to take that. And they're going to say. That's my righteousness
before God, therefore, it does not matter how I live. I can
live like the world. I can live in disobedience. I
can live contrary to what God says is where it is worth, but
it's OK. Hey, I'm perfect in Christ. I'm here. I am. I don't need
to worry about this. Thank God for grace. Thank God
for grace. I can live as I please. Turn to Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. Now remember,
David said, thou has commanded us to keep thy commandments diligently,
earnestly, wholeheartedly, with all the heart. Now, in verse
20 of chapter 5, he said, moreover, The law entered that the offense
might abound, but where grace abounded, where sin abounded,
I know where sin abounded. I can tell you where it abounds,
right here. Where sin abounded, 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. Now,
I can't think of anything better than that. Where sin abounds,
Grace does much more about. Now, look what he says next.
What should we say then? Shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? I mean, if grace abounds, everywhere
where sin abounds, why don't we just continue in sin that
grace will continue abounding? God forbid. perish the thought of such out-and-out
wickedness. Look in verse 14, here we have
this promise in Romans chapter 6, for sin shall not have dominion
over you. I love this verse. It doesn't
say it shouldn't have dominion over you. It said it shall not
have dominion over you. This is a promise of the gospel.
Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under the
law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because
we're not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not to whom you yield
yourselves servants to obey? His servants you are to whom
you obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness."
Now, the gospel in no way, this blessed state that speaks of
what we are in Christ, undefiled, perfect, without sin, holy. law keepers. And that's because
it's being saved by his righteousness. His righteousness becomes mine
so that I'm perfect before God. That in no way makes us to where we could be
on terms of peace with sin. Now, I believe this man's never
preached the gospel until he's been accused of being an antinomian.
I'm just sure that nobody's ever... What's an antinomian? It's anti-law,
anti... You know, why you say it doesn't
matter how you live, the way you preach grace. Nobody's ever
preached a gospel who hasn't been accused of being an antinomian. But I'll tell you this, a believer
is no antinomian. Not at all. I want to be obedient. And David says, Thou has commanded
us to keep thy precepts diligently. diligently, earnestly. Now back
to our text in Psalm 119. Now, he talks about what a believer
is in those first three verses. And then he gives somewhat of
a disclaimer to the view that somebody will take this and use
it as an excuse for sin. But now he addresses himself. Psalm 119. He says in verse 5,
Oh, that my ways were directed, directed
by invincible, sovereign, irresistible grace to keep thy statutes. You know, one of the claims or
charges against the gospel we preach is you make people robots. You know the best thing that
could ever happen to me is to be a robot. I really mean that. I want to
be programmed to do His will. I want my steps to be directed
in His Word. Next time somebody says, well,
you make people robots, I'm not so sure that's a bad thing for
you. I like what David says. He says, I want my steps to be
directed by Your sovereign grace into Thy Word. Now, I think verses 33 through
40 of this same chapter is an amplification of this. Look in
verse 33. David says, Teach me, O Lord.
The way of thy statutes, I don't want to be taught by a man, I
want to be taught by the Lord to where I really learn and I
shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding and I shall
keep thy law, yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Now,
listen to this. Make me. To go in the path of thy commandments,
for therein do I delight. I want to be made to go, and
that's what I delight in. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies,
and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way. Establish thy word unto
thy servant who is devoted to thy fear. Turn away my reproach,
which I fear. I fear my reproach. I fear what
would happen to me if the Lord would lead me to myself and the
shame and disgrace I would bring upon his name. Take that away. Don't let that happen to me.
For thy judgments are good. Behold, I've longed after thy
precepts. Quicken me in thy righteousness. Now, here's my desire. I see
my ways as not keeping thy statutes. Now that's how I look within,
and this is what I see. I can't look within and say,
I keep your statutes. That would be dishonest for me
to say something like that. I see myself as the opposite.
But here's the very desire of my heart. Oh, that my ways were
directed to keep thy statutes. Look at verse 133 of this same
psalm. I believe that I probably use
this prayer with the Lord pretty much every day. David says, order my steps in
thy word. And let not any iniquity have
dominion over me. Lord, it will if you don't prevent
it. Let not any iniquity have dominion
over me. And we've already read Romans
6, 14, that blessed promise. Sin shall not have dominion over
you. And here's how it comes. Because
you're not under the law, but under grace. I think of Jeremiah's
prayer, Turn thou me, and I will be turned. I think of David's
prayer, Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, and cause thy face
to shine, and we'll be saved. O Lord, plead my cause, act in
my behalf, cause me to do thy will, O that my ways were directed
to keep thy statutes. Subdue my iniquities for me. I'm captive to my sin. Deliver
me. Lead captivity captive. Now this
is the thought. This is what goes on in a believer's
heart. Let me show you this. Turn to Romans 7 for a moment. Romans 7. Now Paul says in verse 14, For we know that the law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, sold under sin. Is he speaking as a believer
or an unbeliever? Have you answered that question?
Is he speaking as a true child of God or an unbeliever speaking
about a hypothetical situation? Listen, he's speaking as a believer.
In his own experience, he says, we know that the law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, sold as a slave under sin, captive to my evil
nature. Now, Paul is giving us his utter
dissatisfaction with such a condition. He's not talking about an unregenerate
state, but in the context of this, he's talking about the
bondage of an evil nature and the futility of the law in subduing
that evil nature. You look at the previous verses,
and that's what he's talking about. But look, just go on reading. Romans 7, 15. For that which I do. I allow
not. What I would, I don't do. But what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would
not, I can sin unto the law that is good. Now then, it's no more
I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me,
that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For to will is
present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good which I would not, I would, I do not. But the evil
which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that which I would
not, it's no more I to do it but the sin that dwelleth in
me. I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present
with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.
That's only a regenerate man that can say that. But I see
another law in my members. wearing against the law of my
mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in
my members. Oh, man, I understand him saying
this. Oh, wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from this
body of death? You know, for this reason, I
can't wait to die. I cannot wait to die. I'm looking forward to it. I'm
looking forward to being delivered from sin. Can you imagine not
having to deal with your sin anymore? Now, every believer
has every reason to really anticipate the joy of death and being in
the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm back to our text
in Psalm 119. Now, do you see how this is paradoxical?
The whole thing? He says we're perfect in Christ.
He says there's absolutely no excuse for disobedience. were
to keep his commandments vehemently, with all the heart. Oh, that my ways were directed
to keep thy statutes. I see such paradox there. But
I see it in me. I see it in you. Look in verse
6. He says, Then shall I not be
ashamed? I am ashamed right now. But then shall I not be ashamed
when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I'm ashamed
of myself, and here's when I will not be ashamed, when I have nothing
to be ashamed of in my experience, when I keep all thy commandments
perfectly. Now, I believe I'm described
in verses 1 through 3 that this is what I see, and it makes me
ashamed of myself. And until I'm conformed to his
image, I'll continue feeling ashamed. And you know what I'm
saying. Everybody here knows what I'm
saying. Look what he says in verse 7. He says, I will praise thee with
uprightness of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
Now, do you hear what he's saying? He's saying right now, as far
as the way I feel, I don't feel like I'm praising thee with uprightness
of heart. I won't be praising thee with uprightness of heart
Until, as verse 7 says, I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. What is it the Holy Spirit convicts
us of according to John chapter 16? Sin. Righteousness. And judgment. God the Holy Spirit convicts
you. You find out you're a sinner. You find out. He said a sin because
they believe not on me, you find out that faith is beyond your
ability. He convicts of righteousness,
you become convinced that the righteousness of Jesus Christ
is the only righteousness there is. And of judgments, you become
convinced that all judgment took place on the cross now. When we learn the gospel, that's
when we can praise with uprightness of heart. And don't you find
that you have to hear the gospel over and over and over again?
You hear it, you believe it, you forget it, you unlearn it,
and you have to learn it all over again and again and again. I will keep thy statutes. I will guard over, I will observe
your statutes, your word. By your grace, I'll believe your
gospel. By your grace, I'll love your
people. By your grace, I'll be obedient in all things. By your grace, oh, I want to
pluck out the eye and cut off the hand, spiritually, whatever
that means. By your grace, I will keep thy
statutes." But look how he ends up. He says, oh, forsake me not
utterly. David, you should know the Lord
will never do that. I've been taught that. But I
feel, I feel as though I ought to be forsaken. I feel like if
the Lord just lift his hand off me and said, that's it. Leave
him alone. Ephraim is joined to his idols.
Leave him alone. Oh, that's one of the scariest
verses of scripture in the Bible. Ephraim is joined to his idols.
Leave him alone. Let him go. But you know what? The absolute worst thing that
could ever happen to me is if the Lord left me alone. I can't bear the thought of it.
So I say with David, oh, forsake me not utterly. Don't do it. Well, you know, the Lord's not
going to forsake his people. I know that. But don't forsake me, because
I feel like I feel like I can see why you would. But Lord,
don't. forsake me, don't leave me to
myself." David said, cast me not away from thy presence, O
Lord. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the
joy, the joy of thy salvation. Now, a believer is a paradox. Don't you find that true about
yourself? Apparently contradictory, but true nonetheless. Verses 1 through 3 are true. I do no iniquity. I walk in His
ways. Number four is true, thou has
commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. Don't ever use the
grace of God as an excuse and a justification for living like
the world and acting like an otherworldly and acting like
an unbeliever and carrying on like an unbeliever and say, I'm
just flash. I can't help it. Don't you do it. Don't you do
it. And it's also true, verse five,
oh, that nine ways. were directed to keep thy statutes. That's true too. Now, be kind and compassionate to
your brother. He's just like you are. That's
a reason to be compassionate, isn't it? Let's pray.