HOW TO HAVE A BLESSED LIFE – PSALM 1
_____________________________________________________________________
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 1 – a fount of blessings
- A blessed life (v1)
- A wise life (v1)
- A positive life (v1)
- A prosperous life (v3)
The Qualification… (v2)
1) What is God’s law?
Four categories of law
(i) Tabernacle or Temple sacrifice
(ii) Ritual purity
(iii) Moral law
(iv) “National” law
2) Do I become a Christian if I keep the law?
We are “Set free to love God”
3) How can I keep all those laws?
You can’t.
““The law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24)
4) How does Jesus fit into the law?
Jesus fully affirmed the entire Old Testament law.
“”Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18)
Are we being inconsistent?
i) How Jesus fulfils the Moral laws
“”You heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” (Matthew 5:43-44)
ii) How Jesus fulfils the Temple sacrifice laws
“Look the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
“we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)
(iii) How Jesus fulfils the ritual purity laws
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Cor.5:21)
(iv) How Jesus fulfils the “national” laws
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. “ (1Peter 2:13-14)
To help you meditate on God’s word…
(i) Commit to reading it daily
(ii) Get in a housegroup and be in church regularly for the preaching
“it’s the power of salvation for everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)
(iii) Put it into practice
“” Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22-25)”
___________________________________________________________
I want to know more:
- What is Christianity? 321 The Story of God, the World and You: https://youtu.be/tKyZjvK-d2M
- More on Psalm 1:
Psalm 1: How to live happily ever after, https://bible.org/seriespage/psalm-1-how-live-happily-ever-after - More on whether Christians are inconsistent about the law: Tim Keller, “Old testament law and the charge of inconsistency” http://www.redeemer.com/redeemer-report/article/old_testament_law_and_the_charge_of_inconsistency
0 Comments