Psalm 119:1-3
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
Psalm 119, as we’ve previously discussed, significantly shapes our understanding of the word of God. It’s not by accident that the longest of the Psalms in the Bible is itself about the character and worth of the Bible. We’re looking at several verses now in connection to the second aspect of sufficiency as we’ve defined it: the Bible is sufficient for obedient, victorious Christian living.
This Psalm begins by describing the worth of undefiled living; those who live this way are called “blessed.” The Hebrew word here translated “blessed” can also be translated “happy.” One immediate reward of holiness is the joy of guiltlessness, of freedom from the weight of sin and judgment. The righteous person experiences a happiness only known to a clean conscience. He can be happy because he is “undefiled in the way.” “The way” and “walk” both point to his manner of life. This person’s life is unspotted by sin, undefiled by iniquity. The person here described is one who lives a consistently righteous life and is happy because he knows he is living in obedience to God.
Where does this confidence come from? How does this person know that he is living an undefiled life? It is because he is walking in the law of the Lord. He knows the law of God, and he has chosen to submit himself to it in humble obedience. His life is not shaped by his own concept of right and wrong, nor by the opinions and standards of others, but is conformed to God’s perfect word.
It’s worth noting that the “law” described here would have primarily been a reference to the Mosaic code as found in the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). This wouldn’t have included all of what we now accept as Scripture, but that only reinforces the sufficiency of God’s word. If this law alone is sufficient for undefiled, morally upright living, how much more the entire Scriptures we now possess! As clearly described here, the law of the Lord is adequate to equip the believer to live righteously, even to the point of being called undefiled—unspotted by any sin.
This has two applications for our understanding of sufficiency. First, those who faithfully follow the commands of Scripture are led toward perfect obedience. Obedience to God’s word yields undefiled living. Thus we understand that all that is necessary for holy living can be discovered in Scripture, and no other source is necessary. Second, we see that the person who lives according to Scripture can be confident that he is doing all that God expects of him. He isn’t left wondering if God has left something unrevealed that is essential for his obedience. God has already revealed everything he needs to know to faithfully obey Him, and thus this man is blessed—happy—knowing he is living as God expects him to.
Continuing in that vein, the psalmist says that those who keep God’s testimonies are blessed. Here the connection is more than just blessing for moral living (as verse 1); it is blessing for those who obey God’s testimonies (another word describing His law). Obedience to God’s word brings blessedness. Notice also the connection between obeying God’s word and seeking God Himself. These are those who are wholeheartedly pursuing God. They are seeking Him with their whole heart. What do we find them doing? Keeping God’s word. The man who desires to know God is the one who searches Scripture and follows through by doing what God has asked him to do. Pursuit of God is directly connected to study of His word and obedience to it.
Verse 3 repeats the same principle we found in verse 1. Those who keep God’s law “do no iniquity.” This indicates more than partial improvement. Absolute obedience to God’s word produces sin-free living. While we understand that the believer doesn’t reach a state of perfection on this side of eternity, this text reminds us that Scripture is not the limiting factor in our sanctification. Though we continually struggle with the flesh and often fail, the word shows us what perfection looks like. It sets forth the perfect standard toward which we are all striving.
A final principle we glean from this text is the connection between holy living, God’s word, and God’s own character. As we’ve already discovered, those who obey Scripture are described as undefiled and without iniquity. Interestingly, the end of verse 3 tells us that these people also walk in the Lord’s ways. They follow Him, imitating His character. They are the godly, those who emulate God’s own nature.
Obedience to God’s law produces holiness, not as a reality isolated from God’s own character but as one directly connected to God. God is Himself perfect in every way. He has revealed the many facets of His perfection in His word so we can know Him, but also so we can be like Him. And as we obey His word, we are indeed made more like God. Our character becomes more like His. We learn to love what He loves and even to hate what He hates. We mimic Him. We follow Him, seeking to be who He is and do what He would do. As we walk in the law of the Lord, we also walk in His ways.
Psalm 119:9-11
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.
As the previous verses give the law as the means of holiness (leading us toward holiness), these verses tell us that the law also frees from sin (leading us away from sin). The example in this psalm is a young man, immature in all areas of life, especially spiritually. The question “How can a young man cleanse his way?” presupposes that this man is tempted by sin if not already ensnared in it. What can purify this man’s life? The word of God. If he heeds (listens to and obeys) God’s word, he will be cleansed from sin. The Bible is fully capable of transforming his life; it is sufficient to cleanse from sin.
It is also sufficient to preserve us. The psalmist sought after God with his whole heart and has found Him. Having found God, his one desire is that he would not now wander from God. He loves his God, has sought his wholeheartedly, and desires to remain in fellowship with Him. But notice that he doesn’t just pray, “Let me not wander from You!” His prayer specifically includes God’s word. “Let me not wander from Your commandments!” He knows nothing of faithfulness to God apart from commitment to Scripture. His desire to know God’s commandments is one and the same as his desire to know God Himself.
It is unfortunate that this connection is often misunderstood today. Statements like “I just want Jesus, not religion” or “we need the Living Word not the written word,” while sometimes sincere, divide Scripture from their Author. It is absolutely true that we must know the Living Word, but to think that we can know Him apart from His own revelation is folly. True relationship with the living God always begins with right knowledge of His written revelation. The psalmist understood this, which is why we find his desire for God expressed in a love for God’s commandments. A relationship with God that ignores God’s own words about Himself is on a fast track to idolatry.
As the word is sufficient to cleanse from sin and to preserve our relationship with God, it is also sufficient to keep us from sin. In verse 11 the psalmist describes the power of the word in our battle against sin, this time emphasizing its ability to protect us from sin. “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” God’s word cleanses sin from us, but it also guards us against it. If we know God’s perfect law, we will be equipped to successfully fight sin. This “hiding” clearly indicates intimate knowledge of the Scriptures, primarily through memorization. The one who would be successful in his fight against sin must begin by internalizing the truths of God’s word.
Is Scripture valuable for the Christian? Clearly it is. It reveals what holiness looks like. If we heed it, we can be undefiled, doing no iniquity. It brings us into relationship with God. It also cleanses from sin, preserves our relationship with God, and keeps us from sin. We know it is valuable, but is it sufficient? It is one thing to say the Bible has great worth; it is another to say it is the only thing necessary for a Christian to be faithfully obedient to God. Seeing Scripture as a valuable resource alongside our experiences and man’s wisdom is quite different than standing on the Bible alone as our authority. Yet I believe we can say based on these verses (and other Scriptures we’ve examined) that the Bible is all we need. Scripture alone is given repeatedly as the only necessary solution for our problems, without conditions or qualifications. It is sufficient for obedient, victorious Christian living.