"O how I love Your law!"

The psalmist wrote, "O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day." (Ps. 119:97) He goes on to say the law of God had given him wisdom, insight, and understanding. He abstained from evil and practiced the ordinances of God. He concluded this section by saying, "From your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way." (Ps. 119:104)

Notice the contrast. He loved God's law and hated every false way. Because he understood God's precepts, he hated everything opposed to and out of harmony with them. Why? For the same reason we might. Sin separates man from God and ends in eternal death (Is. 59:2; Rom. 6:23; James 1:15). Teaching something other than God's truth causes one to be accursed (Gal. 1:8-9). Understanding these things should cause us to "hate every false way" as well.

Do we love God's truth and hate every false way? We might all say we love the truth. But would we use language as strong as David, that we hate that which is false?

Are we set for the defense of the gospel, rising up when it comes under attack (Phil. 1:16,17)? Will we stand up for the truth, even when we have to stand alone (2 Tim. 4:16)? Will we confront the preacher who is influencing others toward sin (Gal. 2:11-14)? Will we resist the lead of the elders who are leading us away from Christ (Acts 20:29-30)? Are we willing to forsake family and friends in order to remain true to the Lord (Mt. 10:34-37)?

If not, can we say we hate every false way like David did? If we don't have that attitude that David expressed, perhaps we don't love God's law as much as we think we do.

Let's each examine ourselves in light of God's word.

Looking at the Big Picture

"The sum of Your word is truth" (Ps. 119:160)

Considering only one verse to prove a point can be dangerous. Many verses, when taken out of context, have several plausible interpretations. But if we conclude on one interpretation without considering the sum of God’s word, we can easily find ourselves with an improper understanding of God’s will. Consider the following example in reference to salvation.

Ephesians 2:8 – "For by grace you have been saved through faith"

A plausible explanation of that verse is that we are saved at the point of belief in Jesus Christ. But notice another verse.

1 Peter 3:21 – "Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you"

A plausible explanation of that verse is that baptism is the only thing that is necessary for us to be saved. While these are both plausible explanations for these two verses, neither one is correct.

We must look at the sum of God’s word. Is faith necessary for salvation? Yes! Is baptism necessary for salvation? Yes! These passages do not contradict each other. Rather, they compliment each other.

When studying the Bible, let us be careful that our interpretation of a passage does not conflict with another passage. If it does, we need to reexamine our conclusion. The word of God is truth. Truth harmonizes with truth. As Jesus said, "the Scripture cannot be broken" (Jn. 10:35).