Psalm 119: Focus On God's Word Pt. 12 God's Righteous Judgments Will Prevail!

Psalm 119:1-6  ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. 2)  Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 3)  They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. 4)  Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. 5)  O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! 6)  Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. 

We are working our way through the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. This chapter is unique because all 176 verses focus upon the Word of God. 

It is arranged in twenty two sections containing eight verses. Each section begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. 

Christians can learn much about the nature of God, the path to finding blessing and happiness and the principles for Godly living in a most depraved culture. 

The secret to living a life that is undefiled before God lies in obeying His Word, in its many forms such as the laws, statutes, commandments, precepts or judgments. 

The path to true lasting happiness and joy is found when we trust and obey God. It is assured when we seek Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and being.

God's Righteous Judgments Prevail

Psalm 119:7  I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. 

In this verse, God's Word is titled "righteous judgments". The believer's privileged duty is to "learn" God's righteous judgments. 

The benefit from learning them expresses our praises to God. The attitude of our heart changes when we "learn" God's righteous judgments. Our heart is changed into an upright heart. 

This is the outline of this text and we will carefully explore what God is saying to us. 

God's precepts are presented as righteous judgments. We need to learn what this title of scripture means.

First, they are called "judgments" because they represent God's judicial sentence concerning mankind's actions. When Almighty God gave His moral law, it represented the final judgment of God defining right and wrong, good and evil. 

A culture without God's absolute truth is doomed to extinction. 

Isaiah 5:20  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 

You can see how far away from God's standard our culture has fallen. Many educators and institution's, media personalities and legacy news outlets routinely promote sexual perversion as "normal", when God says it is evil. 

They promote speaking in gross, vile language as being free and liberated, but God says they are replacing the light of His truth with the dark counsels of sin. 

There is no appeal in the court of God. He has made His judicial decrees and they will stand forever. No man will ever stand before holy God and claim they are exempt from His righteous judgments. 

Believer's sins were judged in Christ. 

Romans 8:1-4  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2)  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3)  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4)  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

God's law is an absolute standard of morality and all people will be judged by that standard when they die. At that point, believers in Christ see the glory of their salvation. For in Christ they died on the cross and in Christ shall they live. 

All judicial condemnation for our sins have been removed from the born again believer and Christ's own righteousness is imputed to us. Our transgressions of the law were blotted out at the cross of Christ (Colossians 2: 6-15). 

Two Choices: Faith & eternal life or unbelief & condemnation. 

John 3:16-18  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17)  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18)  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with repentant faith will be born again. They are recipients of eternal life from God. 

John tells us that God did not send Jesus Christ into the world to condemn everyone. Rather, He came to pay for the sins of all mankind for all time. Those who believe are not condemned.

However, those who refuse to believe on Jesus Christ with repentant faith, are condemned already by their stubborn unbelief. 

All people are born as sinners and inherit the sin nature from Adam. All people stand condemned by God's law. The texts from Romans 3 make it clear that all mankind is condemned by the righteous judgments of God

• They are all under sin (Romans 3:9)

• There is none righteous (Romans 3:10)

• There is none that do good (Romans 3:11)

• They have no fear of God (Romans 3:18)

• All the world is guilty before God (Romans 3:20)

God looks on our heart.

Our thoughts will be judged by God

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  

A human court will judge a person's words, conduct and actions. It is not able to judge the thoughts of anyone. However, the scriptures discern and judge the thoughts of all people. 

God always looks at our heart. He knows what motivates us, what the state of our heart truly is, and what we are thinking. Thus, for an unbeliever, there is no escaping the judicial condemnation of God because of His righteous judgments. 

The believer in Christ is cleansed from sin, rescued from the penalty of sin and restored in a right relationship with God through faith in Christ. There is now no condemnation resting upon a Christian. 

A good heart will speak good words

Matthew 12:35-37  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36)  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37)  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 

A good man is one who is trusting Jesus Christ with repentant faith. This man has a new heart and a new spirit from God. 

The unbeliever is evil by nature and speaks "idle words". These are words that repeat all the things the culture talks about. Evil hearts generate evil thoughts which culminate in evil words and evil actions. 

We will be judged by our words. 

Romans 10:8-10  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9)  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10)  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

Believers confess with their mouths the Lord Jesus Christ is their salvation, exercising repentant faith in Christ and confessing our faith with our words.

 

Words of confession spoken by believers will pass the test when God judges our words, because He knows the reality of our heart, whether we are truly born again or not.  

No one will get away with sinning against God.

Hebrews 2:2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

The righteous judgments of God that the Psalmist speaks of, are certain to happen. It is appointed unto man once to die and then be judged (Hebrews 9:27). Every sin and act of man's rebellion against God will be judged and receive condemnation from God.

There is no escape from this reality. Those who trust in Jesus Christ for salvation will be judged for motivation and service to God at the resurrection of life (See John 5:24-29 & 1 Corinthians 3:9-15). 

Believer's sins have been judged in Christ on the cross and repentant faith in Jesus brings them eternal life and full pardon.

Those who reject repentant faith in Christ, will appear at the resurrection of damnation and receive their eternal punishment. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

We live in a world where sin and degradation are tainting everything around us. As Peter said, men are acting like natural, brute beasts (2 Peter 2:12).

God has always left Himself a strong witness. His creation is a strong witness. The invisible things of creation like the laws of physics are a strong witness. 

The spectacular evidence from the flood of Noah is a strong witness. His special people, Israel, is a strong witness. His eternal word is a strong witness. The seasons of sunshine, rain, harvest and good things He provided are a strong witness. 

No one has any excuse for unbelief in God and salvation through faith in Christ. 

His righteous judgments define what is morally right and wrong. This is the unchanging standard that all humaniy will be judged by.

He will judge our thoughts, words and actions. 

The good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ died in our place, bearing our sins in His body on His cross. A believer is counted dead with Christ and risen with Him. 

All unbelievers and Christ rejectors will be sentenced to eternal damnation in Hell, which was prepared for the devil and the fallen angels. 

If you die tonight, where will you spend eternity? God made a way for you to spend eternity with Him in heaven, through repentant faith in Jesus Christ. 

Believer, are you living for the glory of God? Are you telling others about the Savior, Jesus Christ? 

I pray that we will give earnest heed to the things we learned today, and that we will be God's faithful witnesses who worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

Bob