Psalm 26 - Walk in the Light -

Walk in the Light

Text: Psalm 26

Walk in truth means trust with a view toward the lovingkindness of God (vss 1-3)

Walking in the light means you’re unafraid of examination
Walk in integrity and trusting the Lord are connected
David welcomes the light of the Lord to examine his life.
- David’s view of walking in God’s truth is that it’s something that can be examined.
- Accepting Jesus Christ’s kingdom is not a leap of faith. It is activity that happens in space and time. It has real measurable qualities.
- According to the Bible, truth is not an unreasonable leap of faith grounded in nothing. The light of God is that which is subject to examination because it is real with measurable properties.
- Francis Schaeffer explained it this way, It is tangible and subject to examination. Truth is that which is open to discussion, open to rationality, not just an existential leap. It is historical, it is real, it is rooted in space and time.
David does something that really all biblical authors do, we just miss it because we already have our minds made up about faith, but David links together trusting the Lord with his behavior in life.
Men love darkness because their deeds are evil. One of the surest ways to know you are walking honestly in the truth is that you invite examination of your life.

David understands that sin is an action against God’s will
Sin is an action that can be judged and prosecuted.
The idea of a sinful nature or the ability to sin is not what makes someone guilty.
- You have the ability to commit murder. But you’re not on trial for that because you haven’t acted on that. And in a fair judicial system, there would be no way to convict you of that crime. Sin is exactly like that. It is a crime committed against God’s kingdom that the Lord prosecutes as the Judge.
- Paul would say in Ephesians that it’s these criminal acts – sins – that bring the wrath of God on man. NOT the ability to sin, but the act of sin.
- Isaiah said your iniquities have separated between you and your God.
- Does sin begin with thoughts? Sure. That’s called premeditated. If there was no thought to sin then whatever is done is done innocently and the judgment is far less severe for it. That’s in the law, Mosaic law, American law; that’s normal law.

So here David makes a case before God that he is a faithful man because he doesn’t DO certain things.
He is not an accomplice to other people’s sins.
He isn’t vain and he doesn’t make friends with divisive people.
He shuns people who practice evil. He refuses to condone wicked behavior.

David wants to be the right person so God gets glory.
David wants to be the right person so God’s mercy can be put on display.
Our thought seems to be let me drag up as much sin as I can so I can show you how merciful God is. That gives the message that God actually doesn’t care about your sin.
David says what seems to be the opposite. Let me live well, let me participate with God in His goodness so people can see that God is absolutely opposed to sin and truly loves goodness.

Walk in the Light