How Can We Live a Life of Purity?

How Can We Live a Life of Purity?

Psalm 119:9-16

Main Idea: Prioritize God’s Word in your life, affections, and thoughts so that you live a holy and pure life.

One of my heroes in the gospel ministry is Adrian Rogers (1931–2005). He pastored the historic Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis from 1972 to 2005 and served as president of the SBC three times (1979–1980; 1986–1988). He led Southern Baptists to reaffirm, without apology, the inerrancy, infallibility, and sufficiency of the Bible. During what is now known as the Conservative Resurgence, Rogers was asked to serve on what became known as the Peace Committee. Rogers and the other committee members were responsible for reaching a compromise between liberal and conservative Baptists on theological doctrines, especially the doctrine of the Bible’s inspiration. At one point in their meetings, a lawyer who represented the moderate or liberal perspective approached Rogers. During this conversation Rogers made a famous statement that defined the heart of the controversy. The lawyer pulled Rogers aside and said, “Adrian, if you don’t compromise, we will never get together” (quoted in Akin and Curtis, “Adrian Rogers,” 485–86). Rogers’s reply was simple and direct:

I’m willing to compromise about many things, but not the Word of God. So far as getting together is concerned, we don’t have to get together. The Southern Baptist Convention, as it is, does not have to survive. I don’t have to be the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church. I don’t have to be loved; I don’t even have to live. But I will not compromise the Word of God. (Joyce Rogers, Love Worth Finding, 109–10)

Why was Adrian Rogers so passionate about the Bible? Why was he so unwilling to compromise on the Word of God? There are many reasons, but one appears in Psalm 119:11: “I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.” Rogers knew what the evangelist D. L. Moody knew: “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.”1

Psalm 119:9-16 is the second stanza of this acrostic psalm patterned after the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Since Beth (?) is the second letter, each line in this stanza starts with a word that begins with the Hebrew letter Beth. The stanza also begins with a perennial question that is especially relevant in our current American context: “How can a young man [and for that matter, an old man!] keep his way pure?” With the issues of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment dominating the media and the culture, what can the man of God, the devoted follower of Jesus Christ, do to live a life of unquestionable moral purity? Psalm 119 clearly answers that our relationship to the Word of God determines whether we will live holy lives. Stanza Beth gives nine admonitions for our careful reflection and meditation concerning our relationship to Scripture. They provide a divinely inspired road map to a pure and holy life.

Guard the Word of God in Your Life

Psalm 119:9

Verse 9 begins with a rhetorical question every Christian, especially a young one, struggles with, How can I live a pure and holy life that is pleasing to my Lord? Verses 9-16 provide the answer. The first action is defensive: “By keeping your word.” We guard or protect the Word of God in our life. As a result, the Word of God performs guard duty and acts as a sentinel that keeps us from sin. When we keep the Word in a safe place in our lives, the Word protects us and keeps us safe from impurity in both thought and action. As we guard our life by the Word of God, the Word of God guards us.

In John 17:17 Jesus prayed this prayer for us: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” He then adds in verse 19, “I sanctify myself for them, so that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” Jesus kept the Word in a safe place in his life as he made his way to the cross. “Blameless” (Ps 119:1) and with an “upright heart” (v. 7), the pure, spotless, and sinless Son of God guarded the Word as it guided him to Calvary. He sets a perfect example for us to follow.

Seek the Lord with All Your Heart

Psalm 119:10

Verses 10-11 are the most crucial to living a holy and pure life because they focus on the heart, the inner man, the real you on the inside. Because we guard our way by the Word in verse 9, we strive to seek the giver of the Word in verse 10. And our seeking is not half-hearted! “I have sought you with all my heart.” The ESV has “with my whole heart.” We guard our ways by having the Lord’s Word in our life. With diligence, passion, and sincerity, we must seek our Lord.

Suddenly the psalmist makes a short prayer of petition: “Don’t let me wander from your commands.” There is much wisdom in this request. Proverbs 19:27 reminds us, “If you stop listening to correction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.” The psalmist knew that it is easier to make a promise to God than to keep it. He seeks the Lord with his whole heart, but he recognizes that he needs God’s help to succeed. Charles Spurgeon says it well:

The man of God exerts himself, but does not trust himself. . . . He knows that even his whole strength is not enough to keep him right unless his King shall be his keeper, and he who made the commands shall make him constant in obeying them. (Treasury, 158)

It is hard to wander from the Lord’s commands when you seek him with your whole heart.

Treasure the Word of God in Your Heart

Psalm 119:11

Verse 11 is one of the most well known in all the Bible. Many people memorized it as a child in Vacation Bible School. The KJV is still the most familiar, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” However, the CSB captures the original intent of the psalmist a bit better: “I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.” The Word of God “is so valuable it will be preserved in the heart (that is, the mind) for any appropriate use. . . . The word will be continually at his disposal to determine his actions” (Ross, Psalms, 477). John Piper provides additional insight with his thoughts on the importance of the heart:

Take the phrase “in my heart.” The point here is mainly to say: inside of me, not just on a tablet outside of me. The words of God are not just kept in writing for the psalmist to consult outside of himself. They are kept for his consulting inside of him—in his heart. The heart of the Old Testament is a place of both thinking and feeling (Genesis 6:5; Job 36:13). So these words of God are being treasured in a place where they can be thought about and felt. (“Thy Word I Have Treasured in My Heart”)

We would be negligent in applying this verse if we did not at least note the value of Scripture memorization. Dallas Willard provides a wise perspective when he writes,

As a pastor, teacher, and counselor I have repeatedly seen the transformation of inner and outer life that comes simply from memorization and meditation upon Scripture. Personally, I would never undertake to pastor a church or guide a program of Christian education that did not involve a continuous program of memorization of the choicest passages of Scripture for people of all ages. (The Spirit of the Disciplines, 150)

The psalmist knew that the key to a pure life is a pure heart made clean by the Word of God. Paul knew this too and provides words of wisdom to his young son in the ministry. Second Timothy 2:22 is a beautiful complement to verse 11: “Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” A pure heart will mean a pure life.

Let the Lord Teach You His Statutes

Psalm 119:12

Verse 12 is a simple prayer of two parts. First, there is praise; then there is a petition. The praise is, “Lord, may you be blessed.” The songwriter praises God, adores him, and thanks him for his Word. In that light he says, “Teach me your statutes.” He wants the Lord to help him be faithful and “loyal to the terms of the covenant” between the Lord and his people (VanGemeren, Psalms, 859). VanGemeren points out that “the teachable spirit begins with proper regard for God” (ibid., 862). The psalmist praises the Lord. Now he wants the Lord to teach him more of his Word, his instruction, his commands.

Verse 12 is nothing less than an Old Testament call to discipleship. It finds a New Testament echo in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20. Making disciples of all nations means that we teach them everything the risen Lord Jesus has commanded. All of his statutes are for all of his people. The Bible clearly commends godly and gifted teachers for our benefit and edification. However, verse 12 reminds us there is a better Teacher still.

Proclaim the Lord’s Wisdom with Your Words

Psalm 119:13

In verse 12 we were taught the Word. Now in verse 13 we “declare” (ESV) and “proclaim” (CSB) the Word! For all our life, we must verbally “recite aloud” (NLT) all that we hear from the Lord’s mouth. From his mouth to our mouths, the Word of God must resound throughout our lives. We must not neglect any of it. We must proclaim it “all.”

Take note that the judgments, the rules, the regulations we declare are words that come from the “mouth” of God. This verse teaches a theological truth by means of an anthropomorphism. Paul could have had this phrase in mind when he wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God.” Here the doctrine of the Bible’s inspiration ascends to the highest level. The logic is clear. A perfect God will only speak perfect words. Thus Thomas Manton (1620–1677), the English Puritan and chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, says,

That which should be declared and taught in the church should not be our own opinions and fancies, but the pure word of God; not the vanity of our thoughts, but the verity of his revelations. (Psalm 119, vol. 1, 109)

Rejoice in the Lord’s Decrees

Psalm 119:14

Verse 14 rings with the sound of celebration as the psalmist reflects on the value of God’s Word. It recalls Psalm 1:2 and anticipates what we will find later in this psalm.

Instruction from your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (Ps 119:72)

Since I love your commands more than gold, even the purest gold. (Ps 119:127)

The one who allows the Lord to be his Teacher (v. 12) rejoices in the revelation of God’s decrees. How much does he rejoice? He declares, “As much as in all riches.” In other words, he cannot put a price tag on how valuable God’s Word is to him. Even if he were to collect all the riches in the world, they would pale in comparison. He would not trade God’s Word for anything this world has to offer. His treasure is God, not gold. His treasure is God’s eternal Word, not temporal wealth.

A man will treasure what he delights in (v. 11). A man will also proclaim and speak of that which he delights (v. 13). For the psalmist, it is the Lord (v. 10) and his Word (v. 14). What is it for you and me?

Meditate on the Lord’s Precepts

Psalm 119:15

Verse 15 draws attention to the spiritual discipline of meditation and again recalls Psalm 1:2, where we read that the righteous meditate on God’s Word “day and night.” The psalmist declares that he will “meditate” on the Lord’s “precepts” and that he will “think about [“fix my eyes on” ESV] your ways.” There is an important connection to verse 9 and the way of the psalmist. If followers of Jesus meditate and think about God’s ways, then his ways will become their ways. And because his way is pure, their way will be pure.

Meditating on God’s Word is a lost art in our day that we desperately need to recover. Ross points out that meditation has the idea of “a thoughtful concentration on God’s word,” but it is not limited to that (Psalms, 479). He notes it may also include “musing, talking, or even singing to oneself” God’s Word (ibid.). Spurgeon’s thoughts here are helpful:

He who has an inward delight in anything will not long withdraw his mind from it. As a miser often returns to look upon his treasure, so does the devout believer by frequent meditation turn over the priceless wealth which he has discovered in the book of the Lord. To some men meditation is a task; to the man of cleansed way it is a joy. (Treasury, 161)

Delight in the Lord’s Statutes

Psalm 119:16

In verse 12 we pray, asking the Lord to “teach” us his statutes. Now in verse 16 we declare, “I will delight in your statutes.” What we ask for, we receive. God teaches us. And what we receive, we delight in! We delight in his Word, here called his “statutes.” James Boice says the word “delight” in verse 16 carries the idea of “a settled pleasure” (Psalms 107–150, 981). Delight has followed meditation, which followed treasuring God’s Word more than all riches. God’s Word to the songwriter is a blessing, not a burden. It is his drink, his food, his life. It is his happiness and joy. Adam Clarke said of his delight in God’s Word, “I will skip about and jump for joy” (in Spurgeon, Treasury, 170).

Do Not Forget the Word of God

Psalm 119:16

Because God’s Word is his delight, the songwriter says, “I will not forget” it. After all, “Love for God’s word is love for God” (VanGemeren, Psalms, 863). To honor and fulfill this pledge, there are seven daily, practical applications of this text:

• Carry a Bible, electronically or as a book, with you.
• Read your Bible.
• Study your Bible.
• Meditate on your Bible.
• Love your Bible.
• Share your Bible.
• Thank God for your Bible.

Ross summarizes the psalm so very well:

This “Bet Stanza” has to do with keeping our lives pure by avoiding sin, which is done by knowing the word of God so well that it is always on our minds to correct and to guide us through life. But this is no fixed duty; for the believer the word is like a treasure, more delightful and useful than riches. The Lord is the teacher, his word and his way the lesson, and righteousness the result. (Psalms, 480)

Conclusion

Inside many of the New Testaments distributed by the wonderful Christian organization known as the Gideons, you will also find these sentences:

The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.

Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven is opened, and the gates of Hell disclosed.

Christ is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure.

It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

Although God did not inspire those words as he did the Bible, they are inspiring. They beautifully capture the treasure that dwells in us when we allow the Word of God to make itself at home in our hearts. Treasure the Word of God in your heart that you might not sin against your God.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Are you concerned with living a holy and pure life? How does this psalm shape what you should be concerned about?
2. In what ways does Scripture guard your life beyond telling you what you ought not to do? How is Scripture more than a book of rules?
3. Can someone say that they have a relationship with the Lord or are seeking the Lord if they do not keep his commands? Why or why not?
4. What role does Scripture memorization currently have in your spiritual life? What benefits have you seen come from this practice? How might you begin to practice memorization in your life more?
5. How can your prayers help you know whether you have a “teachable spirit”? What does a “teachable spirit” pray for?
6. What does it mean to proclaim the Word? What are the different ways you can proclaim the Word in your networks (e.g., home, work, friendships)?
7. If someone were to examine what you talked about this past week, would they know that you delighted in the Lord and his Word? How can you practice expressing your delight in God?
8. How does this stanza’s teaching about meditation differ from popular ideas about meditation in our culture?
9. This stanza teaches that God’s Word provides joy. Does this mean Christians will feel joyful every time they read Scripture? Why or why not?
10. What are some practical things you can do to help you not forget the Word?