PSALM 15
PSALM CHAPTER 15 – PART 1
MAINTAINING HAPPINESS:
GROWING THROUGH FAITH
Who Is Going To STAY Close To The Lord ?
1. GOD WANTS PEOPLE TO ABIDE & DWELL WITH HIM.
*SOME ABIDE OR DWELL ONLY DURING CRISIS.
A. GOD WANTS PEOPLE TO ABIDE, OR DWELL, WITH HIM. PS. 27:4,
JOHN 15:4-10 ABIDE=“REMAIN, NOT TO DEPART.”
DWELL=“REMAIN, STAY AT THE SAME PLACE.”
2. IT TAKES EFFORT TO BE WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO BE.
A. IT REQUIRES THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DO THE WORK.
—BUT, WE MUST YIELD OURSELVES TO HIM FIRST. ROM. 6:13-19
B. WALK UPRIGHTLY. ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD ! GAL. 2:14.
C. WORK RIGHTEOUSNESS. (INCLUDING GETTING THE GOSPEL
OUT) I COR. 15:34. FALL SHORT ? GAL. 3:6.
D. SPEAK THE TRUTH IN HIS HEART. IT IS AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE.
I JOHN 3:18
E. DOES NOT BACKBITE. SIGN OF THE LOST. ROM. 1:30.
F. DOES NOT DO EVIL TO NEIGHBOR. HEB. 13:16, IF NOT: JAS. 4:17
G. DOES NOT TAKE UP REPROACH (SHAME) AGAINST NEIGHBOR.
i.e., DOESN’T HAVE A CRITICAL ATTITUDE AGAINST OTHERS.
H. VIEWS VILE PEOPLE AS CONDEMNED BY GOD.
I. HONORS THOSE THAT FEAR GOD. PHIL. 3:17, I COR. 11:1
J. KEEPS COMMITMENTS. PS. 50:14.
K. DOES NOT LOAN MONEY FOR INTEREST. MATT. 5:42.
L. DOESN’T BETRAY THE INNOCENT. I JOHN 3:16.
1. THE ESSENTIAL NATURE OF COMMITMENTS. 15:4
A. THEY ARE REQUIRED TO BE CLOSE TO GOD. 15:1-2.
—MAKE THEM WITH THAT PURPOSE IN MIND. PS. 132:1-5.
B. THEY ARE REQUIRED TO REFLECT GOD’S TESTIMONY.
*(GOD MAKES AND KEEP ALL HIS COMMITMENTS). WHAT IF THE
CHRISTIAN MADE VOWS, THEN CHANGED THEM, OR TOOK THEM
BACK ? HOW WOULD THAT REFLECT GOD ? JUDGES 11:30-40
C. THEY ARE OFTEN USED BY GOD TO REVEAL
—HIS POWER. I SAM. 1:11.
—THE JOY HE BRINGS. PSALM 56:12, 61:8.
2. THEY ARE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY GOD. HEB. 10:29. NUM. 30:2.
A. MONDAY MORNING RE-THINKING IS WRONG— PROV. 20:25.
—VOWS OF YOUNG PEOPLE. NUM. 30:3-5.
—VOWS OF THE WIFE. NUM. 30:6-8. SILENCE CREATES AN
OBLIGATION FOR ONE IN AUTHORITY TO SUPPORT THE VOW.
—ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA AS EXAMPLES. ACTS 5:3-5.
—JONAH’S RECANTING. JONAH 2:9.
B. OUR WORD IS OUR OATH—JUST AS GOD’S IS. JAS. 5:12.
3. THE ONLY WAY TO CONSISTENTLY FULFILL THEM IS BY YIELDING
TO THE SPIRIT OF GOD.
*PAUL’S DILEMMA ANSWERED. ROM. 7:25.
