Blessed is the man who... does not stand in the way of sinners...
- Psalm 1:1
“Blessed is the man who… does not stand in the way of sinners.”
With his first words, the Psalmist referenced receiving advice from sinners (i.e., who walks not in the counsel of the wicked), but now the Psalmist is talking about associating with sinners.
When the Psalmist says "stands in the way," he literally means one who "stands with sinners."
Simply put, a blessed man does not share in fellowship with sinners.
Instead, he seeks communion with the people of God.
God is a God of community.
God is the first community, a perfectly harmonious relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. Having been created in God's image, we, too, desire community. And the community we seek out reflects who we are.
Blessed men and women want to be around other blessed men and women.
It must be this way because the desires are different.
Blessed men and women no longer love and want to do what people of the world love and want to do.
Blessed men and women are different; they are new creations.
Their love and affection for the things of the world grow dim in light of their newfound love and affection for Christ.
They have no time to "stand in the way of sinners" because they are running hard after King Jesus.
Does this mean there is no association? Absolutely not. Blessed men and women are not "of the world but they are in the world."
- You are now the aroma of Christ in a world full of sewage and death.
- You need to foster relations with those who do not know Christ.
- You should draw near to the afflicted and hurting.
- You must serve the marginalized and burdened.
- You are to love your enemies — you can't love something without being close to it!
The blessed life is messy, but it is not a life lived in fellowship with the ungodly.
The ungodly do not need your fellowship; they need the truth of Jesus Christ. Only then, when they accept that truth, can they be brought into fellowship with God.
Until then, be mindful of who you associate with; birds of a feather do indeed flock together.
Your prayer, "God, help me win those in the world without succumbing to the temptations and trappings of the world."
Press on,
Pastor Chris
