The Word of God in the Heart of Man: Road Map to Personal Purity - Psalm 119:9-16 (Psalms 119:9-16)

1:07Remember last week we began working our way through this psalm. It's going to take us months to get through, for sure. And if the Lord gives us the time, we looked at the blessed journey. Both these two stanzas, the olive stanza and the Beth stanza, serve as introductory to this whole Psalm. If you look back at the first three verses of Psalm 119, the first three verses, there is an emphasis upon the third person or the they. If you'll look, how blessed are those in verse 1. Verse 2, how blessed are those? He's looking from the outside, looking at a group of people who seek him with all their heart. Verse 3, they also do know unrighteousness. They walk in his ways. So he's looking at this blessed group of people, and he's saying, wow, they are blessed.

2:05And then he shifts gears to the second person. Look in verse 4. You. So now he starts addressing the Lord specifically. You have ordained your precepts, and that's why they're blessed. He says, he points out this blessed way. And then in verses 5 through 8, there's again a shift in the person to the first person. Oh, that my ways, do you see that? Verse 5, oh, that my ways will be established to keep your statutes. Then I shall not be ashamed. When I look upon your commandments, I shall give thanks to you with uprightness. When I learn of your righteous judgments, I shall keep your statutes. Do not forsake me. Do you see how he's gone from, look at this blessed category of people? The reason they're blessed is because you have ordained your precepts. Now, Lord, as this bears upon me, I will. Want to walk in your ways. Establish me in your ways. And it culminates in this holy resolve that comes at the verse, end of verse 8. I shall keep your statutes. I shall keep your statutes. And out of this resolution naturally comes a personal commitment to purity, blamelessness. If you look at the very first line of verse 9, how can a young man keep his way pure? He again talks in the third person. Now, here's the young man speaking of him over there. How does this young man keep his way pure?

3:44Or anybody for that matter. And his answer, the word for pure is the word sometimes translated as blameless. Blameless. How does this young man keep his way blameless before you? You remember, looking back at verse 1, how blessed are those whose way is blameless. You see the connection. He's saying, okay, I know your ways are blameless, and blessed are those whose ways are blameless, because you have blessed them to be such. Now I want those for me. Now the question becomes, how? How do I do this? How does a young man keep his way pure? That is, to where there's no accusation that you can find against him. That's the question that the psalmist brings up. And is answered. Well, let's just look at this. Personal purity. Personal purity comes out of this. This commitment to personal purity. And verse 9 begins with the right question. Verse 9: How can a young man keep his way pure? That's the question for us all. It's not just about the young man, but anyone. How can anyone keep his way pure? And it's a strong verb there. It's literally, how can a man make his way pure? And the answer, by keeping it according to your word. You see, this psalmist's goal is to be blameless. You see the question there being asked? How does a young man, how does a person keep his way pure? It's the right question.

5:28It's not, how close can I get to sin without crossing the line? That's not his question at all. No, he asked the right question of life. In fact, most battles of life can be won simply by asking the right question. When I was in Africa, one of the pastors came up to me and said, I need some pastoral advice. How do I handle music in my congregation, and specifically among the youth? They're asking me what music is appropriate to listen to.

6:06My heart went out to them. Living where they are, there's been, since the year 2000, there's just been a flood of Western culture, media coming into the country in somewhat of an avalanche. In 19 or in 2000, they didn't have any TVs, they didn't have the videos or anything in there, or very limited. And then, starting in about the year 2000, these little villages learned they could get a little generator, they could fire up some power, they could get a big screen and set up some speakers and start showing American or Western movies and charging the villagers some quatcha.

6:51Started out with Bruce Lee. Everybody knew who Bruce Lee was in the country. But then it progressed to even some of the most rank pornographic materials in these little villages being shown on the big screen and blasted through the PA system in the village. As we talked about this, I said, you know what? That's the wrong question. When your youth are asking how far, how close can I get to the line without crossing it, you've already lost the battle because Western culture is Antichrist. It will suck. The Christianity out of you.

7:33And it does so one line at a time. How far is too far? It's the age-old question, isn't it? It's not just in Africa, is it? It's here. It's there, it's everywhere. It was then, it was now, it will be. It's the question of all times. It is the question at the heart of human depravity. How far can I go to the edge and not sin? How much of the world can I indulge without really technically crossing the line? And if that is your question, you are not on the road to personal purity. It's the wrong question. And many of you have grown up under a Christianity, and to you, it's just a bunch of rules and lines because you have not had a transformed heart. And for you, you want to know how close can I get? That is evidence of a lost person. That is an evidence of somebody who is not on the road to purity at all. But one just has to, one who is just trying to figure out how to get through the blockades that have been put upon them by maybe somebody else, your parents or society, or whatever. But personal purity begins with the right question. Interesting word for the word young man. Here, it really comes from the word shaken off.

9:05One who's shaken off. You think it think about that as a young person who's shaken off or now set free outside of some of perhaps his constraints at home. Certainly, a lot of application to us here today, right? A lot of college students, that's a pretty good description. How does one who's just been shaken out of his home or left his home, how does one keep his way pure? That's the question you need to be asking yourself.

9:38In fact, if we can think about Daniel and his example being carted off to Babylon at a very young age, shaken off from his family. Now, the question: how does a young person or any person keep his way pure? So, personal purity begins with the right question, but personal purity also adheres to the right standard. Look back at verse 9. Look back at verse 9. How can a young man keep his way pure? Answer, by keeping it according to your word, God's word. And this is the seventh word for word. You know, remember, I told you there's eight, I believe. Some people think there's. 10, but certainly there's eight words for the word here, and here is the seventh one. And it's the general answer to the general question: keeping it according to your word. And this word occurs 24 times in this psalm, and it is the word for word that is the most general, most common term for God's communication to man, his word.

10:53And what it refers to here is the sum total of his revealed will. How does a person keep his or her way pure by keeping it according to the sum total of God's will? That's the general answer. And he's asking this question not because he just wants to be clever and think about these things in the abstract, but he wants to obey them. How does one keep his way pure so that I will keep my way pure? That's why he's asking the question. He wants his way to be blameless. He wants his way to be blameless by keeping it according to your word, God's word, as opposed to human tradition, human philosophy, human reason, logic, conjecture, desires, or anything else. But God's Word opposed to philosophy's thinking of man. But also, you can put the emphasis there at the end of 9, verse 9, by keeping it according to your word. Your word, God's word, as opposed to the young man's way. See that? It could be, it's God's word, God versus the young man, or God versus us. It's not our way, it's his way, his word. Not our thoughts, not our desires, not our traditions, but it comes from him. It originates from him, doesn't originate from us. That's how you're going to keep your way pure, by adhering to the right standard. And this is, he gives the general answer to the standard of purity. How do you keep your way pure? By keeping it according to God's word. That's the general answer. The rest of the psalm is really the specific answer. He's just going to add on and give more specific details. That's an introductory, general premise. Everything. We can think of this as a roadmap.

12:58In this psalm, he's going to, or in this stanza, in these next few verses, he's going to lay out seven aspects of what a true commitment to personal purity looks like. We can think of this as a practical guide or a roadmap to personal purity. And we gather this by his example. This young man was on the road to personal purity. This is what he set his heart upon. And his example is here for us. We could follow. Think of this not just in terms of personal purity, but think of it personal holiness, personal sanctification, lifetime obedience. It all runs together. The same general thought emanating out of this. How do you sanctify your way? What does practical holiness look like?

13:50It's right here. But you know, you can have the best roadmap, but if you don't pay attention to it, it's not going to do you any good, right? And I don't know how many of you may have fathers or married to somebody who just doesn't like to ask for directions, and you end up someplace off in the other side of the country. Or even if you have now one of these GPS units and you're tracking it, you've got to type in the right address, right? You can be driving across town, like, well, you know, I sure thought I was going south of town, but this thing's leading me north of town, so I sure know I'm on the right path because I'm.

14:26But if you type in the wrong address, you can end up 45. Why did I end up 45 minutes off my destination? Well, you've got to have the right address. So a commitment to personal purity is a commitment to purify at least seven aspects of your being. And we're going to look at the example of the psalmist, and I want you to see seven things that you will need to do to keep your way pure. Seven things for you to do to keep your way pure. So let's move through this.

15:00Look back at verse 10. The first thing you need to do to keep your way pure is to purify your heart. And the psalmist shows us in verses 10 and 11 what a purified heart looks like. And a purified heart does three things. First of all, a purified heart seeks God. Look at verse 10. For with all my heart I have sought you. A purified heart loves God Himself. We seek that which we love, what the heart longs for, the heart goes after.

15:34We are to seek God in the words that He has spoken. He is not going to be found in our vain imaginations. If I wanted to know more about my wife, when I was getting to know her, I read her letters. I didn't go read the newspaper or didn't start pondering what I thought she might be like. I just read her words, and this communicated to me who she was. With all of my heart, I have sought you. A purified heart seeks God. Second thing a purified heart does: a purified heart distrusts self. Look back at verse 10. Do not let me wander from your commandments. You see this distrust of self? This psalmist is going to go back and forth here on out. He's asked the third-person question now: how does This young man keeps his way pure. And then from then on, pretty much throughout the rest of the psalm, it's back and forth. You, I, you, I, how do I keep your commandments?

16:40And here he is in verse 10: do not let me wander from your commandments, because I know deep inside I have a proneness to wander away. And this commandment, a word for commandment, he uses that word. This is God's insistent will. This is what God gives to man, and he insists man to follow for his own good and for God's glory. God does indeed have an opinion, and they are reflected in his commandments. So a purified heart seeks God, a purified heart distrusts self, but a purified heart treasures God's word. Look back at verse 11. Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against you. And this is the eighth word for the word in this psalm. And it occurs 19 times. I know the New American Standard translated this as word, just like the last one. But it occurs, it carries the idea of a promise. Six times it's used to just refer to God's law in general, but 13 times it is used to communicate promise. In fact, if you're reading an ESV, I appreciate their interpretation or translation. Look at verse 41.

17:57May your loving kindness also come to me. O Lord, your salvation, according to your word. Or if you're in the ESV, according to your promise. Look at verse 50. Remember the word to your servant, in which you made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction. Remember the promise to your servant. Remember, and that's the idea: your word I have treasured in my heart. Your word is as if one big promise to me, and I have treasured it in my heart because of its comforting promises. It is one promise to me. One big. It's like I can remember a client that I had. And in my engineering world, there were some times when I was involved in some very large projects with some very, at some very intense times, and we have to prepare plans, and we're working with a team, and there's a lot of money involved, and contracts, and there's deadlines, and there's a whole lot of pointing fingers, especially when things start going wrong. And those can be very tense times. And I remember I had this client. There was one of these times when I was being challenged on something, or somebody really hadn't done their job right. If I can be so bold. And that.

19:30Was kind of being turned towards me and trying to find fault in some of my work. And I had a client who just trusted me, trusted my plans. He said, You know what? Your work is solid. And I am going to make sure that everybody else is made to understand that. And that's a comforting promise when you're in the middle of something like that. I know I like to tell my children growing up as they're going off to bed, I like to remind them, you know something? Your dad loves you. And you know what? He always will.

20:08And that can mean a lot. A comforting promise. And that's the idea here. God's Word is a comforting promise. And so a purified heart treasures God's word and stores it, hides it. Word for treasure in some translations is hid, right? I have hid my heart. I mean, and the idea is: what do you do with something you want to keep in a safe place? You hide it, right? You hide money in a safe place because you want to keep it, right? A purified heart values God's word. And so, what it does is it seeks to keep it in the most secure place.

20:57It brings a good question. It's kind of like the safety deposit box. Heart is the safety deposit box for words. That's why we put his promises there. What is the most important or more secure place for words? Is it your iPhone? No. No, it's not ink or paper. It's not a place that can be lost. Safety deposit box is in your heart. And that's where you put the words. That's where the psalmist puts the word. I mean, why do so many Christians commit scripture to memory? Because they want to put the word where it can't be taken away. It's in the heart. And that's a little plug for our scripture memory, truth and grace on Wednesday nights. Come be a part of it. That's why we want to put the word in the heart.

21:50And don't ever discount the importance of such an effort. It puts it in that safety deposit box where it cannot be taken away. I believe Daniel's parents made efforts to instill God's word in his heart as a young boy. And when he was shaken off and sent to Babylon, it wasn't taken from his heart, even though the whole geopolitical and religious world was changed before his eyes. But why does he put it there? Look at verse 11. Your word I have treasured in my heart so that I may not sin against you. Word for sin there is missing the bullseye. In Judges 20, 16, there were 700 choice men who were left-handed, and they could sling a stone at a hare and not miss. That's the idea of to sin is to miss the bullseye. Same word here.

22:59This idea, this psalmist does not want to miss God's way. He wants to be right on target, right on the bullseye. I have put your word in my heart so that I will not miss the bullseye of your way. One commentator said it, well, the best thing hidden in the best place for the best purpose. The best thing, God's word, hidden in the best place, the heart for the best purpose, so that we do not sin against him. Look back at verse 2. You remember how this opening line, remember the psalmist's observation, how blessed are those who observe or who keep his testimonies. Then look again in verse 5. Remember the psalmist's cry, oh, that my ways be established to keep your statutes. And then look at his resolution in verse 8, I shall keep your statutes. And the psalmist is sure that he will be kept by the word because he Keeps the word in his heart. You see, the same is true for us. The word has a keeping power. Keep the word in your heart, and the word will keep you in his ways. So, the first thing you need to do in order to keep your way pure is to purify your heart. Second thing you need to do is to purify your worship. And this deals with the object of your worship. Verse 12: Blessed are you, O Lord. Teach me your statutes. And the psalmist shows us in this line two or shows us two things that accompany pure worship. Number one, pure worship, purified worship esteems God above all else. Blessed are you, O Lord.

24:48In fact, if you've been in any very many Jewish seders or any festivals, you've probably heard this phrase, Baruch Atah, Arunai, over and over. But the actual text here, and in many passages like it, it's actually Baruch Atah Yahweh. Of course, many of the Jewish tradition will not speak the name Yahweh out of reverence. And I put quote reverence because I think it communicates more of a distance from God rather than reverence. Of him. The idea, Yahweh, being a covenant-keeping God, I can tell you, what's the most humble thing to do if he gives you his name, and especially the name of the covenant-keeping God?

25:45There is no more important name to be on your lips than the very name of the covenant-keeping God. That's the one name we all have to start out with. He is God Almighty, He is Maker, He is Creator, but He is Yahweh, He is the covenant-keeping God. And we need to establish that and understand that first. And this is what He desires: He is the covenant-keeping God, and He wants covenant faithfulness from His people. But what's interesting in this passage, blessed are you, is there's a very rare occurrence of the inferior blessing His superior. The word is blessed, passive. And He's blessing, He's giving glory to God for what God has done and for who God is.

26:40Blessed are you, the inferior, giving glory to the superior. We have the same thing happening in Genesis chapter 24. You remember when Abraham's servant went out looking for a wife for Isaac, and he finds Rebekah, and then he bows down and worships the Lord. Lord and bless the Lord, the God of Abraham, who has guided me in the right way. So here is the servant of Abraham bowing down and blessing God for having led him in the right path. And we have this psalmist doing the very same thing here. He bursts forth with an expression of gratitude for God's word and what it reveals about God and the right way. Thank you for giving me the right way.

27:33And he goes on, thank you, you are wonderful. Teach me your statutes. Teach me your statutes. I mean, what do you esteem most highly? What do you bless above all things with your life? Everything you do is an expression of blessing what you esteem. Purified worship esteems God Himself above all, but purified worship also assumes the posture of the disciple, of a disciple. Look at verse 12. Teach me your statutes. And this is the word that describes God's prescriptions for life, as a doctor prescribes instructions to his patient. God's statutes are our prescriptions for life.

28:25Carved, etched in stone, these are his indelible statutes. Prescribed for your well-being, for my well-being. Teach me your statutes. But look at there's an imperative command here. It's really interesting what he does. You must teach me. In fact, he's very bold. God, teach me. It's like he's giving God a command. On the one hand, he's blessing God. And on the other hand, he's demanding, God, teach me. And what this does is it expresses the psalmist's utter dependence upon God to teach him. You must teach me your ways, God. I cannot know them otherwise. Teach me.

29:11It's incumbent upon you to teach me, so please do so. He gets so bold with God, not irreverently, but as an expression of his desire to obey God and to be a good steward of God's teaching. Is that your prayer? He will teach you, if such is the case. Well, number one, you need to purify your heart. Number two, you need to purify your worship. And number three, you need to purify your lips. Look at verse 13. With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of your mouth. And this idea is purifying the words of your mouth. Purify your speech, that your speech be clean.

30:00What does clean speech talk about? It talks about the ordinances of God. This is actually the sixth word for the word, and I think I left it out last time, but it's translated as judgments in verse 7, ordinances, judgments. But what this refers to is God's settled decisions. And what a judgment comes about through an act of judging. And so God's revealed decisions are His judgments. You can think of Him as God's righteous ways, the righteous ways of His administration, the righteous ways of His government, His ordinances, His decisions.

30:42With my lips I have told. Word for told means report, publish, announce, declared, talk. I've talked at length about your ordinances. The psalmist shows us what purified lips do. They speak. In fact, they do not keep good secrets. Purified lips do not keep good secrets. I tell you one thing that's kind of, I don't know if it's just the changing times around here, but I've really been kind of impressed or taken notice of the way our young men around here propose to the young ladies around here. Very different than what I did. There's this sense where. And this has happened on a couple of occasions, where a lot of people know the proposal is coming even before the bride-to-be is. So it's kind of publicly announced, not publicly, publicly, but it's gotten around. So several people know that the proposal is coming, and there's even an engagement party planned afterwards. And I can think, what if she says no?

31:59I mean, when I proposed to Nancy, I got up at 5. I was living at the Still Creek Boys Ranch in one house. She was living in another. I got up early, made her this big breakfast, went over there, got her up about 6 a.m., put out this breakfast, and pretty much popped the question before she could even hardly wake up. But I certainly didn't tell anybody else it was coming. It was funny because she said, yes, but I don't know if I could eat this breakfast you made from here. Yes, get her mind even.

32:32But around here, it's a little different. And so I asked permission from Scott and Elizabeth to share this, but just recently, something happened. Just before Scott proposed to Elizabeth, my two younger daughters somehow found out that it was coming. They knew about it. Well, it just so happened the very next day that Elizabeth was coming over to our house to observe our tutoring program. Program. So she was going to be there all day with these two little girls who knew it was coming, and they were excited. They wanted to talk about it. And both Nancy and I, I mean, we were scared.

33:17We're like, there is no way these two little girls, it's kind of cruel, you know, to put this on these anyway. Put it on these two little girls to get them this great information, and then you can't talk. And we threatened them with the inch of their life. And so they were able to keep it quiet, barely. The bottom line is: a heart that has good news just can't keep it. Lips that know good words have good news. It's hard to rein it in, right? And this is exactly what the psalmist does. He says, With my lips, I have told of all of the ordinances of your mouth. If this was an amplified version, I'd say, I have told of all the glorious and wonderful ordinances of your mouth. The good news of what you have declared, I have proclaimed. It comes right off my lips. It comes from your mouth, and then it comes off my lips. You see the connection here between the two.

34:20With my lips, the beginning of verse 13, your mouth at the end. In contrast, the disciple hears and speaks. It's what Peter and John, before the Jewish leaders in Acts 4, 18, when they had summoned them, they commanded them, do not speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge. For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard. That is what purified lips are about. Purified lips are not ashamed of God's glorious ways. In fact, look at the word all. I have told of all. I love them all. Purified lips teach God's words. It's like the student teaches the words of his teacher. Purified lips also reflect God's words. Notice that the words of the student reflect the quality and the character of the words of the master. His words are their words. There is joy.

35:31If God's ordinances do not bring you joy, you do not understand them. There is joy in them. So purify your heart. Purify your worship. Purify your lips. The fourth thing you need to do is purify your joy. Purify your joy. Look at verse 14. I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies as much as in all riches. Question comes, what is the source of your joy? What brings you joy? Is it a high score on a video game? Is that what really puffs you up? Or if the stock market is up, are you up? If it's down, are you down? What is it that the Aggies are doing well? What is it? What is it that is the source of your joy? Well, the psalmist shows us what pure joy is based upon, or his pure joy, and that is God's testimonies. That is God's sworn witness to the truth. That is his joy. I noticed something very interesting. It's not just the testimonies, but it's the way of God's testimonies. It's not just speculation, but the way of. It's not just mere talk about God's testimonies, but it is the practice of them. I am excited. I rejoice in the way of your testimonies. They are brilliant. I love them.

37:04And look at this: verse 14, the second part, as much as in all riches. As one, you can translate this easily, as one who rejoices in all his riches. There's a comparison being made. I remember in California, we lived next to a girl, a family, and the woman was very excited. Excited about the escalating property values in our subdivision, which we were renting, by the way. But she was excited. And when you got around her, really, that's what lit her up. You could see it on her face.

37:46We can, you see, we talk about the things we love. We rejoice in the things that we love. And what the psalmist here is saying, I simply love the way God thinks. I love the things that come out of his mouth. And I love them more than anything else, even than vast riches. And if the psalmist here is Daniel, that is quite a statement. Few people in the history of the world had so much at their disposal. Or whether the psalmist is David, same is true.

38:23This psalmist had access to wealth, but he treasured God's word above it. And if we bring this to a question to us today, what would bring, and be honest, try to be honest with this, what would bring a bigger smile to your face today? A bank bag full of money, news of a new scholarship, or whatever, or a clear understanding of a portion of Scripture? What's going to, honestly, bring a bigger smile to your face? It's kind of sad if we get too deep, but this psalmist, pure. Joy. Purify your joy. Let the source of your joy be his testimonies. His ways. They don't change. So purify your heart. Purify your worship. Purify your lips. Purify your joy. And purify your thoughts. Look at verse 15a. I will meditate on your precepts.

39:23And then really talking about here purifying the subject of your meditation. What does your mind like to return to when it comes to that resting mode? What does it drift back to? Look at what the psalmist love. The psalmist loved God's precepts. And this refers to that minutiae detail, the very particular instructions or orders or assignments or the charges of the Lord. We likened it last time to a professor's syllabus. Very detailed instructions about how to get through a course. And God's precepts are his very detailed instructions about how to get through life blameless.

40:11You know, it's not difficult to meditate upon that which you love. In fact, it's very easy to meditate upon that which you love. Have you ever been in a class where you just absolutely despise the material? Or even if you don't absolutely despise it, you're just not really drawn to it. And it's just pure shit. Sure, grit, will that makes you get those facts in your mind and then to put them out. It's kind of hard to meditate on those, right? But if you're really interested in something, wow, meditation becomes easy, doesn't it?

40:45Now, not that this would ever happen here, but I have heard of churches, some places, somewhere, where young men come to church because they're girl crazy. I have heard of young girls coming to church because they're boy crazy. Not that that would ever happen here, but the meditation is more about a person, right? A relationship. And it's easy to start letting that be, if you're interested in a particular person. I remember when I first met Nancy, it wasn't hard for me to think about her. Still isn't.

41:29But we think about things that we that interest us. But if your meditation is pure, you will love or be interested in his precepts. And if you're not there, ask God to get you there. Joshua 1:8, you remember the command: this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that. Is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. You see, this psalmist got what would have made Israel successful in the land and will someday.

42:13And this is what will make us truly successful as well. Think upon his precepts. Let that be your resting point for your mind. So, seven things you need to do to keep your way pure: purify your hearts, purify your worship, purify your lips, purify your joy, purify your thoughts. And sixth, purify your eyes. Look at the second part of verse 15. It says, I will meditate on your precepts and regard your ways. I shall delight in your statutes. First part of 16. And this deals your eyes, this deals with purifying the delight of your eyes. Literally, the word for regard is literally look upon. ESV says it well. Fix my eyes upon. I will fix my eyes upon your way. I will fix my gaze upon. That is, I will be transfixed by your ways. Your ways have captured my heart. And every time I see your ways, whether it's in print or whether it's exemplified in the life of one of your believers, I am captivated. I shall delight in your statutes. He fixes his eyes upon God's ways. He loves the beauty. Acts of the saints. He loves the descriptions in the scriptures. And this captures his attention, and he delights in his statutes. Now, look back at verse 12. What does it say? Teach me your statutes. And then here in verse 16, I shall delight in your statutes, in those prescriptions for life. Teach me your prescriptions for life, and I will delight in them. That's what the psalmist is saying.

43:57And that is the heart of a blameless person. The question is: what fascinates you? I'm afraid your eyes tell the story of your soul. What is it that delights your eyes? What delights your eyes is what delights you. And ask God to purify so that his ways will be your delight. Seventh, you need to purify your will. Purify your will. Look at verse 16. I shall delight in your statutes. I shall not forget your word. Purify the resolve of your will. That's what's going on here. Purify your will. See how he says the word forget, I shall not forget. And this implies. More than just a memory lapse or simple forgetfulness. But the word here describes a very deliberate act of the will, willful forgetfulness, deliberate suppression. I will not disregard, willfully disregard, or deliberately suppress your truth.

45:25I will not forget your word. We need to be vigilant against such forgetfulness because we know our proneness to wander. We know our proneness to disregard. And so we ask God, God, help us to be vigilant. But that last word for word is the same as the first word for word that he says in verse 9. How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word. And then at the end of this stanza, he says in verse 16, I shall not forget your word. See this resolution? How does a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word. And when he gets through speaking in this stanza, he says, I shall not forget your word. Teach me. Teach me your word. I will not forget your word. I will let your word define who I am. So there it is. Very simple roadmap to personal purity taken. From the exemplary life of the psalmist, purify your heart, purify your worship, purify your speech, purify your joy, purify your thoughts, purify your eyes, purify your will.

46:47I want to remind you that the psalmist here, if you haven't picked this up already, is not talking about sinless perfection, is he? He understands the struggles he has in his own heart, but he's talking about a blameless walk with God. God has made a provision for our sins in his way. If we walk according to his way, he has made provision for our sins and for our failures so that we can get up, so that we can follow him, so that we can make things right with God and with others, so that we can move forward, so that we can be free and equipped to bless others. So, the question before us: do you want to be free to bless God and to bless others? And call upon Jesus to save? Call upon Jesus to sanctify or to purify you. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we can only walk and follow in the strength that you give. Father, we can only stand in the grace that you give. And so, Father, we ask. For that, this morning. Father, we, like this psalmist, Father, desire to be purified and to purify ourselves. Father, and so we see this relationship, this dependence upon you to awaken, to quicken, to impart faith and grace that we may stand, that we might have holy desires and then pursue them with all our hearts. And so, Father, we ask you to bring this about in our lives this morning. In Christ's name.