No vile thing before me

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I will set no wicked thing before my eyes. I have hated the work of those who turn aside; it shall not hold on to me. (Psa 101:3) 

In the vain imaginations of many Christians they suppose that the wicked thing is nothing less than the most heinous of sin. They falsely reason that if they avoid pornography or even nudity they have followed the word of God to the letter of the law. They reckon themselves pure in God’s sight all the while allowing images of false gods, witchcraft, and all manner of evil to fill their homes.

Hear the Psalmist; for he says he desires that no wicked thing be set before him. Wickedness is found in anything that turns a heart from the worship of the true God to the worship of idols. This is proved by the plain teaching of scripture as the Psalmist exclaims he hates the work of those who turn aside. The meaning here goes beyond what we can see, it goes to what we meditate upon. The imagination of the mind can also be set before us; thinking or even dwelling on those things that are unholy and ungodly is prohibited by this passage.

Every thought and imagination that seeks to captivate your thinking must be taken hostage by Christ. Furthermore, anything that seeks to supplant Christ is a work that is of the most detestable sort. The despicable works of the Nicolaitans are hated by Christ and therefore should be repulsive to the Christian. The Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost gives us a practical reminder of what we are to meditate upon: 

Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.

(Php 4:8)

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The Schoolmaster

 

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Gal 3:24)  

The law of God was a schoolmaster that drove us to Christ. The moral law has taken prisoner all of Adam’s offspring. The accusations of the law bind us and bring to light the exceeding sinfulness of our sin. Properly speaking the law is a mirror that allows us to see ourselves more truthfully in light of God’s perfections. 

The law of God is the prosecuting attorney that continues to plead for the death penalty due to our sinfulness (Romans 6:23). As our self-righteousness becomes apparent the sinner is brought face to face with his condition before a Thrice Holy God in which there exists perfect Holiness.

This is not to say that the sinner by virtue of his natural faculties will turn to God after facing the law’s indictment. The sinner is a cosmic criminal that will flee from the law of God storing up more wrath for himself unless by God’s grace he is converted by the Holy Spirit. Understanding our captivity brings into sharper focus the Torah reading that our Lord Jesus fulfilled in his hearers’ ears:

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

(Isa 61:1)

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You will receive power

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 But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Act 1:8)

 Many Christians treat witnessing in the same manner that they treat buying a car. They have in mind the make, model, color, and style and yet are going to pick and choose the options they want. The assumption is that evangelism and witnessing is just like the options on a car. Just as the new owner of a car selects whether he wants a cassette deck over a CD player many Christians believe (falsely) that we are able to select “hospitality” or “service” over “witnessing”.   

 Even more interesting is the Christian who says: “witnessing is not my gift”.  I often wonder how they mean this expression. I would agree with them that witnessing is not their gift to distribute but this verse makes plain the fact that it is everyone’s gift to receive. Christian this gift belongs to the Holy Spirit; it is properly speaking His gift. He provides the unction and the power.  He testifies of the Son, he regenerates, he empowers, and he convicts of sin.

 The power does not reside in you; the power is from on high.  All of us are called to be witnesses (Matt 28:19). Do not be unduly influenced by the cowards and defectors who by dereliction rob you of the joy that attends witnessing for Christ. The pitiful excuses dreamed up by those who are not obedient to the bible should never trump the very plain word of God. You and I are admonished by this verse to be a witness. Are some called to be evangelists and some pastors? Yes. But you are called to be a witness. You are in the grocery store, the post office, the beauty parlor, the gym. If by God’s grace you believe the good news then by the same power God calls you to share it.

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