Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Psalm 1:1
Bible scholars assure us that the first three verses of Psalm 1 describe the person and character of the Lord Jesus. He is the only Person Who could and did fulfil these verses perfectly. But that doesn’t mean his followers can’t make a good attempt to imitate His wonderful example.
What does it mean to not walk in the counsel of the ungodly? Our walk speaks of the direction of our life, the careers we pursue, the interests we have, our testimony before the world. Where do we get our guidance and advice from in this most important aspect of ourselves. The world is awash in those who would point us in one direction or another. For the most part, this is the counsel of the ungodly with more interest in your money than in your soul. Godly parents, godly friends, and godly Assembly oversight will offer much better counsel.
Someone has wisely said that if we don’t stand for something, we will fall for anything. Look at the nonsense that many of the lost souls around us are falling for these days! Our text would have us avoid the stand that sinners take, and plant our feet firmly on the Word of God and on nothing that contradicts the Word of God. We have proven that the truths of the Scriptures are reliable and eternal. Better to stand for God and be rejected by the world than stand with the world and be rejected by God.
My Dad often used an expression that applies here: A person who associates with skunks can be expected to smell like them. It’s true; we tend to act like, talk like, and think like the people we chat and drink our coffee with. The word scornful refers to the mockers, those who reject God and His righteousness. These make dangerous buddies for the child of God.
Does it matter to us where we walk, how we stand, and who we sit with? It matters to God. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/2OzbAE_DGUc