Saturday, April 16, 2022

Psalm 101: How to live a holy life

King David exemplifies in Psalm 101 (Psalm 101:1a) how to live a holy life:

  1. "I will ponder the way that is blameless." (Psalm 101:2a). To think about what is right and good, that is, to think and meditate on the right way to live.
  2. "I will walk with integrity of heart within my house." (Psalm 101:2c). My home will become a place of integrity. It means to follow the laws of my country
    (those that aren't against the Christian God (Acts 4:18–20)), do what I need to do, honor the Lord, live for God. It affects the movies I see, the books I read.
  3. "I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless." (Psalm 101:3a). What we see with our eyes has a direct connection to our heart (our mind). This was hard for David to follow, see Psalm 51: Coming to God when we fail.
  4. "I hate the work of those who fall away; it should not cling to me." 
    (Psalm 101:3b). We should avoid being influenced by those who have departed from the Lord or from the calling of the Lord. It might not mean to have no contact with them. We should continue to love and encourage them and pray for them, but be careful not to come under their influence
    (2 Thess 3:6, 1 Cor 15:33). See also this explained at time 30:34–31:36
    in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │ August 2023.
  5. "A perverse heart should be far from me; I will know nothing of evil."
    (Psalm 101:4).  I should avoid being around perverted people and not let perversity enter my own heart.
  6. "Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy." (Psalm 101:5a). I shouldn't associate with such persons (1 Cor 5:11 (NIV), Proverbs 10:18).
  7. "Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure."
    (Psalm 101:5b). It's a person with an overwhelming prideful attitude.
    "Bad company ruins good morals." (1 Cor 15:33).
  8. "I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me." 
    (Psalm 101:6). To surround myself with godly people who can build me up.
    We need each other in the body of Christ.
  9. "No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes." (Psalm 101:7). David knew that deceitful liars could bring him down so quickly.
  10. "Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord." (Psalm 101:8). It means for us to cut out from our lives all who go against the Lord as far as their bad influence in our lives (Psalm 141:4, 1 Cor 15:33).
We may have people at our work and close to us that we can't and shouldn't cut out of our lives, but we can minimize their influence in our lives. And that's what David
is talking about. See also time 37:59–43:32 in James 1 (Part 3) :16–27. 

"Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings." (Isaiah 51:7). "I, I am he (God) who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass." (Isaiah 51:12).
Of course, it is better to associate with people who fear the Lord:
"I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts."
(Psalm 119:63), see To Fear the Lord in Fear of Man.

These guidelines are given to us to help us to walk in a more Christlike manner, see
Sanctification. It doesn't come automatically,  it takes determination, we might
have to make decisions to cut some things out of our lives, bring other things 
into our lives, so that we may be strengthened and not weakened in our daily life. 

If you struggle with this to live a holy life, see time 6:00–13:53 as encouragement in

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