Wednesday, July 27, 2011

I Keep Your Commandments

All through the Psalter, especially in 119, we pray, "I keep Your word" and "I keep Your commandments." Being creatures with a sinful flesh and thus a works-righteous faith, we see those words and think it's about obeying rules. We like rules. We want God to approve of our efforts to keep His rules. Even when we screw up, we still think that our plan to do better next time will make God happy with us.

"I keep Your word" = "I hang onto Your word."

Whether His word condemns our sin (and we agree with its just judgment) or whether His word forgives the undeserving (and we joyfully agree with its declaration of innocence for the sake of Christ) ... we hang onto it. We cling to it. We don't let go of it.

"I keep Your commandments" is more about what we love, what we believe, and what promises we trust in, than it is about stark obedience to rules.

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