Psalm 119: Focus On God's Word Pt. 13 Righteous Judgments & Simple Obedience

Psalm 119:1  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. 

Our duty as Christians is very clear in Psalm119. In the verse we have studied we can easily discern the action words calling for us to do certain things, in order to find happiness and blessing from God.

We are to "walk" in the law of God. We are to "keep" His testimonies. We are to "seek" God with all of our being. We are to "walk" in His ways. We are to "keep" His precepts. We are to go to the Lord in prayer asking for His strength to "keep" His statutes. We are to "respect" God's commandments. 

You see from each of the highlighted action words above, that these verbs show believers how to respond aright to the word of God. It shows us what will please God. He delights in our obedience more than anything else (See1 Samuel 15:22). 

The will of God is not some great mystery that we spend our whole life trying to discover. No, it is simply taking God at His Word and obeying Him.

We can offer loud praises to God because He made His will so plain and clear that a child can understand it. The key question for a believer in Christ is "Will I obey His will or disobey it?" 

My hope in leading us through a study of Psalm 119, is that we all will see the great blessing of obeying His will because it is so understandable. Each of us as individuals must daily and moment by moment choose to obey God's will. 

God has called us to an active faith, not a passive, directionless shuffling through this life. Are we walking, keeping, seeking and respecting His Word as God has told us to? If we are obeying His will, then we are experiencing true blessing and lasting happiness. 

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

Our text can be broken into four sections. 

In this verse, God's Word is titled "righteous judgments". We must discover what this title means.

The believer's privileged duty is to "learn" God's righteous judgments. Once we understand what God's righteous judgments are, then we can learn how we are to apply them. 

The benefit of learning His righteous judgments comes out in expressions of our praise to God. 

The attitude of our heart will be changed when we "learn" God's righteous judgments. Our heart will be changed into an upright heart. 

What are His righteous judgments? We learned that they are God's judicial decrees that form an absolute standard of morality and truth. All nations and individuals will be judged by His holy standard. 

God's judgments are based upon an unchanging standard of eternal righteousness. Only God is purely and wholly righteous. This is His essential character and being. His righteousness permeates everything that God does. 

God's wrath against sin is based upon His righteousness. 

Romans 1:18-19  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19)  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.   

God's wrath is against all ungodly actions and unrighteous sins that people commit. His wrath is against those who despise His Word and who reject His eternal truth. 

His wrath is against all those who deny Him, in spite of Creation's overwhelming testimony that God made all things and that man is morally accountable to Him.  

God will bring His righteous judgments upon all mankind. 

Proverbs 11:31  Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner. 

God will judge believers for our sins when we fail to confess and forsake them. He will chasten us as a father chastens a disobedient son. Chastening that we receive is an act of His great love, because He wants us to learn what is best for us and to obey His Word. 

Wicked sinners will not escape His righteous judgments. Though they may seem to prosper while the righteous endure hardship, yet God's wrath lays heavy upon them. The moment a sinner dies, that person will have the full weight of Divine wrath fall upon him or her as the consequence of rejecting Christ.

The earthly father loves his child enough to discipline him when he disobeys, so that he learns obedience. 

His righteous judgments bring loving correction to His children.

Hebrews 12:6-10  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7)  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8)  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9)  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10)  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 

All parents know what it is like when their children disobey. Sometimes when our children get into a quarrel, we send them to their room for a time out. Other times, they may need stronger correction because they willfully disobeyed. 

The Father chastens us because He loves His children. Chastening in the life of a believer is proof of being a child of God. 

Those who claim to be Christian and who never experience any chastening are making a false profession of faith. All believers will sin and will receive correction from the Father. 

Our earthly fathers disciplined us so that we would learn to obey them. God chastens us because it is spiritually beneficial for us and it trains us to pursue holiness. 

We are going to be conformed to the image of Christ. He is holy and God will do what it takes to help us live a holy life on earth. 

God's righteous judgments will judge unbelievers. 

John 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 

The same righteous judgments of the Word of God will judge all men at the last day. Christ tells us in John's gospel that there are two resurrections: the resurrection of life for believers and the resurrection of damnation for unbelievers. 

God's Word is eternal, unchanging and irresistible. What He says, He will do. His righteous judgments will be the Word that judges unbelievers for their stubborn rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 

God's Word instructs us in righteousness. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17)  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

This text is frequently preached in relation to the verbal inspiration of scripture. Yet, it is worth noting what God's inspired truth can do in us because this shows how His judgments are righteous. 

First, the scriptures are profitable for each believer because they teach us true, accurate doctrines of God.

Second, they are good for us because they reprove us when we sin. This connects with Hebrews 4:12 and the Word of God being a discerner of the thoughts and intent of our heart. God's righteous judgments show us where we sin.

Third, is the aspect of God's word that is relevant to Psalm 119. It instructs us in righteousness.  Every aspect of God's Word is righteous and His righteous judgments are to instruct us. 

They show us the path that God wants us to walk on. It shows us how to please God by living right in a world so full of sin and wrong.   

Like His righteous judgments, the Word of God instructs us in righteousness. God's purpose for instructing us in righteousness is so we have everything we need to live a victorious life in Christ.

Thus, we see the importance of learning His righteous judgments. They are righteous judgments because they tell mankind how to be right with God through repentant faith in Jesus Christ. 

Positional righteousness of Christ for us.

Romans 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 

There is the beautiful positional righteousness earned by Jesus Christ for those who trust Him. He paid for our sins and redeemed us with His blood. His resurrection justifies all who turn to Jesus with repentant faith.

Every believer receives this wonderful righteousness from the sinless Son of God. He imputes His righteousness to us so that when Satan accuses us, God sees only the righteousness of Christ and our sins remain blotted out. 

Believers lives should be marked by righteousness.

1 John 3:7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 

There is also a practical righteousness Jesus Christ works into each believer when we submit to His Word. This is a righteousness that is manifest in our walk, or worship and our moral decisions. Paul called it instruction in righteousness. 

John tells us that the person who does righteousness is righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 

How does one do righteousness?  By walking in the law of God, by seeking God with their whole being, by respecting His commands, by walking in His ways, and by keeping his testimonies and statutes. 

This is what the Psalmist is teaching us. Simple faith and obedience is the path to great joy, lasting happiness and blessing from God. 

Again, there are many people who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ. However, many of them live a self centered life instead of a God centric one. 

Jesus taught us that we would know a genuine believer from someone claiming to be a Christian by their fruits. An evil tree cannot produce good fruit. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

We have covered what the Psalmist means when he speaks of the righteous judgments of God. 

We were also reminded that all who are born again receive eternal life which includes having the righteousness of Christ imputed to us.

However, we live in a sin cursed world and we still carry our old man and old nature with us. Therefore, we are reminded that there is a practical seeking and practical outworking of righteousness in our life. This is an ongoing work that will not stop until we reach heaven's glory. 

We must daily seek to be a righteous people of God. Each day we will face trials, temptations and troubles and we must seek to do righteousness in every instance. 

How can we be more consistent in establishing a pattern of practical righteousness in our lives?

First, we must read and study the scriptures EVERY day. 

It is our manna from heaven to feed our souls and it teaches us about righteousness. The Hebrews could only gather enough manna sufficient for each person in the morning.  

We must seek it every day and make it a priority, because that is what the morning gathering signifies.   

It is light from God that drives away the worlds darkness and dispels our doubts and fears.  

It is pure water from God that cleanses us and refreshes our soul. It is sweeter than honey, and more precious than the finest gold or gemstones. 

It is both foundational milk and strong meat for the believer in Christ that helps us grow and mature in our faith. 

Second, we must pray in the name of our Lord Jesus, asking for the Spirit of God to do a work in our hearts, that He might make us more like Christ. 

Third, as soon as we understand what God is saying to us, let us resolve to simply trust Him and obey His Word. God's will for us is very clear and understandable that we should rejoice because we can grasp it. 

We know that the world is going to wax worse and worse until Christ returns. 

We need to hear and heed what God is teaching us in Psalm 119. Let us honor God by obeying Him in good times and in tough times. 

Bob