October 23, 2019 -- Psalm 119:38 -- Fighting the battle of lingering sin
/Confirm to your servant your promise
that you may be feared.
Psalm 119:38 English Standard Version
Why does the Sovereign LORD have to be feared? Quite simply because we are constantly being deceived by our own fleshly desires. Here is a helpful quotation:
“The essence of temptation is deceit—to be tempted and to be deceived are the same thing.
“The first degree relates to the mind—it is dragged away from its duties by the deceit of sin.
“The second aim at the affections—they are enticed and entangled.
“The third overcomes the will—the consent of the will is the conception of actual sin.
“The fourth degree disrupts our way of life as sin is born into it.
“The fifth is the flesh’s goal, a hardened life of sin, which leads to eternal death.
“This fifth degree, by God’s grace, is never reached in true believers. God also often aborts conceived sin in the believer’s life (the fourth degree) sparing us many burdens.
Kris Lundgaart the enemy within page 58-59
As New Testament Christians we know the promise of God is that our sins are fully punished in Jesus’ Name. We know that our old self with its sinful nature is being put to death—and this is what must constantly take place. Jesus, by His Word and the gift of the Holy Spirit living within us, gives us the strength we need to fight these battles. Let’s not mince words, it is a mighty battle to be completely faithful to the LORD of Heaven and Earth Who rightly demands 100% allegiance to Himself.
How easily we allow what we consider to be small sins to take hold in the soil of our hearts. Then, we are surprised at the vehemence of our reaction against the things of God when such little sins germinate. To be born again, born above into the love of Christ means that we vigilantly guard our minds, our hearts, and our lives so that sin does not find ready soil.
Why call this “the fear of the LORD”? Because the LORD first loved us, He demonstrated this to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, therefore we respond to Him in love. Our soul desires Him to be our first and greatest love. The Scripture shows us (as does our own experience) how feeble and weak and untrue our love actually is. Therefore we are afraid to go this alone, in our own strength. We are afraid to bring dishonour to God’s Name. With the psalmist we pray: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 ESV
Just and True are all Your Ways, O God our King. The purity of Your promise and the richness of Your salvation are beyond price and beauty. Confirm to Your servant Your promise, that You may be feared. Give us the courage to confess our sins and the boldness to battle against our fleshly desires so that our thoughts and our words, our activity and our rest may bring You fitting praise in Jesus’ glorious Name. Amen.
