Psalm 27:1-14 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?… This is not the language of vain presumption, or the boastful utterance of affected boldness, but the confident, yet humble, utterance of Christian assurance. I. SHALL WE BE AFRAID OF GOD? 1. Is He not revealed as a sin-hating God? And are not all men sinners? How comes it, then, that the Christian man, though sensible of many infirmities, shortcomings, and aggravated sins — sins of thought, of word, and of deed — can say that he has no cause to be afraid of God? It is because of the new relation into which he is brought to God by virtue of his union to Christ, and of what Christ has done for him. The work of Christ was to satisfy Divine justice and reconcile us to God. Nor is this all. Every believer in Christ becomes a partaker of the Divine nature, sustaining a relation to him near and dear as that which His own Son sustained. 2. Is not the Christian exposed to temptation? May he not be stripped of the safeguard which Divine grace has thrown around him, and be exposed again to the dread vengeance of an insulted God? No; though he may fall, yet shall he rise again. So long as he is Christ's he has nothing to fear from God, but everything to hope. The love of God dwelling in him, there is no place for fear, for "perfect love casteth out fear." II. SHALL WE FEAR THE LAW? "Cursed is every one that continueth not," etc. "He that offendeth in one point," etc. If a man's life is to be brought to the test of the law, if he is to stand on the footing of his own merits in the eye of the law, then, indeed, is his condition hopeless, for "there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not." "By the deeds of the law shall no flesh living be justified." Now though all this be true, it is no less true that even of the law the Christian has no need to be afraid. To him it is invested with no terrors, on him it never flashes its lightning, against him it never peals its thunders, and why? Why, just because "the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made him free from the law of sin and of death." Why? Because "there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." III. SHALL WE FEAR SATAN? When we think of the life he has led us, the misery in which he has involved us, the grinding nature of that servitude be exacts from every one who is led captive by him at his will, we may well tremble at the thought of such an enemy, for unless we are ransomed from his hands by a mightier power than our own, well may we say that he is indeed a power to be feared. But it is only when under his power that this can truly be said of him. It cannot be so said of the believer, for his position is altered to Satan, and Satan's is altered to him. Christ "has taken the prey from the mighty, and spoiled the captive of the terrible one." IV. SHALL WE FEAR AFFLICTION? To fear it would be to mistrust the promises, and to doubt the faithfulness of Him by whom these promises are made. "Fear not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God." "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee," etc. V. SHALL WE FEAR DEATH? Death, which the world calls "the king of terrors," and which wicked men feel to be such! Death, which for six thousand years has lorded it over the human race, and to whose sceptre countless myriads are yet destined to bowl Shall we not be afraid of death? No! To the Christian there is nothing in death to make him afraid. To the Christian all his power is over the material, not over the spiritual; over the body, not over the soul; and even ever the body not long. To the Christian he comes as an angel of mercy, as a messenger of peace. (H. Hyslop.) Parallel Verses KJV: {A Psalm of David.} The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? |
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