Psalm 1:1 (The Inexorable Progression Of Sin)

Within the past couple of months I have come to appreciate the psalms tremendously. I was sitting in a hospital room with nothing to do. My wife, who had been admitted to the hospital due to severe sickness in the pregnancy of our second child, was fast asleep. I did not want to wake her so I was not going to turn on the television. I had just had lunch so I was not going to go down to the cafeteria. I was sitting there rapidly becoming quite bored when I noticed a shelf on the wall with a Gideon Bible sitting on it. I took it down and it flipped open to the first psalm. I spent the next couple of hours just reading through the psalms. I was not looking for anything in particular, I was not searching for passages on a specific topic, I was not even examining a particular psalm. I was just reading. By Psalm 30 I was considering the vast amount of material that remains largely untapped in classes and sermons within each psalm. By Psalm 75 I was trying to figure out why the psalms are used from the pulpit today primarily to point out a view "praise God" verses and little else. By Psalm 150 I had determined to begin to preach through the entire psalter. Just as Rome was not built in a day, preaching through the entire psalter in an effort to extract all practical application is not a matter of a few lessons. However, I have finished a few of them and I would like to begin sharing the fruits of my study. My purpose in these sermons is to be as practical as I can, to extract information from each psalm that will be abundantly useful to each Christian attempting to walk in a manner worthy of their calling. I submit these sermon manuscripts for your reading pleasure and, hopefully, for your use. All preliminary material has been removed so as to get directly to the psalm itself.

Psalm 1--Part 1

The Progression Of Sin

The book of Psalms really stands alone in its place among the canon of the Scriptures. It has been said that all of divine truth can be found to varying extents within its pages. It has been said that not only is Psalms found in the Old Testament, but the Old Testament is found in Psalms. It has been said that the one book of the Old Testament that would not be out of place in the New, with the exception of only a few chapters, is the Psalms. Starting this morning, we are going to begin a serious, in-depth examination of this book. We will not present a sermon from this book every week, but many times we will, either in the morning or the evening. Also, because Psalms was not compiled in chronological order, we will not always take them in order.

Having said that, this morning we want to begin our study of the Psalms by examining the very first one. This Psalm is the gateway to the entire psalter. Some believe that it was specially composed to serve as an introduction to the Psalms. Though we will not examine the entire Psalm this morning, we do want to take the time to go ahead and read it. Please read with me Psalm 1.

When we think of the beatitudes our minds go straight to our Lord’s statements in Matthew 5. However, while those may be the most famous of all the beatitudes stated in the Scriptures, they are certainly not the only ones. The very first verse of the Psalms is a beatitude itself. Note with me Jeremiah’s very similiar language, though in reverse order, from Jeremiah 17:5-8. I don’t know about you, but when I read this first Psalm I cannot help but think of the wisdom literature and its almost constant emphasis upon the company a righteous person keeps and the two paths set before him. For example, note Solomon’s admonition to his son from Proverbs 2:9-15, 20-22. A constant point of emphasis to the Old Testament writers, and the New as well, is that true wisdom is to be found within God’s Law. It is His Law that leads guides and directs our path, that reproves and rebukes us whenever those things become necessary, and encourages us to remain steadfast on our journey upward. The importance of a child of God’s holding fast to His Word, and the benefits that come from so doing, are emphasized in this first psalm.

However, we will discuss that aspect of this psalm next Lord’s day morning, if He is willing. In our lesson this morning we want to focus on just the first verse of the psalm. Let us note its words once more. “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.” The writer of this psalm, who is likely David himself, begins by stating a persons righteousness in negative terms. By that I mean that he begins by showing us what the truly righteous person does not do. Please take a moment to look down at your Bible once more and notice the words he uses. The righteous person does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. He does not stand in the way of sinners. He does not sit in the seat of scoffers. The perfect verb forms are used here. These perfects express what has not been the righteous persons practice in the past and is not his practice in the present. The righteous person is in a blessed state because he has been firm and resolute--over time--in his righteous living.

Having said all of that, our focus this morning is going to be on the steady and inexorable progression of sin if we allow ourselves, for whatever reason, to first step out onto that path leading in the wrong direction. I want you to notice that each phrase in this verse is merely a step downward to the firmly committed life of sin. Degrees are very evident here. Initially we see the righteous person beginning to listen the thinking of the ungodly. From there they go on to accepting the thinking of the ungodly. Finally, their path to spiritual death is completed as they begin to live the thinking of the ungodly. What we want to do for our lesson here this morning is to examine each section of this downward road, consider what it means, and then see if any of us as Christians finds that we have walked out onto this most dangerous of roads.

First of all, the righteous person simply cannot allow the ungodly to counsel him on how to live his life. Let me ask you a very simply question: whom to you turn to for advice on life? When you have questions concerning how you are to live or what sort of plans you should make for your life, to whom do you turn? Let me encourage you to seek the advice of those who are like minded with you. Seek the advice and counsel of those who want to help you go to heaven more than anything else. While the unbeliever may be a nice person and want what is best for you from a physical, worldly standpoint, they are not going to offer advice that has your spiritual well being at the forefront. How could they, when they are not spiritual people themselves?

Sometimes, and this is especially true of young people in school (be it high school or college) and those who work around especially ungodly people, we simply find ourselves around wickedness more often than not. And unfortunately many Christians in that sort of environment feel they have no recourse but to allow those people to become their closest friends and companions. Eventually, if we are honest with ourselves, we realize that while some of our friends are great fun, they’re as wicked and ungodly as they can possibly be. Please read with me 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Please, brethren, let me encourage you to make Christians your closest friends and confidants. The reason is very obvious, is it not? It is the nature of man to heed the advice of those he considers to be his closest friends and companions. The wicked, ungodly person is going to offer wicked, ungodly advice at least some of the time. I know this for a fact because all of my secular work life I was surrounded by them. I know the counsel they give and I know the things they want to do. I know a Christian can very easily get caught up in it. These people are very much like the Chaldeans we read about in the Old Testament. Please read with me Habakkuk 1:6-7. Just like the Chaldeans they make up their own laws and they are unwilling to submit to any others. This is why our God warns us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

My friends, do you find yourself seeking and heeding the counsel and advice of wicked people? If so, you have taken the first step on this terribly deadly downward path. What comes next? Once a righteous person has decided to walk in the counsel of the wicked, it won’t be too long before they find themselves standing in the path of sinners. For some time the righteous person found themselves listening to the thinking of the wicked. Now they find themselves accepting it.

The righteous person who has progressed this far down the road is now in terrible danger. They are slipping away and the further they go the harder it will be for them to come back. Please read with me Hebrews 3:12-13. “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Sin is so very deceitful. How many times has a person said to himself, “I’ll turn it around later. I know I’m not doing what I ought to be doing right now, but I’ve got the time to fix things and I’ll do it down the road.” So they continue on doing whatever it is they aren’t supposed to be doing, it could be forsaking the assembly (which is always a symptom of a deeper spiritual problem), it could be cheating on their taxes, it could be living in adultery, it could be drug or alcohol abuse, it could be lying, it could be abuse to their spouse or children, it could be filthy language, it could be immodesty, and the list could go on and on. Eventually, stopping these things is not longer a real, viable option for them. They’ve been doing them so long that their sin has been permitted to harden their hearts. The sin has gone from an anomaly in their live, to simply who and what they are. For them, the name Christian has become the anomaly!

If a Christian finds themselves nearing or at this part of the road, they’re continued attendance without any plan or design to repent and mend their relationship with God, makes their very presence here a mockery aimed right at our Father in heaven. What do they hope to accomplish by coming to the worship assembly and taking part in the singing, prayers, and Lord’s Supper? We are not going to comment on these verses as we will be studying them in the future if our Lord is willing, but notice what God says to His covenant people who have become rebellious to Him in Psalm 50:16-17. While he starts off by referring to them as wicked, keep in mind that the context shows conclusively that these are His people to whom He is speaking. “But to the wicked God says: ‘What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you.”

A further thought on this point. Sometimes you will hear a preacher or a teacher claim that a person whose heart is not in the worship service, or who lives like a non Christian the remainder of the week, ought to just go ahead and stop coming altogether for they are acting the hypocrite and God will not accept that. That God will not accept their worship while they live in such a state I do not take issue with at all for I believe that is easily substantiated from Scripture. That they should cease attending the worship altogether I disagree with heartily because God never said that. In fact, He hints at the exact opposite. Take the time to read Isaiah 1:2-15 and note Judah's wickedness and the uselessness of her sacrifices in worship while she continued in that wickedness. Then read verses 16-17 and note God's instruction to them. He never told them to stop going through the outward forms of worship. He told them to stop performing vain worship. In other words, keep doing what you're doing but purify your heart in the process. Continue sacrificing but live properly when you're not standing in My courts. The preacher who tells a cold or lukewarm Christian that he ought to just stop attending worship service altogether speaks where God has not spoken and vastly oversteps his bounds.

Brethren, I pray that there is not a single member here at University Heights that has allowed themselves to travel this far down the path that leads to destruction. But if someone has, I beg you to remember Paul’s words from Galatians 6:7. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” If you have come this far then sin is in the very process of hardening you. Stop it! Repent and return to the Lord.

If a person who was once righteous has made it this far down the path, there is only one stop left on the road to their ultimate destruction. They have listened to the thinking of the wicked, they have accepted the thinking of the wicked, and now they have determined to live the thinking of the wicked with no restraint or feeling of conscience. Now they are sitting in the seat of the scoffers. They have reached the settled position of the defiant and cynical. They will now be found in the company of the acid-tongues. They will now be found in the circle of those who mock and profane holy things. Note Proverbs 1:22. “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?” Note also Jude 17-19. If these people even bother to make a pretense at spiritual things any longer it is only so that they can stir up division and cause discord. These are the people who have reached a stage of confirmed opposition to righteousness. They sit and they sneer. They sit and they mock. With vulgar, ungodly lips they disdain what is right and proper. Often it is the seat of the scoffers that is raised to the loftiest positions. They are often the ones with the greatest influence and following. They are respected, even praised for their opposition to God and Christianity. Yes, their seat is very lofty. Yet, in the words of Spurgeon, it is attached to the gates of hell. When a righteous person reaches this stage, it is truly a terrible travesty. While genuine repentance on their part will be accepted by the Lord and will be a reason for great rejoicing, it is very far from them and, more often than not, they will never find it, much less seek it out.

So, as we have seen this morning, the journey pictured in Psalm 1:1 involves the progression of believing, behaving, and belonging. Perhaps it could be better described as persuasion, practicing, and a settled position. Mark this down and always remember the progression.

We start off by looking at sin. “After all, what harm could there be in looking?” Soon, that looking turns to listening as we begin to give heed to its appeals and charms. “After all, don’t we need to hear both sides of life? It is nothing more than an academic exercise, really.” Listening eventually leads to learning sins ways. Before we know it, we become experts in evil. Little by little, we grow to love it. With a power greater than steel cables, it wraps itself around our hearts. Finally, in death’s grasp, we sit down in the company of evil and live the life of sin.

Farewell, Brother

It has just come to my attention that a true prince in Israel has perished from this life.  Brother Robert Jackson, whose preaching served to teach and encourage countless Christians for many years, has gone on to his reward.  The church on earth has lost a powerful force for good.  That good and faithful soldier has finally laid down his sword and gone home.  I hope to see you again, brother.  Thank you so much for all that you have done.  Rest now.

Hypocritical or Imperfect?

More than a brother in Christ, he was a very dear friend.  My heart was breaking as I tried to reason, plead, cajole, rebuke, and anything else I could think of trying to talk him out of abandoning the Lord.  You see, he had decided that living as a faithful Christian was simply too difficult.  He had decided that living as a faithful Christian forced him to miss out on too many enjoyable things in this world and that it was all just unfair.  Ultimately, he did forsake the Lord and, to the best of my knowledge, remains in that condition to this day.

However, just before I left his home for the last time (I would no longer be welcome there), he could not resist the urge to fire a parting shot.  “Besides,” he said, “the church is full of hypocrites who pretend to be all holy and righteous when around other Christians.  When you get them alone or with unbelievers, their nothing like that.”  

This is a favorite statement for Christians who find themselves wanting to drift back into the world.  Somehow seeking to justify their actions, they begin to point the finger at their brethren’s supposed hypocrisy.  I have even heard faithful Christians from the pulpit bemoan the hypocrisy “prevalent” within the church today.  Mr. Webster sets forth this as his first definition of hypocrite: “A person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.”  Brethren, the church our Lord died to establish is not full of hypocrites and to say otherwise is untrue, plain and simple.  What it is full of are imperfect people who are striving for perfection, but aren’t there yet.  “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:45).  The Christian must make his goal to grow up to be like the Father.  If he refuses to make this his goal then he yields the right to be called one of God’s children.  The effort must exist and the Father has promised to aid us.  However, I would be lying to you if I were to claim that I have reached this goal and no longer have to worry about stumbling or missing the mark in my life.  Never forget that John is writing to Christians when he said, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).  A Christian is not a sinner in the sense that he or she lives a life characterized by sin.  However, there will be times when a Christian breaks Christ’s law and sins (1 John 3:4).  This makes us imperfect humans, not hypocrites!

Look, I imagine that hypocrites probably do exist within the church today.  There probably are those who pretend to be righteous and holy who do not really possess those traits at all but are merely fooling their brethren.  However, I am not so cynical, or dishonest, to claim that the church is full of such people.  My brethren are like me.  I don’t always live up to the standard that I claim, but I am not a hypocrite!  I will deny this charge until my dying breath!  I am trying to be pleasing to the Lord and I know that the vast majority of my brethren are doing the same thing.  I and my brethren are imperfect, not hypocritical.  

Now, let us suppose for the sake of argument that this charge were true.  What of it?  How does another person’s hypocrisy change my responsibility to God in any way?  If every Christian in this world were Christians in name only and putting forth absolutely no effort to really be what they claim to be, what does that have to do with me?  Am I released from my obligation to God?  Does their hypocrisy somehow excuse my own duty to God?  Can any thinking person believe it?  The truth of the matter is that this is a deceptive and dishonest charge born from a misguided, desperate, and unholy attempt to justify one’s sinful actions.  It is a pathetic charge and one that in no way touches upon the real issue, the sickness of my own soul and my unwillingness to obey the Lord.  

Only one child of God ever achieved sinless perfection and that was Jesus Himself.  Has every other child of God who has ever sinned been nothing more than a hypocrite?  No.  Shame on those who say that they were.  

Coming Soon

For my own personal benefit I began to study the questions asked in the Psalms.  Having begun the study, the amount of information and faith-building truth in the inspired answers, which usually immediately follow the questions themselves, has been staggering.  In the near future I intend to begin posting articles from this study.  I hope that you will find them helpful and beneficial to your personal growth.  Between now and then I will post other things, such as sermon manuscripts and answers to questions that are sent to me.  However, I wanted to give you a heads up on the Psalms material as I think it can be very helpful. 

I'd Like To Invite You To Our Gospel Meeting!

I'd like to personally extend an invitation to everyone in the Lexington area to come and attend a night or two of our gospel meeting.  The meeting will be each night this week at 7:30.  Brother David Phillips from Louisville is doing the speaking.  This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about God and His Word while being uplifted in the process.  So, if you're in the area, why not drop in.  We'd love to see you!

Answering Two Questions About Baptism

The following two questions were e-mailed to me concerning the necessity of baptism.  I get them so often that I have decided to submit them, along with my answers, here on the blog.  Some of you have likely heard these questions before while others may be seeing them for the first time.  Regardless, I hope these answers help the questioner and any others who come across this blog.

Question 1: "You need to stop saying that baptism is a necessary step in a person's salvation.  What do you do with all of the verses that connect salvation to belief alone?  Ignore them?"

This has always been a favorite argument of those who teach against the necessity of baptism in a person's salvation.  Often one who has been asked whether or not baptism has anything to do with salvation will pull out his concordance and find multiple passages that mention belief and salvation in the same verse.  I have heard and read debates in which a preacher spent almost the entire debate supposedly on the subject of baptism and rarely, if ever, mentioned the word.  My friends, proving that belief is necessary for salvation has never been the question, and it does not prove that baptism is not necessary for salvation. 

The truth is, this concordance game is a less than honorable tactic that does not even begin to touch the issue.  Suppose I went to Luke 13:3 where Jesus said, "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."  Would it be proper for me to say, 'See, Jesus said that a person has to repent or they will perish.  Thus, belief is obviously not essential to a person's salvation."  Of course it would not be proper for me to say something like that for I would have taken only a portion of what the New Testament teaches concerning salvation to the exclusion of the rest.  That is precisely what so many want to do in relation to baptism.  A person must be willing to take all that the New Testament has to say concerning the plan of salvation together.  The Bible is not a buffet line where we get to pick and choose what we like and leave the rest behind.  Take it all together and the plan of salvation is very plain and clear.

Question 2: "I think that you are forgetting (or ignoring) a very important person.  What about the thief on the cross?  He was not baptized and yet Jesus told him that he would be with Jesus in paradise."

This is another very common objection to the necessity of baptism in a person's salvation.  The first thing that I always ask a person is how they know that the thief was not baptized?  John baptized very large crowds, as did our Lord's disciples.  Why is it so unreasonable to assume that the thief was baptized but not to assume that he wasn't?  Actually, the Bible does not tell us one way or the other and the truth is that it does not matter in the least.  The thief on the cross lived under the Old Law and it did not pass away until the Lord's death (Colossians 2:13-14; Hebrews 9:15-18).

Yet there is something that those who make the argument against the necessity of baptism by setting forth the thief as proof fail to consider--Jesus had the authority to personally forgive a person's sins.  In Matthew 9 Jesus finds Himself in a position to perform a miracle on a paralytic.  Instead of healing the man immediately Jesus tells him that his sins are forgiven (v. 2).  The scribes thought to themselves that Jesus was blaspheming.  Yet notice what Jesus said to them in verse 6.  "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'--he then said to the paralytic--'Rise, pick up your bed and go home."  Jesus had power and authority on earth to forgive sins.  Now consider this with me for a moment: there is not a person on the face of this earth today who can honesty make the claim that Jesus personally and face to face forgave them their sins.  How do we know this?  Read Hebrews 9:28.  "So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly awaiting him."  When Jesus comes back it will not be to deal with sin.  Also, if Jesus did come to somebody today to forgive them their sins personally and face to face then that would have been His second coming and consider what that does to the validity of the Scriptures.

So, the thief on the cross does not offer any support for those seeking to lessen the importance of baptism.  In fact, it does not matter what the thief did to be saved because you and I are not under the same law that he was.