Blessed is the Person
Psalms 1:1-2 ESV
“Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.”
What this is describing here is someone who has trusted in
Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of his life, who has turned away from his
lifestyle of sin, and is now walking in obedience to the Lord’s commands, while
submitting himself to the Lordship of Christ over his life (Rom 6:1-23; Rom
8:1-17).
He no longer walks (in conduct, in lifestyle) in the counsel
(advice) of the wicked (the ungodly, the adulterer, the liar, the thief, or the
murderer). He doesn’t take his stand (his beliefs, his actions) in the ways of
this sinful world. And he makes no compromises with moral purity, either.
So, he doesn’t buy into the cheap grace gospel which gives
permission for its adherents to continue in their sinful practices, only now
without guilt. For, his faith in Jesus is not of human origin but it is of God.
For, his faith originated with Christ, and Jesus is the one to perfect his
faith, too.
Therefore, his faith in Jesus Christ conforms to the will of
God. It does not resist God’s will for his life. Since his faith comes from
God, by faith he died and he dies with Christ to sin daily, and he lives daily
to Christ and to his righteousness in the power of God’s Spirit living within
him.
And he is not persuaded by the intimidation or by the false
accusations of the mockers who ridicule him for his walk of faith, and who
accuse him of trying to earn his own salvation by good works just because he is
living in submission to the Lord and is following the Lord in obedience.
But he remains steadfast in faith and purpose, strengthened
by the Lord. And he is persuaded by God’s grace, which trains us to say “NO!” to
ungodliness and fleshly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and
godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s soon return (Titus 2:11-14).
So, daily he meditates on the Word of the Lord, and he takes
the Word of God to heart, and he doesn’t just listen to it, but he does what it
says. And he obeys the Scriptures that teach what Jesus taught and what the New
Testament apostles taught regarding salvation and eternal life with God.
Yields Fruit in Season
Psalms 1:3 ESV
“He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.”
Those who are following the Lord Jesus in obedience to his
word and to his ways will bear fruit for God’s eternal kingdom in keeping with
repentance. Their lives will reflect Christ and godly attitudes and actions. It
does not mean they will live perfect lives, but that they are living for the
Lord.
It should be evident that they have been with Jesus. For,
their lifestyles should reveal that. They should be no longer living to the
flesh, but they should now be walking (in conduct, in practice) according to
the Spirit, by the Spirit, according to the will of God.
Their minds should be set on the Lord and on the things of
God and not on the world and the things of this sinful world. It should be obvious
that they are living holy lives, separate from (unlike) the world, because they
are being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Now, worldly Christians may not recognize them as such, because
they are following the mindset of the world, and so they may have a different
idea of what a “good Christian” should be like rather than what the Scriptures
teach a follower of Jesus should be like. So, they don’t make good judges.
Yet, those who are bearing fruit for God’s eternal kingdom
will be doing the will of God. They will be following Jesus in obedience, and
their desire will be for the Lord to do his will. And so, some of the fruit
they bear will be in the lives of others whose lives they have touched for
Jesus and for his gospel.
But not all that fruit will be presently evident. For, right
now they may be spreading and planting the seed, but all of that may not be
bearing obvious fruit at this time. But the word of God will not return empty,
but it will accomplish the purpose for which God sent it in due time.
The Wicked Will Not Stand
Psalms 1:4-6 ESV
“The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.”
You know, what this psalm is teaching is taught for us again
in the New Testament. In the New Testament we learn the importance of walking
by faith in the ways of the Lord and in his righteousness. And we learn the
importance of obeying the word of the Lord in our daily lives.
We also learn about bearing fruit, and what that means to
bear fruit, and how that happens, and what happens if we do or we don’t bear
fruit for God’s eternal kingdom. If we do, we are pruned so we bear more fruit,
but if we don’t, we are cut off and burned and thrown away (John 15:1-11).
We also learn in the New Testament that the wicked are those
who deliberately, willfully, habitually, and premeditatedly disobey the Lord
and his commands, and who walk in the ways of the flesh and not in the ways of
the Spirit, and who make sin their practice instead of righteousness.
So, “the wicked” include many who profess faith in Jesus Christ
with lip service only but who do not do the will of God, but who are still
living for themselves and for the flesh. And we are taught in the NT that the
wicked will perish in their sins. They will not have eternal life with God.
So, it is important here to understand that “the wicked” are
not just those who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but they also
include many who say “Lord, Lord,” but who do not do what the Lord says. Jesus
will tell them he never knew them, and that they are to depart from him.
The Great Redeemer
Lyrics by Francis Foster, 1915
Music by Samuel W. Beazley, 1915
How I love the great Redeemer
Who is doing so much for me;
With what joy I tell the story
Of the love that makes men free.
Till my earthly life is ended,
I will send songs above,
Then beside the crystal sea
More and more my soul shall be
Praising Jesus and His love.
He has purchased my redemption,
Rolled my burden of sin away,
And is walking on beside me,
Growing dearer day by day.
That is why I sing His praises,
That is why joy is mine,
That is why forevermore
On the everlasting shore
I shall sing of love divine.
Glory be to Him forever!
Endless praises to Christ the Lamb!
He has filled my life with sunshine,
He has made me what I am.
Oh, that everyone would know Him,
Oh, that all would adore!
Oh, that all would trust the love
Of the mighty Friend above
And be His forevermore.
He is everything to me, to me,
He is everything to me,
And everything shall always be;
I will never cease to raise
A song of gladness in His praise;
Here, and in the world above,
My soul shall sing of saving love;
Life and light and joy is He,
The precious Friend who died for me.
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