Psalm 1:1-3

Psalm 1:1-3

B.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water and yields its fruit in season, and its leaf does not whither.  In all that he does, he prospers.”

When we are born, we are born into a world of conflict.  The word of God states that all men are born with poison in their hearts, unable to be tamed or instructed, and fill the world with violence proportionate to the incongruent nature of their own heart to virtue.  Sin is destruction, and wherever sin is, destruction is occurring.  That is why Solomon describes sin as ‘lying in wait for blood’.  Where there is sin, there is war—an unrighteous war of arrogant despotism, the continuous subversion of authority, and the oppression of all men by moral poverty.   Had it not been for God, in His infinite mercy, intervening on our account, the world would have consumed itself much like the multitude the came against Jehoshophat (2 Chronicles 20).  But, as God remains for a time to strive with men, good remains, for a time, to abide in it as well.  Therefore, the world remains not yet destroyed by sin, but as sin still abounds, the world still abounds with the conflict produced from the unrighteousness of men’s hearts.  And though good remains, by virtue of itself, it is not an expression of peace as we would expect peace to be.  Righteousness will defend righteousness, and by doing so, war against what is unrighteous. 

As moral creatures in the world, we are bound to fight this war despite our disposition or resolve to the contrary.  An intention to abstain from the moral conflict inherent in this world is a choice to serve what is evil through omission, and we will justly be consumed by evil through an unwillingness to stand for what is good.  In a world full of both good and evil, we cannot expect that the absence of conflict is possible.  Where evil exists good men must stand, and when evil persists, good men must fight.  This is why God, who Himself is the giver of peace and the source of it, is also judge and destroyer of the unrighteous.  Peace is a fruit of righteousness, and therefore, will only prevail when righteousness prevails.  To seek peace apart from upholding righteousness will always compromise what is good, and with that act, enable the destructive force of sin, thus, undermining the peace that is made.  How, then, are we expected to experience peace when God promises us peace as unavoidable participants in a violent world?

            The river of peace that flows from the Savior and is born of His Spirit translates into our lives in two ways:  the first expressing the absence of conflict and the second expressing the presence of conflict, but both being described by the presence of ‘resolve’.  The conflict that has ended exists in the surrender of our sinful hearts to the will of Almighty God, who, by the blood of Jesus Christ, grants us mercy and pardon for our crimes against His authority.  As such, we are made to be at peace, not with the world, but with our Maker.  Our discordant souls have been ‘resolved’ to express the harmony written into the motif of God’s symphony, and as He is the great Maestro, He is not only our conductor, but the very breath that flows in us to produce His music through us.  We can truly be said to have nothing to fear, and so, be at peace in a world of conflict by being in accord with the One who has determined its outcome. 

            The presence of conflict that is aroused by the peace of Jesus Christ is not found in a war against evil, but in being ‘resolved’ to defend righteousness as evil wars against us.  If righteousness is not defended then evil would prevail and peace would be not be present.  Peace is a product of righteousness, a fruit, and as such, like the fruit of the ground, must be maintained by the sweat of our brows.  This, of course, does not mean that we earn our peace with the Father through works.  It means if we value righteousness, then we will serve righteousness, and we are blessed if we are found to be servants of righteousness.  There is no form of righteousness that will not call an individual to act on its behalf.  Righteousness is not something that sits in us.  It is something that flows through us.  Therefore, if there were no action upon which righteousness may take its form (for righteousness is not a noun but an adjective) then we cannot think that any righteousness is possible, and thus, no peace.  When we act according to righteousness, we can expect what is evil to take up arms against our purpose.

The most primary battlefield that this conflict occurs is in our hearts.  We must defend our hearts from unrighteousness, for out of them flow the issues of life.  We can expect that the way we attend to righteousness publicly will reflect that way we attend to righteousness personally and privately.  If we do not defend righteousness in our hearts then we will not express righteousness in our lives.  We must rise with the Lord in the morning and go to sleep with Him at night.  He is our righteousness, and only because of this, is He also our peace.  We must eat and breathe righteousness, attending to the Lord and His righteousness day and night.  This is the man who prospers.  This is the man of peace.  One who makes no provision for the flesh, but planting His roots by streams of water, he will not whither.