The importance of the first two verses of the Psalms

Psalm 1:1-2 (NCV)

Happy are those who don't listen to the wicked, who don't go where sinners go, who don't do

what evil people do. They love the Lord's teachings, and they think about those teachings day and night.

The Bible states that a prosperous man is happy.  The Amplified Bible says, “Blessed—happy, fortunate, prosperous and enviable--He is blessed or happy because he does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers."  His happiness is marked by the things he does not do, the places he does not go, and the company he does not keep.  .

"Evil people" are those who live contrary to God's law, both outwardly and inwardly. In God's eyes, they have nothing good about them.  Reject their advice, don’t walk with them. "Sinners" are those who fail to live up to God's law--they keep sinning over and over and they deserve punishment.  Don’t follow their example, don’t stand with them.  Those who have no use for God (some translations use the words "mockers" or “scoffers” or “smart-mouthed people”) are know-it-alls. They think that they are too smart to need God. They are proud of themselves and won't listen to any correction. In other words, they are immune to true wisdom and knowledge.  Don’t join them, don’t sit with them.   

This verse is not telling you to stay away from these kinds of people.  Rather you are not to be influenced or in any way affected by these kinds of people.  If you desire God’s blessings you will not fall under the influence of these kinds of people.  Psalm 1:1 is warning us about a gradual fall into wickedness, a slow turning away from God.  Be warned! 

But, let’s move to the positive side.  What really characterizes a happy person?  A happy person is someone who obeys the Law of the Lord and studies it day and night.  Your life as a godly person is derived from and sustained by the Word of God.  The godly person isn't godly and blessed because of his own worthiness. The godly man is blessed through God's Word. God's Word gives us blessing because of what it tells us and because of what it does for us.  John MacArthur wrote that the Bible is the source of the following. 

·  The Bible is the source of TRUTH (John 8:31-32; John 17:17)

·  The Bible is the source of HAPPINESS (Luke 11:38; Psalm 1:2)

·  The Bible is the source of VICTORY (Psalm 119:11; Ephesians 6:17)

·  The Bible is the source of GROWTH (I Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:13-14)

·  The Bible is the source of POWER (Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 55:11)

·  The Bible is the source of GUIDANCE (Psalm 119:105; John 14:26) 

Study and meditate over these claims.  They will bring you happiness and joy.

Love your neighbor as yourself--Jesus explains

Luke 10:30-37 (NIV)

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." 

In Luke 10:27 Jesus gave the two greatest commandments—to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.  He then was asked, “who is my neighbor?”  Jesus’ answer was the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Your neighbor is anyone who needs your help.  True love of your neighbor requires sacrifice of yourself.

This story has several characters.  There is the traveling man who was robbed, stripped and beaten nearly to death.  There are the priest and the Levite, both who knew about the laws of God and the need to show compassion, yet neither did anything to help the man, even going out of their way to avoid him.  And there is the Samaritan, considered by the Jews to be in the lowest class of people because they married non-Jews and did not keep the law.  Jews would have nothing to do with Samaritans, yet Jesus says it was a Samaritan who did go out of his way to help the injured man, and who represents the person who showed how to love his neighbor.  You can imagine how insulted Jewish listeners were hearing Jesus basically describing a Samaritan as the hero of the story while their own people were castigated.  Note that Jewish hatred of Samaritans was so great that when Jesus asked which of the three were the good neighbor, the Jewish man who asked the original question about who is my neighbor answered “he who showed mercy (compassion)”, without saying “the Samaritan”.

This story tells you to love others regardless of who they are, what their race or religion is, what their social status is, or anything else.  Anyone in trouble or having any need is your neighbor.  And notice that the Samaritan in the story did not expect anything in return for all he did for the injured man.  His compassion was pure, without any selfish motive for himself. 

I’ve heard a sermon where the Good Samaritan is Jesus, the injured man represents all sinful people, the robbers are Satan’s attacks on men, the priest represents apostasy and the Levite represents legalism with both showing prejudice.  However, I personally don’t like this interpretation; I prefer to believe that this story simply describes what compassion means, what it means to love your neighbor as yourself.  I also like the thought--and need to follow the thought with action-- that compassion for others starts with a need that inspires you to do something, you see the need that often interrupts what you might be doing otherwise, and you act on the need that often is an inconvenience to you.

Martin Luther King, Jr is quoted as saying---“The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’”  Which would be your position?  Aim to ask the question of the Samaritan.  Who is your neighbor right now?

Ways that seem right to a man leads to death

Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. 

How do you interpret a verse like this (also repeated in Proverbs 16:25)?  What do you think Solomon, inspired by the Holy Spirit, really meant when he wrote these words?  What “way” is he writing about? 

The word for “way” in the Hebrew has several definitions---journey, direction, habit, a course of life, and/or the moral character of a person.  This verse implies that the ways-directions-habits-course of life and moral character of man will lead to death and this is not the way of God.  The ways of man without the guidance of the Bible will lead man astray and ultimate death.  The ways of man are not the ways of God (Isaiah 55:8-9).  What man will choose to do and be without the guidance of the Bible will be the opposite of the ways God would choose.

This verse speaks of a very popular philosophy today called humanism.  Humanism believes that man is basically good, that mankind (not God) is the highest entity, that there is no absolute right and wrong, and that anything is good and right as long as no one else gets hurt.  The beliefs of humanism are very appealing to the natural human heart that basically desires to rebel against God.  Humanism is anti-God and anti-Bible.     

What are some examples of “ways” that seem right to a man, but, according to the Word of God, are ways that lead to death?

§ Thinking only of yourself, your wants/needs, never those of another person (Phil 2:3-4)

§ Submitting to your lusts without any concern of the implications and consequences (James 1:14-15)

§ Making decisions apart from seeking the guidance of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10)

§ Choosing to follow false prophets and leaders whose beliefs are contrary to the Lord’s (Matt 7:15, Col 2:8, I John 4:1)

What is really tragic is when a person sincerely believes in something or sincerely believes that something is true and right, but such sincerity does not absolve that person from terrible consequences.  You may sincerely believe that a pathway or a philosophy or a cult is right, but when you learn it is wrong, you don’t escape the consequences.  Just like believing in some investment where you give a huge amount of money, then find out later it is bogus--- your belief was sincere, but you still lost all your money.  Consequences of sincere belief in wrong things can result in spiritual or physical death.  Wrong choices, despite how much you might have believed in the truth of your choice, can lead to death.

There exists a spiritual law that states that man’s sinful nature separates him from fellowship with God.  Nothing man can do, no matter how right it seems, can bridge that gap.  Only faith in Jesus Christ can.  Without Jesus, the ways of man will lead to eternal separation from God, thus, eternal death.  Thank God that His way, if you believe His Word, will lead you to eternal life. 

What are the credentials of an authentic Christian?

Psalm 119:165 (NASB)

Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble. 

Pastor Woody Church, Founder of Rod and Staff Ministries in Greenwood, IN, impressed me one Sunday with his answer to the following question, “What are the credentials of an authentic Christian?”  His answer?  He quoted Psalm 119:165. 

One powerful definition of a Christian is someone who loves the law of God.  It does not say, “love God”, but “love Your law”.  Jesus clarified this in John 14:23 (and closely related 14:21).  If you love God, you will keep (obey) His word.  It is not enough to say “I love the Lord”.  What really matters is whether or not you back up your words of love with acts of love.  When Jesus asked Peter three times in John 21 if Peter loved Him and Peter said “yes”, what was Jesus’ response each time?  OK, Peter, if you say that you love Me, then tend My lambs.  Jesus required action to prove love for Him.

Those who obey the laws of God have great peace and nothing causes them to stumble.  These are the two credentials of an authentic Christian, an authentic believer and follower of Christ.  Think about these two great truths.  If you have great peace in your life, is there anything else that you need, that you lack, that can be better than this?  I believe that being content and being at peace with your life are the most treasured, wonderful, and blessed feelings to experience in all of life.  Yet, how many of you are content and at peace with your life?  If you are not in perfect peace (Isa 26:3) this is a sure sign that there is some disobedience going on your life.  This is a matter of prayer (Phil 4:6-7) and thorough examination of what’s going on in your life and the possible need to yield to Christ a matter that up to now you have not. 

The other great blessing of being an authentic Christian is the truth that nothing will cause you to stumble.  This word, stumble, reminded me of Romans 14:21 where Paul wrote that you are to do nothing that might cause a brother in Christ to stumble.  To stumble biblically is to be induced to sin. By loving the law of God, loving in the sense of practicing God’s ways, you will never stumble according to this verse.  Now, there’s no such thing as a perfect Christian in and of himself, but in Christ, you are perfect (Matt 5:48) because you are forgiven and your heart is always right with God.

Do you have great peace in your life?  Are you free from stumbling?  If so, you are so blessed and others see your credentials.  However, if you honestly cannot say yes to these questions, you still have great hope.  You can resolve right now to pray and ask the Lord through His Spirit to save you and to help you love His law.  It’s always a matter of faith and initiative to do what your conscience nudges you to do.  Resolve today and forevermore to live your life as an authentic Christian.