Roger's Postings

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Psalm 119:33-40. Christian conduct?? 5/9/08

(33) Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. {34} Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. {35} Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. {36} Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. {37} Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. {38} Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. {39} Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. {40} How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.

Today’s readings, all have much to say about how we are to conduct ourselves as God’s people. These reading have nothing to say to the people out there: for these instructions do not fit into the way our world and sinful human nature seeks to live, think and act. Here, however, for us as Christians the challenge is laid down for us to live as is fitting for one who belongs in God’s family.

Here make no mistake much of what is said does not fit comfortably with how we as humans want to live. As much as we might like to think that we are reasonably good Christians and we are not doing too badly; these instruction are a real challenge to us if we seek to carry them out in accord with the intent that they were given. They are often a sticking point for us because our sinful, selfish nature will not want to go down the path that we are called to follow. Here I am talking about you and me.

We don’t want to think that the call to Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die; applies to us. We’re not that bad! We’re not as corrupt as Israel was at the time of Ezekiel! I’m not so sure. The Israelites regularly worshipped in the temple and synagogues; but then they thought that they could live and do as they pleased. They like so many today, did not want to hear the call for a change in their thinking and actions. There was the recognition that their problems were a result of sin; but they did not want to repent. They just wanted God to make things right without any change on their part. Are we any different?
Also, how comfortable are we with Jesus’ call for the way we are to deal with the situations were someone sins against us or we have against someone else? Do we want it sorted out, or do we just want our ‘pound of flesh,’ or just be able to continue to be the victim, or simply cover it over and suggest it is no big deal? Do we want to recognise that in those situations, were two or three are gathered together, Christ is right there also? He wants us to live and work together as his own people.

Then what about that reading from Romans: Do we want to see that the only debt that we have toward those around us is the debt to love one another? We want to legislate all kinds of behaviour so that we can use it to our benefit; that we can control what happens around us. We want to be ‘me focussed,’ rather than thinking of the other person first and foremost. Control and doing is more important to us than having a right attitude toward the people around us.

Far too often we want to claim that we are Christians; that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour; yet we still want to ignore some of these very basic things that our Lord has to say to us. Even when we are reminded of these things, nothing changes: we think we can presume on God’s grace and it doesn’t matter. At other times we know what we should be doing, but we struggle to do so. That too is not acceptable.

So we need to join with the psalmist: (33) Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. {34} Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. {35} Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. {36} Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. {37} Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. {38} Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. {39} Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. {40} How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.

Notice how the psalmist looks to God to teach, direct and turn and do what was necessary in his life for it to be what God wants it to be. We too need to have the same attitude.

Because of all that our Lord Jesus has done for us; his life; his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins; his resurrection so that we can know that eternal life has been won for us; surely we will now seek his help so that our conduct will be in accord with what we profess as Christians. Because he is our Lord and his ways are good and right; and because we fail and fall short; we will long for and seek his help and guidance all along the way. Instead of presuming that we can handle things on our own; or get away with being less than perfect, we will allow him to take control. We will want him to.

We then will be led to daily; Turn from our evil ways! It means I will need to warn you to turn away from that which is harmful for you so that not only am I not held accountable for those among you who choose not to; but more importantly so that you will not destroy yourselves and those near and dear to you. We will be taught God’s Law so that we know that we constantly fall short of what God expects of us and which is good for our relationships with him and the people around us. Then, recognizing that; we will repent and seek after his forgiveness and help for our lives.

That then will lead us to do all we can to be reconciled to those around about us. We won’t want to hold grudges against one another; put others down; and that kind of thing. We will remember that where we are together with fellow Christians that there Christ himself is present. So surely we will then temper how we speak to one another and even think of one another. We will be directed to build one another up, instead of tear them down. Yes it means that we will gently point out one another’s faults, in order that Christ body may be built up and strengthened. If there is no change of attitude then we will be led to treat them as people who need to hear God’s Law and Gospel loudly and clearly.

But all the while God’s love for us in Christ Jesus will direct us to love one another. We will not want to harm the people around us; particularly those within the church. Instead this love means we will constantly be seeking to do what is for their good; all the time. The commandments then will be seen and used by us so that we can do the very best we can for the people around about us; instead of selfishly. We will treat them as we ourselves would want to be treated.

We will constantly recognise that we have been clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ. What a wonderful picture that is; clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that is designer wear of the best quality indeed. We hear the saying ‘clothes maketh a man’. In this case Jesus makes us people who have a whole different outlook on life; a different hope; a different direction in focus; a different way of living and acting. In fact we will be going forward, knowing that at our baptism Jesus Christ has taken over our lives; and so our lives are to be lived as Jesus would live. Where we go Jesus Christ is right there; not just with us; but surrounding us and covering us. When people see that we are different and somehow special; they will see not us, but Jesus Christ himself. Then they may well be drawn to him, wanting the same for themselves.

So then let us take on board the whole attitude of the Psalmist here in this reading: Wanting; desiring earnestly that the Lord would teach us to follow his teachings and his way of living. Wanting a genuine understanding of what God would want us to be doing. Seeking his direction for the way we should be thinking, living and acting. Want him to turn our attention away from that which is worthless and harmful to that which is good and right.

Let us daily long for our Lord to fulfil his promises that he has made to us and all people, so that others too may recognize that our great God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit is to be feared. May we yearn for him to bless us and keep us now and forever more. To him be all glory and honour now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home