AFFIRMING FAITH
PSALM 119:121-128
INTRODUCTION
A. James raises the issue: What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but
does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (Jam 2:14).
B. Testimonies of faith that are not wed to obedience are vain boasting.
C. David makes six affirmations of faith in God, which give us insight into the nature of a living faith.
I. I HAVE DONE WHAT IS RIGHT AND JUST (v. 121)
A. David does not claim perfection (Psa 51:3).
1. David could freely confess his sin because he had a firm grip on salvation by faith (Psa 32:1-2; Rom 4:6-8).
2. David, like Paul, delighted in God’s law in his inner being (Rom 2:22-23; Psa 40:8).
3. When we affirm that we have done right in God’s sight, we are not boasting, unless, of course, we boast of our own merit and power (Psa 34:2; 1 Cor 1:28-31).
II. MY EYES LONG FOR YOUR SALVATION (V.123)
A. That which so many take for granted, David, like all the prophets, longed to see and to share (1 Pet 1:10-12).
B. Moses told the people that they would be justified if they kept the law (Lev 18:5).
C. God would keep His word, but they did not keep theirs (Ezek 20:1-32).
III. I AM YOUR SERVANT; GIVE ME UNDERSTANDING, THAT I MAY KNOW YOUR TESTIMONIES! (V.125).
A. David did not ask for knowledge, but “discernment” (NLT), which is the ability to sift knowledge, finding what is not apparent to superficial observation.
B. James encourages truth-seekers (Jam 1:5)
C. Wisdom and discernment are gifts from God, but like all gifts, they must be exercised—use it or lose it (Heb 5:12-14).
D. Having made up our minds that we know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, often keeps us from assimilating and digesting anything beyond the milk of the word.
IV. I LOVE YOUR COMMANDMENTS ABOVE GOLD, ABOVE FINE GOLD (V. 127).
A. It is not sufficient to love our favorite quotes or prooftexts. We must treasure all of God’s word in our hearts.
B. We cannot treasure in our hearts what we don’t know in our heads.
C. I’m not suggesting that we must all memorize the Scriptures to treasure them in our hearts, but we cannot be satisfied with tidbits of truth that fall from the table of others.
V. I CONSIDER ALL YOUR PRECEPTS TO BE RIGHT (V.128A).
A. Peter said that Paul wrote some things that were hard to understand and easy to misuse (2 Pet 3:16).
B. Not understanding something and rejecting it as untrue are two different things.
1. I don’t understand all I know about DNA, but I believe that no two people—not even identical twins—have identical DNA. If I can trust the testimony of men, how much more the testimony of God?
2. Jesus tells us that the hairs on our heads are numbered. If that does not spell unique, nothing does.
VI. I HATE EVERY EVIL WAY (V. 128b)
A. In HOLY HATRED, we dealt extensively with the theme of hating evil. Suffice it to say that we are commanded to do so: “O you who love the Lord, hate evil!” (Psa 97:10).
B. Can we confidently say (2 Tim 1:12-13)?
CONCLUSION
A. Have you affirmed your faith in Jesus? (Gal 3:27).
B. Are you affirming your faith in Jesus? (Rom 6:1-4)
