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Psalm 119. I'll read verses 9 to 16, the section marked 
bait. If you notice that it's broken 
down according to the consonants in the Hebrew alphabet. And it 
is an acrostic. So, for instance, all of the 
verses 9 to 16 in the Hebrew Bible all begin with the letter 
B, or Beit in Hebrew. In verses 1 to 8, they all begin 
with the Aleph, or the A. And then in 17 to 24, with the 
Gimel, and so on and so forth. It's a literary masterpiece that 
the psalmist has constructed. Its central theme is the excellence, 
the majesty, and the glory of God's Holy Word. I'll begin reading 
in Psalm 119 at verse 9. How can a young man cleanse his 
way? By taking heed according to Your 
Word. With my whole heart I have sought 
You. Oh, let me not wander from Your 
commandments. Your Word I have hidden in my 
heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord, 
teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have declared 
all the judgments of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of 
Your testimonies. as much as in all riches. I will 
meditate on Your precepts and contemplate Your ways. I will 
delight myself in Your statutes. I will not forget Your Word." 
Well, let us pray. Father, we thank You for the 
Word of God that is written up here. We thank You for the truth 
expressed just in this short section of Holy Scripture. And 
give us a mindset, like unto the psalmist, Give us a delight 
in the truth, and may we value it and prize it more than much 
fine gold. We know that Your Law makes wise 
the simple. We know that Your Word makes 
us wiser than all of our counselors and teachers. We know that Word 
ultimately reveals to us the glory of the person and work 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. How we thank You, Lord God, for 
the Gospel, how we thank You for Your Law, and how we would 
pray that your Holy Spirit would grant us grace now and lead us 
as we consider this section of Scripture. We pray again that 
you would forgive us for all of our sins and our transgressions, 
and we pray through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Well, our focus 
this evening is going to be specifically on verse 9. There is a question 
asked and an answer provided. The Bible contains many excellent 
questions and does give us many excellent answers. For one instance, 
Job asks in chapter 9, verse 2, how can a man be righteous 
before God? It's the most important question 
a man, a woman, a boy, or a girl could ever ponder. How can a 
man be righteous before God? Well, in many respects, Psalm 
119, verse 9, is right up there alongside of it. The psalmist 
asks, how can a young man cleanse his way? And then he gives the 
answer by taking heed according to your word. So we will proceed 
very simply tonight. First, we'll look at the question 
posed, and then secondly, the answer given. But as we look 
at the question posed, we note an assumption, a presupposition, 
a conviction hidden in the psalmist's words. When he says, how can 
a young man cleanse his way, he infers, implies, and concludes 
that a young man's way stands in need of cleansing. In other 
words, the psalmist assumes the doctrine of sin. He wouldn't 
ask the question if that was not a reality. He would not ask 
the question and answer the question if the presence of sin was not 
a reality in the lives of men and women and boys and girls. 
In fact, children, in many respects, this is a text specifically addressed 
to you. How can a young man cleanse his 
way? Well, the Bible tells us much 
about In fact, yesterday morning in our study through Burtov's 
systematic theology, we considered the doctrine of total depravity 
and the doctrine of total inability. And I want to just sketch a few 
of those particular passages here as we reflect upon the psalmist's 
question. How can a young man cleanse his 
way, assumes the fact that his way stands in need of cleansing? Well, total depravity does not 
mean utter depravity. Total depravity does not mean 
a man is as bad as he can possibly be. Total depravity doesn't mean 
we're all Charles Manson, we're all axe murderers, we're all 
Stalin, we're all that wicked. It doesn't teach that. It's not 
utter depravity. Rather, it means that every faculty 
of man, every part, Every power, every faculty of his nature is 
corrupt. His mind, his intellect, his 
emotions, his will, his conscience, his body— everything is affected 
by the Fall. It is total depravity. I want 
to sketch just a few verses. There are a multitude that we 
could look at, but beginning in Genesis— good to start at 
the beginning in Genesis 6, prior to the Flood. We read this comment, 
verse 5, "'Then Yahweh saw, that the wickedness of man was great 
in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his 
heart was only evil continually." Notice in verses 11 and 12, "...the 
earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled 
with violence. God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was 
corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth." Notice 
in chapter 8, Chapter 8, specifically, in verse 21, this is after the 
flood. This is when Noah is emerging 
from the ark. He builds an altar to the Lord. 
He offers up these clean animals and every clean bird and burnt 
offerings on the altar. And we read this statement in 
8.21, and the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. then the Lord said in 
his heart, I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, 
although the imagination or the intent or thought of man's heart 
is evil from his youth." So the doctrine of total depravity is 
not simply something confined to the federal theology of the 
Apostle Paul, but it begins early in the Genesis record. Turn to 
the Psalms, specifically Psalm 51. Psalm 51, a Psalm of David, 
when he is engaged In recording the record of his own sin with 
Bathsheba and Uriah, this is his repentance to the Lord God 
Most High. And when he rehearses his sinfulness, 
his downward tendency, he traces it back to the womb. And in Psalm 
51, verse 5, he says, Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, 
and in sin my mother conceived me. David does not think the 
conjugal relationship between husband and wife is sin. God 
made that, and He made it good. What David is saying is that 
as soon as David was, he was in sin. We and Adam died. But as well, notice in Psalm 
58 and verse 3. Psalm 58 and verse 3. The wicked 
are estranged from the womb. They go astray as soon as they 
are born, speaking lies. Now, this is not a popular teaching, 
to be sure. We don't like to look at our 
bundles of joy in such a light. But this is divine commentary 
on the heart of even babies. The wicked are estranged from 
the womb. They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. 
Now, you might suggest, well, that refers to the Stalins, that 
refers to the Mansons, that refers to the politicians. It can't 
refer to the rank in the file. It most certainly does. I don't 
think it takes long for parents to discover a sinful bent in 
their progeny. It does not take long for them 
to discover that selfishness and that self-willedness and 
that rebellion against lawful authority. God says in His Word, 
honor your father and your mother. And as I said, it doesn't take 
long for parents to see that this is not always the case with 
their delightful bundles of joy. Proverbs 10, 23. Again, just 
a sketch here. Proverbs 10, 23. To do evil is like sport to a 
fool, but a man of understanding has wisdom. Ecclesiastes, specifically 
Ecclesiastes 7, 29. Ecclesiastes 7, 29. Truly this 
only I have found, that God made man upright, but they have sought 
out many devices, they have sought out many schemes. Your schemes, 
your devices may not be mine. We may differ in terms of the 
particular sins that we engage in, but we all have that. We 
all have propensities. We all have that downward tendency. We all have that dark bent in 
our hearts to pursue schemes that God says are wicked. The prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah 
13 and verse 23. The sketching of total depravity 
at this particular point. As we look at the presupposition 
behind the question, how can a young man cleanse his way? 
Jeremiah 13, 23, Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard 
its spots? Then may you also do good who 
are accustomed to do evil. The black man can change himself 
into a white man or a leopard can change its spots into the 
stripes of a zebra, well, then you'll be able to start doing 
that which is right and good, apart from God's grace. We know 
that black men can't change their skins to white. We know that 
white men can't change their skins to black. We know that 
leopards can't change their spots into the zebra's stripes. So 
the point of the passage is to highlight and underscore how 
sinful man is, and how they stand in need of divine grace. Notice 
in 17.9 in the prophet Jeremiah, the heart is deceitful above 
all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Again, this 
isn't positive self-esteem teaching. This is not the sorts of things 
that people really read and really feel good about themselves. But 
it's all designed to show us our need for the Savior, designed 
to show us how we stand before a holy God. We'll bypass several 
others in the Old Testament. You can turn to the New Testament, 
specifically Romans 3. Again, the doctrine of total 
depravity. The presupposition is that man's 
way stands in need of cleansing. And not just man, how can a young 
man cleanse his way? You know, parents, I think we 
do err when we look at our children and they're doing sinful things, 
and we don't address it as sinful things. When we don't tell them, 
they're violating the law of God. when we don't tell them 
that they will ultimately answer to a holy God, when we don't 
hold them accountable to what is revealed in Scripture. We 
just try and say, well, you know, it's their age. They're 2 now, 
or they're 15, or they're 14, and that's just what kids their 
age do. No, it isn't. They're in sin, and they need 
to repent, and they need to forsake that sin. We mustn't coddle them. We mustn't pander to them. We must deal with them biblically 
and righteously. Notice in Romans 3 verse 9, what 
then? Are we better than they? Not 
at all. We have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they 
are all under sin. As it is written, there is none 
righteous, no not one. I realize that the natural inclination 
or tendency of our hearts is to change it just a little bit. 
There is none righteous, no not one, except for me. I mean, I'm, 
after all, a very excellent person. I'm a young man who always does 
what I'm supposed to. There's none who understands, 
except for me, of course, I really understand. There's none who 
seeks after God. Listen to that statement. There 
is none who seeks after God. Say, well, I know religious people. 
I know Jehovah's Witnesses. I know Mormons. I know Muslims. 
I know these people, and they're seeking God. Not the triune God 
revealed in Holy Scripture, not the God who is from everlasting 
to everlasting, not the one whom the angels say, Holy, holy, holy 
is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is filled with His glory. 
They seek a God after their own manufacturing, but they don't 
seek the real, true, and living God. It is grace that taught 
our heart to fear. It is grace that turns us from 
our own waywardness and brings us to God. They have all turned 
aside. They have together become unprofitable. 
There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is 
an open tomb, with their tongues they have practiced deceit. The 
poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of 
cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed 
blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way 
of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before 
their eyes. Isn't this exactly what the problem 
in society is today? Whether young or old, there is 
no fear of God before the eyes of men. And instead of the church, 
as I suggested this morning, preaching on sin, preaching the 
law, preaching the necessity of blood atonement, we just want 
to make people feel good. We want them to have a solid 
and a robust self-esteem. We just want them to be stable 
or learn a few principles on how to be a better them. That 
is not going to meet the necessity of the day. Man is in sin and 
in rebellion against God, and it's Paul's gospel alone that 
will meet the urgency. It will meet the need that is 
presented to us by such a position. Notice Ephesians 2, this will 
be the last one in our sample of texts on the doctrine of total 
depravity. Ephesians 2 verse 1, And you 
who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked 
according to the course of this world, according to the prince 
of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons 
of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves 
in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and 
of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the 
others." You see, sin is not simply confined to the body. It is the lusts of our flesh 
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. We sin 
perfectly well without flesh. We have enough in our heads, 
we have enough in our hearts to damn us for an eternity of 
eternity. So you see, the doctrine of total 
depravity does not mean we're as bad as we could possibly be, 
but it means that every part, every power, every faculty of 
our nature is corrupt. Our mind, our intellect, our 
emotion, our will, our conscience, our body. All is affected by 
our fall into sin in Adam. But it also includes the doctrine 
of total inability. How can a young man cleanse his 
way? He's not only totally depraved, he's totally unable. And by total 
inability, I mean that a man does not possess the ability 
in and of himself to choose savingly for Jesus. He does not possess 
the ability in himself to choose savingly for Jesus. I referred 
to it earlier, I'll refer to it again. Newton wrote, and the 
church sings, "'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear." Paul 
condemns the thought that free will gets us to God. In Romans 9, 16, he says, it 
does not depend upon him who wills or upon him who runs, but 
on God who shows mercy. Man is unable to commend himself 
to God. Man is unable, apart from the 
grace of God, to choose for Jesus. When a man or a woman or a boy 
or a girl comes to the Savior, it's because of the sovereign 
grace and power of God, enabling that sinner to see himself before 
a holy God, giving him the graces of faith and repentance, so that 
he can indeed close with our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, several 
passages, just a few specimens, just a few samples. John 6 and 
verse 44. John 6 and verse 44, underscoring 
the doctrine of total inability. And all of this because there 
is a presupposition behind the question, how can a young man 
cleanse his way? Not trying to depress you tonight, 
not trying to make you feel bad tonight, but I want us to understand 
how desperate the condition is apart from the truth of God. Notice, John 6, 44, no one, can come to me, unless the Father 
who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." 
I've already cited Romans 9.16 and now John 6.44. I really don't 
understand why there's a debate about the topic. I really don't 
know why persons think that their free will, unaided by the sovereign 
grace of God, can effectively change and look to the Lord Jesus 
savingly. Jesus says quite the opposite. 
No one can come to me. No one. How can a young man cleanse 
his way? It's not by moral reform. How 
can a young man cleanse his way? It's not by going to church. 
How can a young man cleanse his way? It's not by being a good 
little boy. He needs the grace of God. He needs his heart changed. He needs to be born again. He 
needs regeneration. He needs the Holy Spirit. For 
Christ says, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent 
me draws him. That can come speaks of ability. It speaks of the inability, rather, 
to come unless the Father who sent me draws him. Notice in 
Romans 8, 7 and 8. We actually get a package deal 
in Romans 8, 7, and 8, because we get both total depravity and 
total inability. For those of you who are thoroughly 
depressed by this point, you're probably thinking, great, a package 
deal is how bad I am. Well, I think as we understand 
how bad we are, we can appreciate how great Christ is. I'm always 
reminded of that statement by John Newton, I'm a great sinner, 
but Christ is a great Savior. I think that's a good attitude 
that the people of God ought to have. Notice in Romans 8, 
7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. Total depravity. For it is not subject to the 
law of God, nor indeed can be. Total inability. The carnal mind 
cannot be subject to the law of God. Why? Because he has this 
position in Adam. He has this death in Adam. Note that Paul in Ephesians 2 
does not describe the sinner's condition as one of being crippled, 
or one of being lame, or one of being just a little bit hurt. 
He says, and you were dead in your trespasses and sins. You 
were dead. You were gone. You were spiritually out of it. 
The only way to be made alive is by the powerful and sovereign 
grace of Almighty God. So we see, just in these specimen 
passages, the reality is, behind this question, Lay the doctrine 
of sin. How can a young man cleanse his 
way? I think this is a very important 
question for our young people. This is a very important question 
for not just young people. I was musing this afternoon on 
why I said old goat today in the morning sermon. I really 
can't explain that. I don't know why that came out 
or how that came out. It just did, and I apologize. 
I kind of had myself in there now. I'm looking at myself as 
older. But I apologize if that was offensive. It's just one 
of those things you wish you could pull back and you just 
can't do it. But it's the most important question 
for old people, older people, but as well for the young. The 
question doesn't pertain to the temporal. There's a lot of big 
questions children face and young people face. Where will I go 
to school when I'm done with high school? Who will I marry? 
What kind of a house am I going to have? What kind of career 
should I pursue? And these are valuable and important questions 
that you ought to entertain. Don't just sit on your couch 
and play Nintendo, but rather entertain such questions that 
are pertinent to your temporal state in this lower world. But this particular question 
pertains to the eternal. How can a young man cleanse his 
way? His way stands in need of cleansing. 
If that way is not cleansed, it's not going to go well for 
him. In fact, this is the most important question that a young 
man, a young woman, can ponder. It is oftentimes neglected because 
of sin. Isn't that the case, young people? 
You don't want to go to church. You don't want to sit around 
while the Bible's read at home. You want to do your own thing. 
You want to do what the neighbors are doing. You want to do what 
your friends at school are doing. We often neglect the big things 
because of our sin. And I think that we ought to 
recognize that and place ourselves under the means. So it's a most 
important question, and I want to move now to the answer given 
by the psalmist. How can a young man cleanse his 
way? By taking heed according to your words. Does that surprise 
anyone? Do you go, wow, I would have 
never seen that coming. That's the Bible's answer to 
everything, God's Word. That's what we need. We need 
to take heed according to the Word. And certainly, the Word 
of God comes to us to reveal to us the glory of God, the sovereign 
power of God, the creation of God, the providence of God, but 
the redemption of God as well. The heavens declare the glory 
of God, the psalmist says. God reveals himself generally 
in creation, in the created order. But that revelation of God that 
we see perhaps on a beautiful day like this does not lead us 
to the cross. We need special revelation. We 
need the word of truth. We need this Word that the psalmist 
says is the means by which a young man can cleanse his way. We need 
to learn of Christ. We need to learn of His life. 
We need to learn of His death. We need to learn of His resurrection. 
We need to learn of blood atonement. Hebrews 9.22, without the shedding 
of blood, there is no remission of sin. We need to learn those 
things, and the way they come to us is not mystery, it's not 
magic, it is through Scripture. We need the Word of God, and 
the Bible tells us that the Bible is inspired by God. Given by 
inspiration of God, it's profitable for doctrine. It's a word that 
scares many people. It simply means teaching. We 
need doctrine. We need correction. We need reproof. We need instruction in righteousness. And that is what we get in the 
Scriptures. And so, the psalmist says, how 
can a young man cleanse his way? And the answer is, by taking 
heed according to your word. Now, young men and young women, 
what ought you to pursue with reference to this question? Well, 
in the first place, your way needs to be cleansed from your 
sin, initially. In other words, you need justification 
from on high. You need salvation by grace through 
faith in Jesus. You need to come to the cross. 
The cleansing of a young man's way comes by the grace of God 
poured out through our Lord Jesus Christ. In the washing of regeneration, 
the justification that is by faith, young men, young women, 
you need to be saved. You need to come to the cross. 
You need to listen to the preaching of the Word. You need to listen 
when your mother or your father reads Scripture to you. You need 
to read for yourself those holy things and learn of Christ, and 
by God's grace, believe in Christ. That's the only way your way 
will be cleansed. Justification by the grace of 
Almighty God. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 
6, where this is vividly illustrated in the life are the lives of 
the believers in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 6, verses 9 to 11. Do you not know that the unrighteous 
will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, 
nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites. Paul is not repeating 
himself there. the Greek language, and the two 
terms used by Paul, homosexual and sodomite, are technical terms 
that speak to the active and passive partner in a sodomite 
relationship. He's not repeating himself, he 
is making distinction. He says, neither fornicators, 
idolaters, adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor 
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will 
inherit the kingdom of God. Now, some may be tempted to say, 
well, that's not me. I'm not a sodomite. That's not 
me. I'm not an idolater. That's not 
me. I'm not a thief. I've never broken 
into anybody's house and found their safe and took a little 
C4 and blasted it open and took out their possessions and their 
jewels and their goods and all. I've never done that. Can any 
of you young men or women for a moment say you've never been 
covetous? And with reference to this whole 
idea of fornication, can any of you young men and women, I'm 
talking the five-year-olds and the three-year-olds among us, 
but the teenagers, Jesus tells us the spirituality of his law. 
If you look upon a woman and you lust in your heart, you have 
violated the commandment. Fornication does not simply mean 
that you have gone with another person. It may be lust, it may 
be that sort of a thing, it may be pornography, it may be a whole 
host of things. How can a young man cleanse his 
way? Notice what Paul answers in verse 11. "'And such were 
some of you.'" Ponder that for a moment. "'Such were some of 
you.'" Paul is speaking to the Corinthian church and says that 
in the Corinthian church, some of you were sodomites. Some of 
you were homosexuals. Some of you were adulterers. 
Some of you were fornicators. Some of you were covetous. Some 
of you were thieves. It's not the power of the gospel. 
It's able to say, "'And such were some of you.'" We preach 
a real gospel to real sinners, brethren. We don't preach self-help. We don't preach, you know, human 
enablement. We preach salvation. through 
our Lord Jesus Christ. Such were some of you, but you 
were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the 
name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Sinners 
come to Christ, they find cleansing. Sinners come to Christ, they 
find justification. Sinners come to Christ, they 
find the power to change, not by themselves, but in Him alone. Notice as well in Ephesians 1 
verse 7, in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness 
of sins according to the riches of His grace. Through His blood 
we have the forgiveness of sins. Young man, young woman, if you 
are undone in your sin tonight, what you desperately need is 
the blood of Jesus. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? 
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. That hymn that we sang before 
the preaching of the Word underscores this reality. How can a young 
man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to your 
Word, that Word which reveals a bloody Savior who went to the 
cross on behalf of sinners, such that everyone who looks to Him 
in faith will be washed, will be justified, will be sanctified. 
They will have their sins put away. This is what Paul says. We have redemption through His 
blood, the forgiveness of sins. Notice Titus 3. Titus chapter 
3, a passage that incidentally highlights total depravity and 
the power of the Christian message. Titus chapter 3 at verse 3, for 
we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving 
various lusts and pleasures. Note Paul. Paul includes himself 
in this lot. Nobody on this side of Paul can 
say, well, you know, he's just a rabbi, he was an extra special 
guy, he was a good person, so the Lord chose him to go out 
and be the apostle. We know opposite. Paul was a 
wretch. Paul tried to kill the people 
of God. Paul held the clothes while men stoned Stephen to death. And so Paul includes himself, 
for we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, 
serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful 
and hating one another. But when the kindness and the 
love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of 
righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy 
He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing 
of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through 
Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His 
grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal 
life. So you see, when we ask the question, how can a young 
man cleanse his way, the first aspect that we ought to seek 
out in the Word of Truth is justification. Secondly, sanctification. Say 
a young man comes to the Savior. Say a young man has his sins 
cleansed. Say a young man is now positionally 
right with our God in Jesus Christ. How does he maintain? How does 
he live? How does he function? How does 
he conduct himself? He does it according to God's 
Word. You see, there's never a time when we're not dependent 
upon the Word. The Word not only tells us about our initial salvation 
by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, but the Word continues 
to feed us in our maturation as we grow in the grace and in 
the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We need 
to grow. The Westminster Shorter Catechism 
asks the question, what is sanctification? Sanctification is the work of 
God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man 
after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die 
unto sin and live unto righteousness. Paul speaks to this in Philippians 
2. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Let's 
say, work for your own salvation with fear and trembling. You 
notice that we could never do that. He says, work out that 
which God has sovereignly placed in there. Work it out with fear 
and trembling. For it is God who is at work 
in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. For you 
young men or young women who profess faith in Jesus Christ, 
are you taking heed according to the Word? Notice 2 Corinthians 
chapter 6. 2 Corinthians chapter 6. As much as we try and highlight, 
and by we I mean Pastor Porter and myself, try to highlight 
that justification is by grace alone, through faith alone, in 
Christ alone, we always underscore, we always emphasize, and we always 
try to make sure everybody knows that justification will inevitably 
lead to sanctification. So that if you do not have holiness, 
if you do not have good works, if you do not do those things 
that are pleasing to God, it is suspect whether or not you've 
ever come to the Savior to begin with. Does everybody get that? There is a very close connection 
between the two. They are distinguished, and they 
are distinctive. We don't meld them together and 
present ourselves to God. But those justified freely by 
grace will pursue those things that are pleasing in the sight 
of God. So young men, young women, are you given to the sorts of 
things that are completely opposite to the Word and the will of God? 
What think ye of the law? I think the law of God is a great 
way to test ourselves, a great way to see where we're at concerning 
God. Are we idolaters? If we're bowing 
to Baal, and we're bowing to money, and we're bowing to ourselves, 
we need to repent. If we are blasphemers, and that 
doesn't mean simply that we spew out filth. Remember that Nathan 
the prophet says to David, by this act you have given cause 
to the enemies of God to reproach his name. So by our conduct or 
our misconduct, we are blaspheming the Lord Most High. What about 
his Sabbath day? What about the Lord's day? Is 
it our delight? Is the Shabbat a blessing to 
our souls when we get to come in out of the world and we get 
to be with the people of God? Young men, young women, what 
is your attitude toward these things? What about that commandment 
that is specially placed for each young man and each young 
woman? The fifth word, honor your father 
and your mother. Children, obey your parents and 
the Lord, for this is right. This is something you should 
do by creation. You esteem those whom God has 
placed over you, those who feed you, those who clothe you, those 
who shelter you. You esteem them according to 
creation. But if you've been redeemed by 
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, then you esteem them even higher. This is what it means to be a 
Christian. It doesn't mean to run off with 
all the wicked among the world, but it's to be faithful. What 
about murder? Oh, I never kill anybody, I've 
never shot anybody. Do you hate people without cause? 
Are you unforgiving? Is there malice? Is there a spirit 
in you that is unforgiving? It's amazing to me how often 
we do not apply what Paul says in terms of forgiveness, forgiving 
one another, even as God and Christ forgave you. Oh no, not 
us. We're going to hold these grudges 
and be bitter and upset, and that person wronged me, and I'm 
going to avoid that. It's a murderous spirit. This 
is of Cain. This isn't godly. What about 
the seventh word? Young men, young women. How is 
it with you in this area of sexual fidelity and sexual purity? The Lord God Most High says that 
you are to abstain from sexual immorality. In fact, in 1 Thessalonians 
4, do you ever ask the question, what is God's will for my life? 
Typically, that question is posed like this. What is God's will 
for my life? What kind of man am I going to 
marry? What kind of woman am I going to marry? What kind of 
university am I going to go to? What kind of missionary work? 
That's not what Paul says we ought to be asking when it comes 
to the will of God. 1 Thessalonians 4, this is the 
will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual 
immorality. That's the will of God for all 
of us. I think it has peculiar application 
for young people in a sensualized and sexual age. You need to guard 
your heart. If you profess the true faith, 
if you profess that Christ has redeemed you, then glorify God 
in your body. because it's been purchased by 
the Savior. And you are not to misuse it, 
you're not to join your members to a harlot, you are not to engage 
in that lawlessness, because it betrays the confession of 
faith that you are making. What about stealing? Again, I don't go breaking into 
people's house, you might steal at work. You read those studies, 
people get paid for eight hours, three hours of work in a day? 
Work! Especially you young men. Oh my goodness, we need to work. Whatever your hand finds to do, 
do it with your might. Don't be the whining, grumbling, 
complaining person at work. Show up on time, do what you're 
paid to do, and do it to the best of your ability. Anything 
less is theft. And young women, too, don't be 
slobs and show up late and say, well, I'm not a young man. I 
can just sit on my laurels and just coast, because Pastor Butler 
said, work hard. Christians ought to be the best 
employees, not the biggest whiners, not the biggest time wasters, 
not the biggest users of the good things that their employers 
are giving to them. And people say, well, you don't 
know what my job is like. Then find another job. Don't 
take it out on your employer because you're too lazy to go 
out and find another job. Thievery. Lying. You shall not bear false witness. 
Well, I've never been called up to count in a courtroom. Yeah, 
that's the primary application. You're not supposed to be a perjurer. 
Keep that in mind if you ever have to go give evidence. But 
in life, speak the truth. Don't shave off the rough edges. 
Don't make it look better for yourself. The fish, if it was 
that big, don't tell us it was that big. That's lying. You're 
not supposed to lie. That's just what God said. You profess the true religion. 
How is it that we have cut these corners and we have shaved off 
the rough edges? Why is our holiness not like 
the Puritan era? We look at those guys and we 
say, wow, weren't they godly? Yeah, because they did what the 
Lord said. Why is that revolutionary? Why is that so? Wow! How could a young man cleanse 
his way? By taking heed according to God's 
Word. And the tenth word, guard your 
heart. Solomon tells you this so clearly. Keep your heart with all diligence. Keep it, guard it, set a sentinel 
over it. Why? For out of it spring the 
issues of life. Jesus tells us it's from the 
heart that all of this lawlessness proceeds. If you have professed 
the true and saving religion, the way to maintain a cleansed 
way is by taking heed according to the Word. Dill captures both 
these concepts, justification and sanctification, this way. 
He says, I think the Word may be better rendered and supplied 
thus, by observing what is according to thy Word. which shows how 
a sinner is to be cleansed from his sins by the blood of Christ, 
and justified by His righteousness, and be clean through His Word. 
And also how and by whom the work of sanctification is wrought 
in the heart, even by the Spirit of God, by means of the Word. 
And what is the rule of man's walk and conversation? He will 
find the Word of God to be profitable, to inform in the doctrines of 
justification and pardon, to acquaint him with the nature 
of regeneration and sanctification, and for the correction and amendment 
of his life and manners, and for his instruction in every 
branch of righteousness." 2 Corinthians 7.1. Therefore, having these 
promises, and the promises are covenantal that he's indicated 
in chapter 6, having these promises, beloved, Let us cleanse ourselves 
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness 
in the fear of God. If your justification, or your 
supposed or alleged justification, leads you to licentiousness, 
leads you to laziness, leads you to lethargy or apathy, then 
I would be very suspicious that you have Paul's doctrine of justification. Those who have been justified 
freely by His grace meet 7-1 in 2 Corinthians and say, Oh 
God, help me to cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh 
and spirit and help me to perfect holiness in the fear of God. 
Give me the grace and the desire and the wherewithal and the discipline 
and the faithfulness and the consistency to do it. That's 
needful. How can a young man cleanse his 
way? It's not just one day. Oh, I got gripped by the Spirit 
on a Thursday, and I had such a great day. On Friday, it just 
went away. No, you need to be in your Word. 
You need to be in prayer. You need to be faithful. Go back 
to Psalm 119 as we bring this to a close. The question posed, 
how can a young man cleanse his way? The answer given, by taking 
heed according to your Word. Notice in the context, the psalmist's 
example. The psalmist's example, his engagement 
with the Word. In the first place, he obeys the 
Word. He knows for himself by taking 
heed according to your Word. That means obedience. That means 
doing what the Word says. Spurgeon says, "...let him become 
a practical disciple of the Holy God, who alone can teach him 
how to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, that trinity 
of defilers by whom many a hopeful life has been spoiled. He is 
young and unaccustomed to the road. Let him not be ashamed 
often to inquire of Him who is so ready and so able to instruct 
him in it." Isn't that beautiful? I think Spurgeon's on to something 
there. Sometimes, one of the sins of youth is pride. You all 
know it. You know everything, don't you? 
I mean, as parents, we know they know everything, because they 
often remind us, maybe not, you know, positively, but by their 
attitude, by their conduct, they just carry themselves with this, 
you know, air of superiority. I remember one of our children, 
and I hate to do this, used to just think that when we were, 
the kids were little, we should have been this, that and the 
other with the younger ones. And we probably should have been. 
That's tough to take from a, you know, 14-year-old, though, 
that's never had children. Pride is an issue. That's something 
that identifies us with Adam. It's pride. It's pride. Listen to what Spurgeon says. 
He is young and unaccustomed to the road. How can a young 
man cleanse his way? You don't know what the way is 
about. You don't have all the answers. You don't know all the 
ins and outs. He says, let him not be ashamed often to inquire 
of Him who is so ready and so able, to instruct him in it. 
Go to your Scriptures listening for marching orders. Go to your 
Scriptures listening to the voice of God. Go to your Scriptures 
to hear commandments and statutes and ordinance Go to the Scriptures 
to be instructed and to obey." Notice, he engages the Word with 
the whole heart. Verse 10, "...with my whole heart 
I have sought you." I mean, we look at this, we say, 
well, you know, that was David. He got, you know, really caught 
up in religiosity, and he was a godly man. That's just not 
me. Well, it needs to be you, and it needs to be me. Again, 
I don't know why we'd say, oh, those Puritans, they were awesome. 
Oh, that King David, he was awesome. But for us, you know, We can 
just slither by. We can just slide in. We can 
just, you know, kind of hobble our way into heaven. With my 
whole heart I have sought you. Oh, let me not wander from your 
commandments. You see, as he says, with my 
whole heart I have sought you, it still is a present reality 
to him that there is an inclination and a tendency to wander from 
his commandments. So as he's expressing, with my 
whole heart I have sought you, He nevertheless petitions, oh, 
let me not wander from your commandment. There is a realism in the heart 
of David. In fact, the psalm ends on that 
sort of a realistic note. Notice in Psalm 119, 176. You 
kind of almost don't expect it to end this way. You know, you'd 
think it'd be on this crescendo of the glory of God's Holy Word 
and, you know, the fireworks going and the light shining. And David, knowing himself, says, 
I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for 
I do not forget your commandment. Beautiful, isn't it? Back to 
Psalm 119. He engages the Word with a whole 
heart. Thirdly, he memorizes the word. Verse 11, "'Your word 
I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.'" 
It's amazing to me how many times people struggle or battle with 
sin and they don't memorize Scripture. I'm really struggling with this 
particular sin. Let's say it's a sexual sin. I oftentimes say, 
memorize Peter. Not the whole thing, but, "'Abstain 
from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.'" It's a very 
helpful verse, isn't it? "'Abstain from fleshly lusts 
which war against the soul.'" There's a whole host of verses 
that you can memorize in the scripture. I think there's over 
31,000 verses in all of the Bible. If you struggle with sexual sin, 
you may not need to memorize a verse that deals with how many 
cubits the south wall of the tabernacle was. But those texts 
that speak to sexual purity, I mentioned 1 Thessalonians 4. Why aren't those in your heart? 
If you're struggling with sexual sin and you have not internalized 
the Word of God to call it into conscious reality in those times, 
then you need to. It's amazing how many times we 
don't do what we're supposed to do. Pastor, I'm really struggling 
with my role as a wife. Then memorize Paul's instructions. 
That's not going to cure your ills, but the idea is that the 
Spirit will take the Word that is internalized, and make it 
bear upon you, so that when you want to yell obscenities at your 
husband, you'll remember Paul's words that say, submit to your 
own husbands as to the Lord. You wouldn't shout obscenities 
at Jesus. You better not shout obscenities 
at the one Jesus tells you not to. You see, if the Word is not 
there, hidden in your heart, you can't draw off of it. You may not always have your 
phone. You may not always have an internet connection. You may 
not get 3G somewhere. The old boys actually spent the 
time to memorize Scripture. The act itself got it in there. The act itself rolled it around. The act itself put it in their 
bones. And therefore, it was available 
when crunch time came. Notice that he depends upon divine 
instruction from the Word. Verse 12, Blessed are you, O 
Lord. Teach me your statutes. I depend 
on this. I need it. This is my lifeline. This is my hope. This is my stay. Spurgeon says, young man, the 
Bible must be your chart, and you must exercise great watchfulness, 
that your way may be according to its directions. You must take 
heed to your daily life, as well as study your Bible. You must 
study your Bible, that you may take heed to your daily life. 
With the greatest care, a man will go astray if his map misleads 
him. But with the most accurate map, 
he will still lose his road if he does not take heed to it. 
You understand? You could have a GPS, but if 
you don't turn it on or it downloaded the wrong data, you'll still 
get lost. You need to utilize what is available. He says, the narrow way was never 
hit upon by chance, neither did any heedless man ever lead a 
holy life. That's just good horse sense 
right there. Fifth, he engages the Word with 
a desire to declare to others. I want to witness, Pastor. I 
want to go out and testify. I want to tell people about Jesus." 
Well, listen to what he says in verse 13, "'With my lips I 
have declared all the judgments of your mouth.'" What's the point? What's the issue? What's the 
idea? That when you internalize the Word of God, when it gets 
ahold of you, when it's in your bones, when it's in your heart, 
it can't help but bubble out. You can't help but declare how 
glorious Jesus is. You want to witness? Study your 
Bible and pray. You can always come back to that. 
Isn't that great? Christianity is pretty simple that way. Notice 
he engages the word with joy. Verse 14, I have rejoiced in 
the way of your testimonies as much as in all riches. Is church 
a happy event for you or is it drudgery? Is morning Bible reading 
happy or is it drudgery? Is it something you have to, 
or is it something you get to? Your dad says it's time to read 
the Bible after dinner. Do we roll our eyes? Do we say, 
I don't want to do that? That's not the disposition of 
the psalmist. The psalmist was joyful when 
it comes to the Word of God. I have rejoiced in the way of 
your testimonies as much as in all riches. I suspect that if 
you happen to walk home tonight and you found a big bag of gold, 
And you went to the police and reported it, like you should. 
And the police said, You know, that happens to be nobody's. 
It's yours to keep. You would probably do a bit of 
a jig on your way out of the police station as you are schlepping 
that bag of gold home. And the psalmist says, I have 
more joy than that. I have rejoiced in the way of 
testimonies as much as in all riches. Later he says more. Later 
he says more. As well, seventh. He engages 
the word with meditation and contemplation. Meditation and 
contemplation. Verse 15, I will meditate on 
your precepts and contemplate your ways. I was thinking about 
this recently. If someone put a camera in my 
study, they would see me at times just staring. You'd say, oh, 
he's not doing any work. He preached that Eighth Commandment 
to us and he's sitting in there stealing money from the church. 
He's just sitting there. I don't know how to look busy 
meditating and contemplating. You know what I mean? There's 
a sense where you just have to sit and think. You've got to 
let the Word roll around in there. You put that tea bag in the hot 
water and you just let it steep. That's what the psalmist says 
that we need to do with the Word of God. Put it in there and let 
it steep. Just let it ooze into the bone, 
let it ooze into the heart, let it find its way into you. Meditate 
on it, contemplate it, consider it, think through it. Take a 
walk and take a verse or two with you and just think through 
the implications of that for you. It's not magic, it's not 
shutting down, it's not the meditation associated with that Eastern 
mystical nonsense. It's not humming or chanting 
or sitting with a robe on, a cup of tea, it's not that. is get 
your mind in the Scriptures. It's to think through it. Engage 
the mind. Jesus says we are to love the 
Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The mindless Christianity is 
not Christianity. We are to worship God by utilizing 
the mind. We are to meditate and contemplate 
on His holy words. And then finally, he engages 
the word with delight and determination. Verse 16, I will delight myself 
in your statute. Now notice, I will not forget 
your word. I will not forget your word. 
You say, well, that sounds boastful, that sounds proud, especially 
from a man who committed adultery and murder. Brethren, we are 
to make resolutions. We are to resolve, by the grace 
of God, to keep those things that he has given to us. Notice 
in Psalm 119, 106, I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep 
your righteous judgments. I have sworn and confirmed that 
I will keep your righteous judgments. You say, well, I don't think 
I could do that. You better start doing it. You better start living 
in light of those things. You ought to take seriously the 
fact that the God of heaven and earth has given us his word, 
he has called us to march accordingly, and we are not to say, well, 
I'm going to try. No, you are to confirm and determine to not 
forget his word. Of course, that presupposes that 
you're actually learning his word. So that's the psalmist's 
example of engagement with the word. Well, I hope that this 
has been helpful. I hope that this has been an 
encouragement. I hope that it's been instructive. And I do want 
to say one final thing that God willing, in a couple of weeks 
or months, we're going to try and start a children's Sunday 
school to help facilitate this. Now, it's primarily the responsibility 
of parents to bring up their children in the training and 
the admonition of the Lord. But I have for a long time wanted 
to have a meeting from 9.30 to 10.30 with our little ones to 
teach them the truth, to teach them sound doctrine, And, you 
know, not... You all know me, I'd probably 
have them in there, you know, reciting or reading Burkhoff. 
It'll be a little more, you know, facilitated to the youth. We're 
going to try to get some ladies involved, too, so it's not just, 
you know, rehearsing the doctrine of total depravity and reciting 
all the texts that speak to that. But we want to try and help in 
this way, but it cannot be the Church does it. Fathers, you 
need to take charge in your home. You need to lead your little 
ones to the cross. Fathers and mothers, you need 
to take seriously the apostles' admonition. Do not provoke your 
children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and the 
admonition of the Lord. That is a command not given to 
the pastors of the church. Certainly, pastors who are fathers 
need to do this with their children. Fathers, the primary arena for 
the discipleship of children is in the home. So the church 
isn't going to usurp that position. The church isn't going to do 
that by proxy. We are going to try, as we are 
able, to inculcate some truth into your little ones, but you 
have the main responsibility to bring them up. And fathers 
and mothers, take this seriously, because this is a wicked, decadent, 
wretched generation. And how can a young man cleanse 
his way? By taking heed according to your 
Word. We need to present that Word to them privately, we need 
to present that to them in the family, and we need to bring 
them to church. You know, a kid gets 15, he doesn't 
want to go to church anymore. Well, maybe he's learned that 
from your example. Many of you learn that because 
you complain about church, or you don't like church, or you 
miss church. When your kid's 15 and he doesn't 
want to go to church, and you haven't been consistent or faithful, 
you really don't have a leg to stand on. You know, there's studies. 
Why are our children leaving the church? I think one of the 
best ways that we can do this, or one of the ways we can hopefully 
prohibit this, is by being good examples in this regard. Showing 
them is valuable. Showing them is important. Showing 
them is something that we do because it's in our bones, it's 
in our heart. We're not going to forsake the 
assembling of ourselves together. So how can a young man cleanse 
his way? By taking heed according to your Word. Well, let us pray. 
Father, we thank you for the Word, and we thank you that you 
have given it to us, and I pray that you would help us to follow 
the example set forth by the psalmist in this short section 
of Holy Scripture, And I do pray for all of our young people. 
I pray for all of our children, that they would, in their youth, 
remember their Creator, that they, in their youth, would lay 
hold of that Word by your grace, that they would know the justifying 
grace of God Almighty, and they would pursue those things that 
are pleasing in your sight, that they would indeed perfect holiness 
in the fear of God. We ask now that you would go 
with us, that you would watch over us in this coming week, 
Be with our brothers and sisters who have struggles and difficulties 
and trials, and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen.