What Does Stability Look Like? Part 6
By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
Psalm 15:1-5
I’d like to wrap up our meditation of this Psalm by asking, ‘How can I possibly possess all of these qualities that make me unmoveable? Has anyone ever demonstrated such stability?’
There is only one Person who has demonstrated all of these qualities all of the time. Hebrews 4:15 describes the Lord Jesus Christ: ‘For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’
Who is able to walk in close fellowship with the Heavenly Father as Psalm 15:1 states? The Lord Jesus did! While on earth, He was committed to serious prayer. He communed with the Father day in and day out. We also know it was His habit to gather with God’s people weekly (Luke 4:16).
Who is able to walk uprightly, working righteousness? The Lord Jesus did! He was full of integrity, always doing right.
Who is able to speak the truth in his heart? The Lord Jesus did! He said, ‘I am…truth’ in John 14:6. His thoughts were consistent with reality. In John 17:17 He prayed, ‘Thy Word is truth.’ He critiqued everything and everyone by it.
Who is able to guard his tongue from slandering another’s reputation? The Lord Jesus did! Rather than hurt people by telling false stories behind their back, His tongue nourished those who followed Him. Rather than doing ‘evil to his neighbour,’ He ‘went about doing good’ (Acts 10:38).
Who is able to detest sin and avoid the influence of sinners while befriending those who fear the Lord? Once again, the Lord Jesus did! While He was a friend of sinners (Luke 7:34), that friendship was always to pull them out of their vileness, to give them the hope of forgiveness. The greatest proof of His disgust of sin is when He bore our sins in his own body on the cross. Because He is too holy to even look on my sin (Habakkuk 1:13), the Father turned his back on His own beloved Son. He who knew no sin became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Who always keeps His word even when it costs Him? Who refuses to benefit at the expense of others? Who never takes bribes in agreement to harm the innocent? Again, this perfectly describes the Lord Jesus Christ.
See Christ in His exquisite perfection, unmoveable, firm, steady.
How can I be stable? Philippians 4:13 says, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’
This Christ must live in me and enable me. As the Apostle Paul testified, ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20).
Father, I want to be stable, but in my own power I am not and cannot. I praise You that Jesus Christ is stable, and is willing to live in me to make me stable. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, controlling me and forming Christ in me more and more. Live through me. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.