Psalm 19 this evening, Psalm
19 will be our study from verse 7 and Lord willing we'll try
to work down through verse 14. Now the title of the message
is taken from verse 7 where it says the Word of the Lord, the
Word of the Lord, the doctrine of the Lord or the teaching of
the Lord is perfect. Everything about God we have
to confess. Everything about our God is perfect. He's perfect in His holy being. He's perfect in His eternal purpose. Everything about God is perfect. His gospel is perfect. His Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ, is absolute perfection. The law of the Lord,
the Word of the Lord is perfect. Now, Two weeks ago, we brought
a message on the first part of this psalm. We brought a message
on the glory of God's creation. He created all things by the
Lord Jesus Christ. We read that in Colossians chapter
1. All things were created by Him and for Him, and by Him all
things consist. All things are held together
by His power, by His purpose, by His grace. In the book of
Hebrews it declares, He upholdeth all things, all things by the
Word of His power. This beautiful day that we're
enjoying today, this beautiful sunshine and the flowers blooming
and the red buds just cover the hills. It just speaks of the
majesty of our God in creation, even though it's fallen, even
though it's a fallen creation. It's not in a pristine estate
as it was in creation. Imagine how glorious it was in
that day before sin entered in and marred the creation. But
even as we see it today, it is a glorious creation. The sun
shining, the sky blue, the breeze blowing. Oh, it's just a marvelous,
marvelous creation. God has given to us, and I can't
wait for God's new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
absolute righteousness. You know, this whole planet and
God's creation is a glorious place. But just think how glorious
it would be absence any evil, any sin. That's what glory is
all about, to be with God forever, to enjoy Him forever in absolute
perfection in that new heaven, in that new earth. Oh, I tell
you, what a glorious day that will be. His book of creation
declares unto us that God is God, creates all things by the
word of His power. He created all things by Christ,
our Lord Jesus Christ. We see in God's creation the
glory of His power, the glory of His person, who He is, His
wisdom in making all things just as they are, His sovereignty
to rule and reign over all things. The seasons. How does that come
about? The spring and the summer and
the fall and the winter. God maintains all these things. He's a controller. It's not Mother
Nature. It's not Mother Nature. That
disgusts me when people talk about Lady Luck and Mother Nature.
Or Miss Fortune. Those three women I don't give
any credit to. It's God who controls all things.
God is in control of all things. And His creation certainly declares
that unto us. If the Lord is pleased to teach
us. Now left to ourselves, we don't
see those things, but God is pleased, if He's pleased to enlighten
us, enliven us, and give us life to see that. But being left to
ourselves, now here's what happens. Being left to ourselves, depraved
and sinful as we are, Being left to ourselves, and you can see
this through ancient cultures all through the history of fallen
mankind, men and mankind left to themselves will worship the
creation rather than the creator. We see that all down through
history and how fallen and wretched we are. But my friend, in the
written Word of God and in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,
we see God's redemptive glory. We see God's purpose to show
mercy to whom He will. We see God throughout His written
record. from Genesis all the way through
Revelation. We see God displaying His redemptive
glory in the Lord Jesus Christ. God's mercy to sinners. He said,
I will, I will have mercy. God As He is, as He's revealed
in His book, He will show mercy. Now, it's sovereign mercy. He
said, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. It's sovereign
mercy. But God, we read in the book
of Scripture, I believe it is Micah or Malachi, one of those,
it says that God delights to show mercy. I'm only asking for
mercy. If He delights to show it, I'm
going to come before God as a mercy beggar and ask God, like the
Republican Lord, have mercy on me. I'm a sinner in need. Now listen to me, when Moses
asked the Lord to show him his glory, Did you notice what God
said when Moses asked the Lord to show me your glory? God didn't say, behold the heavens.
He could have. They do declare the glory of
God. But no, he said, look at my son, Jesus Christ. He said, oh, I'll cause all my
goodness to pass before you, and I'll proclaim the name of
the Lord, Jehovah Hussein. and I will be gracious to sinners."
How? In Christ Jesus. That's the only
way God in His holy character can remain holy and true to His
character, and yet at the same time be a just God and a Savior
in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the mystery and beauty
of the gospel, how God can be just and the justifier of them
which believe in Christ Jesus. With that in mind, let's consider
God's Holy Scripture and consider the Word of God and the effect
that it has upon the elect of God when it is blessed with God
the Holy Spirit. Now I know we can preach and
preach and read and read and read, but unless God the Holy
Spirit is pleased to send that Word in the power of His Spirit
and to empower it to enlighten us and to quicken us, we'll remain
in the dark. God must send forth His Spirit
to enlighten us, to enliven us. The sheep of Christ will hear
it. He said that in John 10, our Lord said, My sheep, My sheep,
they'll hear My voice, and I know them. They will hear it. They
will follow Me. And He said, I will give unto
them eternal life. God's elect receive His testimony
as it is in truth, the Word of God. Not the Word of Paul. We
often say Paul said this, and Peter said that, and John said
that. Well, that's okay. But really, in reality, you've
got to go back to the author of that Word, the sender of that
Word. All Scripture is given of God.
It's God-breathed, God-given. And God's people will receive
His testimony. We'll receive it not as a word
of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, that effectually
worketh in you who believe that word. And faith is a gift of
God. It's not something that blooms
in this old wretched heart of ours. Faith is God-given. Arthur
Pink, I think, called it, faith is something exotic. That is,
it does not bloom in this native, it's not native to this dead,
depraved heart. The only thing that's native
to our rotten nature is unbelief. Men love darkness rather than
the light because their deeds are evil. Faith is something
that's God-granted, God-given. God must give it unto us. And He will bless His Word to
His people. God has promised to bless His
Word. You remember from Isaiah 55, He said, My Word will not
return unto me void. but it will prosper whereunto
that I am pleased to send it." God will bless His Word. We're
safe by staying with, thus saith the Lord. We're safe by pointing
sinners to what thus saith the Lord. Not what mom and dad said,
not what this theologian said, not what that theologian said,
although that may be good, it may be right, but it's what God
has said. Let's stay with the Word. Let's
stay with God's truth. Let's teach it. Let's teach it
verse by verse, line by line, book by book. God will bless
His Word, and He'll bless His people with the Word of truth.
That's why we're insistent upon going line by line, precept upon
precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Now
look at verse 7. In verse 7 down through verse
11, we have six distinct characteristics of God's Word and the effect
that God's Word has upon His people when blessed by God the
Holy Spirit. The Word comes not in word only,
but in power to God's people. So the Word of the Lord, number
one. Verse seven, there's the first
thing. The Word of the Lord, or the doctrine, or the teaching
of the Lord is perfect. Perfect as God. That is, the
Word of God is complete. Complete nothing need to be added.
The Word of God is perfect as God. It is complete. The Word
of God is without ever. has no heir, the whole canon,
C-A-N-O-N, not two N's, C-A-N-O-N, which means the whole body of
Scripture. The whole body of Scripture is perfect. The revealed
text of Scripture that God has given to us is absolute, complete,
and perfect. We have in our hand all that
God would have us to know concerning His will in redemption, in salvation,
is in this book we call the Bible, 66 books. And it's all about
Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, His person, His work, His glory,
His mercy, His salvation. Now the Word of the Lord is perfect.
All scriptures God breathed, God given. Turn back just a few
Psalms to Psalm 12. You remember from our study in
Psalm 12, verse 6, it says, ìThe words of the Lord are pure words,
as silver tried in the furnace of earth and purified, purified
seven times.î It says, verse 7, ìThou shalt keep them, O Lord,
thou shalt preserve them from this generation and for God's
preserved His Word. Oh, they're pure words, pure
words. It's perfect. His Word is perfect.
And here's the effect. Verse 7, here's the effect. converting
the soul, or restoring the soul, regenerating the heart. It takes
the Word of God as the instrument, faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God, and the power of God the Holy Spirit as the
agent to make dead sinners live. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God and the salvation
to everyone that believeth. For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, that
justified shall live by Christ Jesus. James says this, of his
own will. See, I said that. James said
this. It's actually God says this.
We can say that. James declares, and he pins these
words, giving them to God of his own will. Now salvation is
by somebody's will, and it's not the sinner's will. We don't preach up man's free
will. Man's will is not free. Man's will is in bondage to his
nature. Man's will, I remember this reading,
reading this years ago, I think it was Pink that said this, or
maybe one of them others. Man's will is always self-ward
and downward, never God-ward and upward, never. Man's will
is in bondage to his nature. It's not free, but salvation
is by somebody's will. Of God's own will begat he us
with the means that he has ordained. His word, his truth. Now let's
look at some scripture. Let's find 1 Thessalonians chapter
1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, and
Paul, writing to those people, talks about the elect of God. the elect of God he said we give
thanks for the elect of God remembering without ceasing without ceasing
this is chapter 1 of 1st Thessalonians your work of faith your labor
of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the
sight of God our Father knowing brethren beloved your election
of God how you anything about your election of God your election
is known by your calling For our gospel came not unto you
in word only, it did come by the preaching of the gospel,
came not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit,
in power and the Holy Spirit and it came with much assurance
as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake
and you became followers of us and of the Lord having received
the word in much affliction with joy, with joy the Holy Spirit. Here's another reference on that.
Find I Peter chapter 1. The Word of the Lord is perfect.
I'm absolutely comfortable in preaching, thus saith the Lord,
using His Word. It's truth. He said heaven and
earth will pass away, but my Word will never pass away. I
Peter chapter 1. Verse 22 says, seeing you have
purified, this is I Peter chapter 1 verse 22, you have purified
your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, obeyed the
truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned with the genuine love
of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure
heart, fervently being born again. born from above, born of God,
begotten of God, not of a corruptible seed, that's how we were born
the first time, but here's the second, see we're born wrong
the first time so we need to be born again, but of incorruptible
seed by the Word of God which lives and abides forever. Verse
25, but the Word of the Lord endureth forever and this is
the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you. The Lord has ordained the end
and the means to arrive at His predestinated purpose, that's
His glory. Now, I remember years ago when
the Lord was first teaching me the gospel and something about
His elective love and elective grace. I was at a family gathering
Christmas holiday type thing and and some of the relatives
were there and sitting around the table and we got to talking
about we had just my wife and I had just recently left the
congregation when the gospel was denied and they started asking
me why I left that congregation I said well they don't preach
the gospel and they said well explain that to me I said well
if you got a Bible I will just read it And someone went in the
other room and fetched the Bible, and brought it in, and I turned
over to Ephesians chapter 1, started reading how God had blessed
us, and how God has chosen us, and how He's redeemed us, and
how He's quickened us. And I said, there it is. And
they said, well, we don't believe it the way you read it. Well,
I just read you what God's Word says. You don't believe what
He says in His Word? Well, needless to say, we didn't
have much of a delightful evening that evening because they were
very upset. And one of the things they asked
me was this, they said, well, if God's predestinated everything
and God has chosen a people and Christ died for those people
and they're going to be in glory and predestinated that end, they
said, well, why? Why do we preach or why do we
build churches or why do we do anything? Any of these things,
they're preaching the gospel. Why? God has also ordained the
means to arrive at His end, the means that God's ordained the
preaching of the gospel. God, He instructed His disciples
so clearly throughout the Word of God to go into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature. As someone says, this
Persian said, well, why don't you just go preach to the elect? He said, well, I don't know who
they are. If you go out and mark them, I'll just preach the elect.
But God's commission to His church is to go into all the world and
declare the gospel to every creature. And God will take care of the
results. We don't have to stand down front at the end of the
service and browbeat people and invite people and coerce people. Here's what we do. Here's what
we say. We preach the gospel and leave
them alone. God will call his elect. God
will quicken his people. I'm confident of it, aren't you?
We don't need to try to use psychology on folks. That's what goes on
in religion, don't they? They come down front and make
a decision. I like what Brother Mahan always used to say, salvation's
not down front. Salvation's not down front. Salvation's
in a person. It's in Christ. Salvation's not
a decision either. salvations of the Lord, my friend. So here's the effect, converting
the soul. God uses His gospel to the calling
out and to the blessing and to the regenerating of His people. Must preach the gospel. Paul
was so clear on that when he said to young Timothy in his
last chapter, his last words, he said, I charge you before
God. And the Lord Jesus Christ, to
preach the word, who's going to judge the living and the dead?
Preach the word. Preach, preach, preach the word. I know we live in a day when
there's so much needless and foolish preaching. But he said,
preach the word. Preach the gospel. There's nothing.
We need more in this world among men. It's plain, simple, everyday,
God, honoring, teaching of God's Word, preaching of God's Gospel.
Well, let's look at the second thing. And the testimony of the
Lord, verse 7, the testimony of the Lord, the testimony of
the Lord is sure, it's absolutely sure. Never put a question mark upon
God's truth, upon God's Word. The testimony of God the testimony
of God is sure, is, the Gospel of God is sure, making wise the
simple. What a blessing in this world
of, and I, for lack of a better word, what a blessing in this
world where so many things are uncertain as we see them. We
have His Word that is absolutely certain and sure. It will never
be trumped by the Word of man. It will never be shoved aside
by the will of man. The testimony of the Lord is
absolutely sure. You can bank on it. You can count on God. The testimony of the Lord. The
word we have, the sure word of prophecy. Turn back over to 2
Peter this time, 2 Peter. You remember what David's last
words, God hath made with thee an everlasting covenant ordered
in all things, and it's sure this is all my hope, all my salvation. But notice here in 2 Peter chapter
1, talking about the sure testimony of the Lord. 2 Peter chapter
1, Verse 17, for he received from
glory, from God the Father, honor and glory. This is talking about
the incident there on what we call the Mount of Transfiguration,
when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory
saying, this is my beloved son. in whom I'm well pleased, this
is my beloved Son, hear him. And this voice which came from
heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy mount. We
have also a more sure word of prophecy, it's certain and sure.
where unto you do well to take heed, as unto a light that shines
in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in
your heart, knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture
is of any private interpretation. It didn't come by the will of
man. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man,
but holy men of God spake as they were moved." Now look that
word up sometime, moved. It means, it's a strong word,
it means driven. Driven of God. Driven by God
the Holy Spirit. Moved of God. Moved of God. You're holding in your hand,
my friend, the sure testimony of God. Feelings come and feelings
go and feelings are deceiving. Martin Luther penned these words,
My warrant is a word of God. Nothing else is worth believing. His Word. Oh, I tell you, we
don't hinge our faith upon feelings, do we? Oh, we hinge the sure
foundation of faith is thus saith the Lord. The object of faith
is Christ, but the foundation of faith is thus saith the Lord. It's the sure testimony. The testimony of God. The testimony
of God in the Gospel of God is sure. And here's the effect.
Here's the effect. making wise people out of the
simple, out of the foolish, out of the ignorant, making them
wise unto salvation. You remember again in 2 Timothy
3 when Paul writes to the young preacher, Timothy, reminding
him of his training, the teaching that he had as a young child.
He said, Thou from a child hast known the Holy Scriptures, been
taught the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation. blessed of God, he's hid these
things from the wise and prudent and has revealed them unto his
babes, making wise people out of the ignorant, out of the unlearned.
God has given us an understanding that we may know him, that is
true, and that we're in him, that is true, even in his son
Jesus Christ. He has taken this ignorant fool,
speaking of myself, ignorant, blind, dumb, stupid, ignorant
of God. blind and dead, and yet He has
given me wisdom in Christ Jesus. I see how God can justify the
ungodly in Christ Jesus. Oh, I tell you, I thank God for
His testimony, don't you? Look at the third thing, verse
8, the statutes of the Lord. The statutes of the Lord are
right. The statutes are His decrees.
God's decrees are unchanging. They cannot be altered. He said,
I've spoken it. I've purposed it. I'll bring
it to pass. I'll do it. He spake and it was
done. He commanded and it stood fast. The statutes, the decrees of
the Lord They are right. They are right. Everything God
has decreed from eternity is absolutely right. It's right. He said, I kill, I make alive.
That's right. All He does and everything shall
not the judge of all the earth do that which is right. He must. Everything He does, it is right. The statutes of the Lord are
right. They're right. They're true. The decrees of
God are founded upon His righteousness, His holy character, upon principles
of holiness. He must be just and the justifier. He must be righteous and merciful
in the salvation of sinners. Enable him to be a just God and
Savior, as I've stated already. Have you ever noticed this verse?
Find Psalm 85. Psalm 85. This is a blessed psalm, Psalm
85, but look just at one verse, verse 10. Mercy and truth are
met together. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. Oh, I tell you, all the glorious
attributes. This is Calvary, verse 10. That's
Calvary. Mercy and truth are met together.
Where? At the cross, in Christ. Christ
crucified. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. God is reconciled in Christ Jesus. And here's the effect. Look at
verse 8, Psalm 19, verse 8. rejoicing the heart. Oh, I tell
you, rejoicing the heart. The effect every believer has
so much to rejoice about. Full pardon, complete, a complete
justifying righteousness freely given to sinners in Christ Jesus. Oh, I tell you, the gospel, the
decrees of God, God decreed to have a people predestinated them
to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. You know what that does
to a sinner taught of God? It rejoices the heart. We are
the true Israel which worship God in the Spirit, that rejoice
in Christ Jesus, and we have no confidence in the flesh. The
gospel of God's grace and glory in Christ Jesus does rejoice
our heart. His decrees are right, and they
rejoice our heart. It's a blessing to understand
these things. You know, that's a happy man.
Turn to Psalm 32. That's a happy man. Blessed is he, Psalm 32
verse 1, blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven. Oh, whose sin is covered. Blessed,
that word blessed means happy. Happy, rejoicing is that man
unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, in whose spirit there
is no guile. He's made a new creature in Christ
Jesus. Oh, that's the blessed happy
man. Paul, when he quotes that over
in Romans chapter 4, blessed is that man to whom the Lord
imputeth righteousness without work, saying, blessed are they
whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. There is no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus. The statutes of the Lord are
true, and they're righteous altogether, and they do rejoice our heart. They do. Now here's the fourth
thing, the commandment of the Lord. Again in verse 8, Psalm
19, the commandment of the Lord is pure. It's pure. No mixture
of error defiles it. No stain of sin pollutes it.
It's as holy as God himself. The commandment of the Lord is
absolutely pure. Pure is perfect. Pure. Now here's the effect. Enlightening. Enlightening the eyes. Hence
the eyes of our understanding. If you will find Ephesians chapter
1, Ephesians chapter 1, when the apostle prays for the
church here at Ephesus. And Ephesians chapter 1 verse
16, "...Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you
in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom, revelation
in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being
enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling.
And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
and what is exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe
according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought
in Christ when he raised him from the dead. And that's what
happens in regeneration. There's a resurrection from the
dead. He raises us up. And that's not going to happen
by the puny will of the creature. That has to be by the power of
the creator. He creates in us a new man and
He makes us new creatures in Christ Jesus. Now let's read
on. The commandment of the Lord is
pure, enlightening, enlightening the eyes. The Lord has ordained
that through the Word He opens our understanding to see God's
glory and salvation and He causes us to own our sin and to own
Christ as all of our salvation. Now look at verse 9 and keeping
in with what's being taught here about the Word, the fear of the
Lord is clean, or the fear of the Lord is right. It's right
to fear the Lord. And it endures forever. The judgments
of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. This is Psalm 19,
verse 9. Now the fear of the Lord is right. Right. Staying with the message
of the Word, which teaches us, this book teaches us a healthy
and a holy and reverential fear and respect for God Almighty.
Remember, Some of you young people may remember this. Remember there
was a thing going around some years back, I don't remember
when, but there was this slogan that was put all over hats and
t-shirts and everything else, no fear. No fear. I tell you, the believer has
a reverential awe and respect. Holy and reverent is God's name. The fear of the Lord, it's right
to fear Him. Now, this is not a slavish fear,
but it's a reverential love and submission unto the Lord our
God. The fear of the Lord is right.
And I tell you, it's enduring forever, forever. God saves His
people. The effect of God's gospel in
our heart, it's an enduring effect, enduring forever. His word, His
gospel has an eternal effect upon the heart. of God's people. It's an eternal salvation that
He gives us. He obtained for us eternal redemption
with His own blood. He's brought in for us an everlasting
salvation. There's nothing temporary about
the salvation we have in Christ Jesus. Isaiah 45 says He saves
us with an everlasting salvation. And then John 10, as I quoted
earlier, He gives unto us eternal life. in Christ Jesus. The effect God has upon His people
is an eternal effect. Look at verse 6, or excuse me,
this is number 6, again found in verse 9, the judgments of
the Lord are true and righteous all together, all together. His decrees, His mandates, His
covenant of grace are found upon holy foundations, holy principles
that cannot be overruled, that can never be repealed, can never
be overturned, never repealed. God must do all things according
to His eternal, immutable will and decree. No one's going to
change His purpose. No one. They're true and righteous
all together. His power is invincible. His
justice impeccable. What he does is right. He will
execute all his purpose. Isaiah 46, he said, I've spoken
it. I'll bring it to pass. I purposed
it. Maybe it will happen. No, he
said, it will come to pass. I will do it. Now here are several
effects that it has upon God's people in verse 10 and verse
11. More to be desired than gold. Now, if you've got to think about
this, what would you rather have? God's truth, his gospel, his
word, or Fort Knox full of gold? That's a no-brainer, isn't it?
As my old baseball friend used to say, when someone hit a home
run, old Joe Nuxall, who called for the Cincinnati Reds, he would
say, that's a no-doubter. And that to no doubter. Those
who have been risen with Christ, they set their affection on things
above, not on the things of this earth. God's Word, His Gospel,
His Person, more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine
gold. Sweeter are they, oh, the sweetness
of His Word. Sweeter than honey and the honeycomb,
sweet His Word. Some of you have been studying
the Word a long time. It never grows old. It's never
stale. Look at Psalm 119, about His
Word, the sweetness of His Word, the greatness of His Word. Psalm
119, verse 72. The law of thy mouth is better
unto me than thousands of gold and silver, the word of his mouth."
Oh, how sweet it is, sweeter than honey, more to be desired
than gold. Turn to Psalm 119, 103. Psalm 119, 103. How sweet are
thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. The next verse. To thy precepts
I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
a light unto my path. Oh, through His precepts we get
understanding, and we hate the way that glorifies the flesh.
I mean, I hate that false message that honors man and despises
God. I hate that way. I love the way
of truth that gives God all the honor and glory. Now look at
verse 11 in our text, and I've got to wind this up. Moreover,
by them is our servant warned, and keeping of them, submitting
unto them, Believing them is a great reward. God throughout
His Word gives us warnings lest we presume, promises lest we
despair. The keeping of them, being able
to hear and believe the gospel brings a great blessing. Christ
is our reward. Verse 12, 13, and 14, the prayer
of the believer. starts with this question. Who
can understand? Who can really understand and
enter into His own rotten nature? We can to some extent, but not
totally. Who can understand His errors?
I tell you what reveals the measure of what reveals unto us what
we are. Turn back to Psalm 14. Again,
it's His Word. His Word describes us as we really
are in God's sight. Psalm 14. Verse 3, they're all
gone aside, they're all together become filthy, there is none
that doeth good, no, not one. Not one, there's none righteous,
no, not one. His word is a measure of how
sinful we are. And that causes us to cry out
for cleansing. Cleanse thou me from my sins. Cleanse me from my sins. Where
does the Word of God direct us for cleansing? To Christ, to
the Lord Jesus Christ, the blood of Christ, the Lord Jesus cleanses
us from all sin. And then he says this in verse
13, keep back thy servant, Lord keep me from being presumptuous.
Keep me from being presumptuous. Keep me from presumptuous. Notice
the word there, sins, is added, but I see no harm here. Keep
me from presuming that I know. Lord, keep me from presumption,
ignorance, and misunderstanding. Lord, teach me thy way. Let my
sin not have dominion over me. Now, we must confess that old
sin nature still does remain. We can say with the Apostle Paul,
O wretched man that I am, but by God's sovereign grace and
His sovereign mercy, that old sin nature doesn't reign. He
reigns. There's a new king. He's been
exalted in the heart of God's people, and He reigns within
His people. Let not sin have dominion over
me, and then, then I'll be upright. And that talks about being upright,
our standing in Christ Jesus, and I shall be innocent from
forsaking the Lord. He's talking here, I believe,
about apostasy. I shall be innocent from that
great transgression, from departing from the Gospel. Let the words
of my mouth, verse 14, let the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD," he is Lord
of heaven and earth, he's Lord not by something we do, he's
Lord by God's decree, God had made this same Jesus, Peter said,
whom you crucified, God had made him both Lord and Christ. There
was that silly saying that went around in religious circles,
make Jesus your Lord. Why, my soul, you can't do that.
God beat it to you. God beat you to it from eternity.
God has decreed Him to be. We bow to His Lordship. We acknowledge
His Lordship. God has highly exalted Him and
given Him a name which is above every name, that at that name
every knee will bow, confess that He is Lord. By something
we do, by God's decree, by His death, Let the words of my mouth,
my meditation be acceptable in my sight. Oh Lord, he's my strength. Notice the marginal reference
there, he's my rock. He only is my rock, the rock
of ages. And he's my redeemer. He is my
deliverer, redeemed with his precious blood. He's our deliverer,
he's the captain of our salvation who brings us to glory by his
purpose and grace.